Hartman Lakes multi-family variance requests approved by Shiloh board

Trustees passed with a 4-1 vote two variance requests for the Hartman Lakes multi-family development after developers pulled the third, hot-button variance request to use vinyl siding instead of all brick on its apartment buildings.

However, the board did approve letting Green Mount Retail LLC, the developer, use a smaller amount of brick than would otherwise be required (brick will not have to extend from the ground level to the tops of windows). The board also agreed to allow nine multi-family buildings with seven or more units.

A year ago, developers came to the village with a plan for Hartman Lakes that included building a combination of garden apartments, town homes and ranch homes, totaling 324 units on 55 acres near Thouvenot and Hartman lanes, with main access on Hartman Lane and an emergency access on Frank Scott Parkway.

However, the development never got off the ground after anticipated demand for housing in the area dropped following the loss of the new National Geospacial Intelligence Agency headquarters to St. Louis.

The developer now wants to move forward with the project in multiple phases, instead of one. The apartments would be developed first phase. Built on 17 acres, they would include nine garden apartment buildings, six garages and one club house.

Trustee Greg O’Neil was the only opposing vote Monday to the developer’s requests. Shiloh Trustees Colleen Powers and Bob Weilmuenster were absent, and Jim Vernier, mayor, cast the fourth vote.

“It doesn’t matter if they use 100 percent brick or vinyl. Now granted, I think vinyl is low-quality, and I made that known, but it doesn’t matter if they use 100 percent brick or vinyl,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil felt the village has enough multi-family housing and doesn’t need any more.

“I will never vote in favor of a multi-family developments in the future,” he said.

Also on Monday, the board approved a an amendment to the planned unit development’s special use permit, saying that, at the time of the final build-out, there will be no more than 336 units on the entire site.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Hartman Lakes multi-family variance requests approved by Shiloh board."