After much debate, the Sycamore City Council postponed an ordinance to annex three one-family residence districts.

The preliminary plans were proposed at last month’s meeting and would be under the ownership of B&B Enterprises, L.P., of St. Charles.

B&B Enterprises is offering a plan called “The Hamlet,” a “creative look at the city’s northeast planning area” that will offer parks and bike paths along with approximately 607 homes with possible construction from 2006 to 2008. The area is 10,000 square feet and has 41 acres. It was the City of Sycamore’s first petition for a formal review of a residential annexation since May 2004.

“The Hamlet” is the smallest of the three proposed housing developments, containing 81 lots. “The Commons” is the second proposed housing development with 114 acres, a total of 200 lots and 10.32 acres for a school and park area. Possible development would take place from 2007 to 2012.

Sycamore Creek III, another proposed development also tabled at the meeting, would be an extension of Sycamore Creek II and would be the biggest with a “gateway design,”- a gated community. It would have 457 lots and 283 acres with construction set to begin possibly between 2010 and 2017.

The ordinance has received some support because it could help community growth and complies with the “circuit breaker” regulation which has steadied the annual number of permits since November 2003.

Joe Bussone, who has lived in Sycamore for 51 years, supports the proposed development.

“This is a great community that we should share with other people,” Bussone said.

Each proposed development involves separate farmland and owners, so ordinances were drafted individually.

The proposed transfer taxes are believed to generate new revenue that will offset the imbalance in Sycamore school operating funds. B&B Enterprises has agreed to pay a $3,000 per unit “voluntary fee” to the school district in the area in addition to any applicable impact fee. Previously, the largest voluntary fee offered by any developer in Sycamore was $1,500 per lot for Sycamore Creek.

“It will provide financial growth for our schools,” said Dave Shipley, a member of Sycamore’s School District Planning Committee.

During August’s Plan Commission meeting, it was voted 10-0 to recommend the approval of the development because it is consistent with the Sycamore’s codes and ordinances and promised fiscal contributions to the school district, park district, library of Sycamore, parks and bike paths.

Third Ward Alderwoman Grace Adee thinks the public should have another chance to hear the plans at next month’s meeting.

“I think a lot more people need to have time to get more into it. A lot of people want to think more about this,” Adee said.