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Politics & Government

Lake Bluff Village Board, SunCal Weigh in on Residents' Stonebridge Concerns

Age restriction, property's impact, SunCal's finances draw most attention.

Although the public hearings for Stonebridge Lake Bluff, LLC’s request to lift the age-restriction on their property are not scheduled for another two weeks, conversations about the potential change are well underway.

At Monday night's Village Board meeting, trustees voiced the concerns of Lake Bluff residents they had spoken with since the recent announcement of . Most questions raised involved the impact a large community like Stonebridge will have on Lake Bluff with or without the age restriction.

The first of two public hearings will be held at 7 p.m. March 16 with the Lake Bluff Zoning Board of Appeals. The Village's Plan Commission will follow at 6:30 p.m. March 17. Both public hearings will be held at .

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SunCal representatives will attend the hearings, according to Joe Aguirre, a SunCal spokesperson.

“These are public hearings that are part of the process to request a revision of the 55-and-over age restriction, and SunCal representatives will be present to discuss the project and answer questions from officials,” Aguirre said.

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Concern 1: Impact of Stonebridge on Village

According to Trustee John Josephitis, residents he spoke with were interested in seeing updated impact reports, including studies on how a family-friendly Stonebridge would affect traffic, schools, public safety and tax revenue for the Village. 

Village Administrator Drew Irvin clarified the Village did not initially run impact reports, but the petitioner had completed a traffic study based on an age-targeted development. Trustee Rick Lesser said the existing traffic study was based on an average population of 75 year olds and didn’t consider how the moving of multiple families would impact Green Bay Road, where the entrance and exit to Stonebridge is located.

According to Aguirre, the development company does not currently plan on conducting any impact reports.

“At this time, we do not anticipate submitting any impact reports because, other than requesting a revision of the 55-and-over restriction, we will not be changing the development plans that were previously approved by Village officials," Aguirre said. "We will follow the existing plans to create a community that complements Lake Bluff and is an asset to the area."

Although they do not currently have plans to perform impact reports, Aguirre said SunCal does plan to work further with the community to ensure the Stonebridge property fits comfortably within Lake Bluff.

“It is the practice with all of our developments to work closely with local residents and officials to ensure the project is a good fit with the surrounding community and that it reflects a consensus vision,” Aguirre said.

Irvin said it was possible for the Village Board to talk to various department heads to determine the impact dropping the age restriction would have, including traffic in the area.

Concern 2: Stonebridge Property

Lesser voiced concerns not only about the surrounding area, but for the Stonebridge property itself.

According to Lesser, because the project was designed with an age-restriction in mind, there are detention ponds that pose a safety threat to families with children.

“The detention ponds are steep and deep. They were originally safe because those 18 and under were not allowed to live there,” Lesser said.

Lesser said the detention areas are like “cliffs” and he would like to see new engineering reports done concerning their safety, with one condition.

“I do not want to see engineering studies paid for by the developer. I want to see engineering studies paid for by the Village,” Lesser said.

Concern 3: Age Restriction vs. Family Development

Lesser said he prefers Stonebridge as a family-friendly development and has never supported the age-restriction.

“Having an age restricted community has been anti-our Village feel,” Lesser said. “People move to Lake Bluff to raise their families and that’s how we all meet each other.”

However, Lesser said he thought separate lots for family homes would lead to a better quality of life for Lake Bluff residents, instead of the current property set-up SunCal has planned for Stonebrige.

According to Aguirre, SunCal’s plans for Stonebridge are in accordance with the standards and values of the Lake Bluff community.

“We intend to follow the existing plans to create an upscale community that is an asset to Lake Bluff," Aguirre said. "We recognize that Stonebridge must be developed in a thoughtful and sensitive manner, and we will do so according to the high standards that our company is known for."

Agguire also said SunCal recognizes the historical significance of a property like Stonebridge.

“Stonebridge is a special place and we intend to create a quality, upscale community that blends well with the original structures and is reflective of the estate’s heritage and natural beauty,” Aguirre said.

Concern 4: SunCal's Finances

Other concerns Josephitis said residents had surrounded news they had read from California about SunCal needing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for some of their properties.

Village President Christine Letchinger said she had already confronted SunCal on the bankruptcy filings, and was told the funding had been from Lehman Brothers. She explained that after Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy, the funding ceased and SunCal lost their equity.

Letchinger said she would specifically ask a SunCal representative to address the bankruptcy during a public hearing.

Lesser had other monetary-related concerns about the new developer. Lesser said he was worried the price of the Stonebridge homes would undercut prices for existing homes on the market in Lake Bluff.

“I find part of our job on the Village Board is to make residents’ houses worth more not less,” Lesser said.

Irvin said there are no specific drawings for Stonebridge homes yet, only concepts, but prices would likely start around $600,000.

Irvin encouraged the public to e-mail in their comments or concerns on Stonebridge to him personally at dirvin@lakebluff.org or to the Village e-mail at vlb@lakebluff.org.

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