Plan Commission Report | 3/21/23 By Laurie Breitkopf, Chairperson, Plan Commission

The Plan Commission met on March 16, 2023 and reopened the hearing on Lexington Homes’s proposal to build townhomes on the Federal Life property at 3750 Deerfield Road. 

Lexington presented its revised plan. The plan now provides for 54 townhomes, instead of the originally proposed 69 units. There is more open space, the internal road circulation has been improved, and the detention ponds have been reconfigured to allow more successful natural plantings.  (A dedicated page has been set up to provide historic background of the Village's interaction with Lexington Homes regarding the proposed townhome development.)

The Village’s planning consultant, Lee Brown of Teska Associates, felt that physical tweaks are still needed to enhance the liveability of the development. Village Engineer Carissa Smith of Gewalt Hamilton stated that there are further technical matters to be presented. 

Affordable housing is a component of the plan. Lexington has proposed three affordable housing units onsite and payments-in-lieu for the remaining five units called for under the Village’s affordable housing policy (15% of units in new developments). There has not yet been discussion by the Plan Commission of the amount of payments-in-lieu or the total number of affordable housing units onsite.

Lexington stated that there would be no runoff from the Federal Life property to Meadowlake properties to the north.

Lexington will provide a package of exhibits to the Plan Commission before the next meeting.

There were comments and questions from several Riverwoods residents at the hearing.  Issues included parking, building height, safety/fencing, lighting, flooding/runoff and tree removal and replanting. The hearing will continue at the next meeting of the Plan Commission on April 20, 2023 at 7:30 PM.