'Looking toward the future': Why West Dundee is considering the annexation of a 55-acre property

The expansion of West Dundee's borders to incorporate more land along Randall Road has never been a question of "if" but "when," Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.

Officials now are considering annexing a vacant 55-acre property into the village to facilitate growth along the high-traffic corridor.

Located northeast of the Randall Road and Route 72 intersection, the unincorporated parcel is under contract to be purchased by David Huang, who has no definitive plans for development. Instead, the buyer is seeking flexibility to eventually sell the land in pieces or pursue a market-based project once economic conditions are favorable, said Tim Scott, community and economic development director.

The property represents just a portion of a 265-acre site known as the Galvin property, officials said. A public hearing was held this week on the site's proposed annexation, which will be up for a vote by the village board at a future meeting.

Trustees also are expected to consider zoning the property as a special development district to allow for a variety of land uses, including retail, office park, residential and light industrial. Specific plans still would require village board approval before any such project could move forward, Scott said.

"Right now, it's really just about the potential expansion of the village's borders with the purpose of pursuing some orderly and productive growth," he said. "Everybody's looking toward the future."

A group of homeowners in the adjacent Lake Tara subdivision has taken a special interest in the site, expressing concerns over the impact of its impending development on the adjacent wetlands, the area's water supply and their overall quality of life.

Some residents of the unincorporated neighborhood, including John Kowal, requested the property be zoned only for residences.

The village's comprehensive plan calls for a mixed-use development on that site, Cavallaro said, noting its frontage along Randall Road makes it ideal for a commercial use. Huang's attorney also has expressed interest in a light industrial concept with a focus on corporate office space, officials said.

But regardless of the use, Village President Chris Nelson said West Dundee has no desire to move forward with a plan that would result in loud noises or heavy truck traffic.

"We want to be good neighbors," he said. "If a development were to be proposed and it were such an intense use that it would disrupt your neighborhood, we would not be supportive of that."