(The following article by Susan DeMar Lafferty was posted on the Chicago Daily Southtown website on June 17.)
CHICAGO — New Lenox trustees Tuesday concluded a public hearing on the planned annexation of the 251-acre Village Station, a mixed-use development that will be anchored by the village’s second Metra station.
The property, owned by Silver Cross Hospital, is northeast and southeast of the intersection of Cedar and Laraway roads.
Plans call for the new commuter station surrounded by about 800 moderate- to high-density residences and a mix of retail and office buildings. The transit-oriented development will be geared toward pedestrians, with access to bicycle trails and open space.
The station is part of Metra’s plan to extend its SouthWest Service Line to New Lenox and Manhattan. Metra intends to begin construction of the station this year, with an initial 300-space parking lot that would expand to 1,200 spaces, Mayor Mike Smith said.
The plan commission and village board have scheduled special meetings June 30 on the Village Station development.
“This project is very important to the community,” Smith said. “We have an opportunity to build a model (transit-oriented development).”
Village officials are working on language in the annexation agreement, establishing standards for the multi-family housing and clarifying the sanitary sewer system.
Cedar and Laraway are Will County roads, but Smith said New Lenox will be seeking lane improvements to accommodate the development.
The acreage is split, with land north and south of Laraway Road and east and west of the railroad tracks, making it a “challenge” to unify the segments, said Chris Lannert of the Lannert Group, which designed Village Station.
Village Station will include single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, and multiplex and courtyard homes, with architectural distinctions and varying setbacks, Lannert said. Commercial use will primarily be along Laraway Road and will carry over the theme from the village’s Commons area, he said.
Smith said there has been a lot of interest from major commercial developers, and the village would consider sales tax rebates for infrastructure improvements. The village does not yet know who will be developing the site.
The plan would have 25 percent of the property remaining open space, of which 7.3 acres will be donated in three separate sites to the New Lenox Community Park District, 25 acres will be reserved for stormwater detention, 22 acres for general open space and 3.6 miles of recreational trails.
Trustee Dave Smith expressed concern about the housing density, saying 10 townhomes per acre is “a lot.” He also wants to see the recreational trail extended to connect to the commercial sites along Laraway Road and suggested a pedestrian overpass across Laraway Road to improve access to the train station.