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Hummel land could be divided into parcels

LAKE GENEVA — With his ties to a New York resort spa company recently severed, Illinois developer Robert Hummel is seeking to divide the 710 acres he owns on the city’s south side into 18 parcels ranging from 35 to 58 acres.

Robert Hummel and The Hummel Group met briefly Monday afternoon with city staff to discuss dividing the farmland. The meeting was the first step in obtaining a land division.

The proposal is the first for the land since the city in April unanimously denied the proposed Mirbeau-Hummel development that included a boutique hotel and spa, a vineyard and winery and a mix of cottages, townhouses and duplexes.

Mark Sansonetti, the attorney who represents Hummel, said the developer is simply seeking a land division, not a rezone. The land would remain rural holding, he said.

Uses allowed under rural holding include single-family residential at a density of no more than one unit per 35 acres, cultivation and selective cutting. Other land uses, such as intensive agriculture, clear cutting or outdoor commercial entertainment, are permitted as a conditional use.

Sansonetti said the city staff had “no real comments” on the proposal, only making “minor modifications” to the land division.

“When the parcels are larger than 35 acres, the number of requirements is pretty small,” he said. “The process is moving along.”

Barney Brugger, city building and zoning administrator, said the city only reviews land division proposals to ensure conformity with zoning ordinances.

He said the next step for Hummel is to formally apply for a land division by submitting an application and plan for review by the plan commission.

If the plan commission and the city council approve the land division, Brugger said the newly configured lots would be available for Hummel to “do what he wants with them.”

He said Hummel likely would sell the parcels to developers, who could request that their parcel be rezoned.

HUMMEL PROPERTY TIMELINE

For almost six years, Robert L. Hummel has been trying to find a plan agreeable to Lake Geneva for developing 710 acres south of the city.

Here’s a timeline of the proposals made by Hummel and rejected by the city:

-- August 2002: Hummel and Gordon L. Meling of Lake Zurich, Ill., propose construction of Geneva Ridge, a gated community for residents 55 and older. It calls for 1,200 units in and around an 18-hole golf course. They ask to be annexed into Lake Geneva.

-- September 2002: Facing opposition, Hummel and Meling withdraw their annexation request.

-- October 2003: The city formally rejects Hummel’s petition to annex the property. Hummel again asks to be annexed.

-- January 2004: The plan commission recommends against annexation. The city council again denies annexation.

-- October 2004: Hummel again applies for annexation. A golf course is eliminated from the proposal, and development is reduced to about 1,000 homes.

-- November 2004: Linn Township takes out full-page ads in a local newspaper arguing against annexation. The plan commission again recommends against annexation.

-- January 2005: Against the recommendation of the plan commission, the city council votes 6-2 in favor of annexation.

-- December 2005: Hummel brings a proposal for a conservation subdivision with 1,080 homes. The plan commission is not impressed.

-- June 2007: Hummel and Mirbeau team up for a new proposal, combining a spa, boutique inn and winery with 882 homes.

-- November 2007: The plan commission votes 4-3 in favor of the rezone request and general development for the Mirbeau-Hummel development.

-- December 2007: Against the recommendation of the city attorney, the city council approves a non-binding referendum on the Mirbeau-Hummel development.

-- April 1: Voters overwhelmingly say ‘no’ to Mirbeau-Hummel, 1,377-414.

-- April 28: The city council denies the rezone request and general development plan, and resounding applause follows the decision.

-- July 21: Having ended the contract with Mirbeau, Hummel meets with city staff to discuss dividing the land into 18 parcels, ranging in size from 35 to 58 acres.