Developers are one step closer to building single-family homes on an empty plot of land in Crystal Lake once set to be an Amazon warehouse.

Atlanta-based Pulte Homes first proposed a plan last month to build 178 single-family houses on 63 acres along South Main Street where Amazon originally planned to build a 180,000-square-foot distribution center. Amazon received approval by the city, but the company walked away in 2022 before it formally purchased the property.

The Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission did not vote on the housing proposal last month, and instead asked developers to come back with a revised site plan that has a larger central park and larger lot sizes to better balance with the size of the homes.

Developers returned Wednesday with an updated plan, and agreed, after lengthy discussion, to drop four lots adjacent to the central park to further open it up. The four commissioners present at Wednesday’s meeting unanimously approved the rezoning, while the revised plan received a 3-1 approval, with Chairman Jeff Greenman the sole opposing vote. He said he still feels like the layout is disconnected.

“My comments are generally similar to last time. It doesn’t feel like a community,” Greenman said. “It feels like three separate pieces, still.”

The Crystal Lake City Council is expected to vote on the matter on Jan. 6.

The residential plan, called Lakeland Farm, includes a center passive park area with walking paths throughout the development. Developers plan to have three access points, off Main Street, Exchange Drive and Commonwealth Drive, said Karen Weber, attorney representing Pulte Homes. By agreeing to dropping four lots, the total number of homes comes out to 175.

Other changes include adding four small public art pedestals and more passive green space.

Smaller lot sizes for some of the homes remained in the plan, but many back up to open space, making them feel larger, attorney represent Pulte Russell Whitaker said.

“It’s not your private yard, but it’s this open space that changes the character and the feel of that lot,” he said.

Throughout the subdivision, 10 home types are available, some being ranch style, and range from about 1,680 square feet to 3,800 square feet, Weber said.

Homebuyers are able to customize with different interior and exterior options, such as front porches and garage expansions. Homes are expected to sell from the low-$600,000s to the low $700,000s, Pulte Homes Land Acquisition Manager Fabian Fondriest said.

City staff does not expect the development to have any impact on traffic on neighboring roads.

“The roads are already constructed to handle any traffic that would be generated by this development,” City Planner Elizabeth Maxwell said.

Pulte has created communities in more than a dozen suburbs, including Elgin, Mundelein and Trails of Woods Creek in Algonquin.

If the new Pulte proposal is ultimately approved, developers could break ground early to mid-2026 and complete a model home four to six months after, Fondriest said. In total, the project is expected to take about four years to complete.