Editor’s Note: The following is an attempt to look at Mahomet-Seymour Development, both ongoing and upcoming. information has been pulled from several FOIA responses with the Village of Mahomet and the Mahomet-Seymour School District, and ongoing question and answer emails with the Village. It is important to recognize that not every parcel was asked about and that this is only part, not the whole of development in the Mahomet-Seymour School District.
Lately, meaning in the last decade, it seems that the word Mahomet cannot be uttered without the words development, growth and school attached in some way, shape or form.
In some forms it is a badge of honor or a selling point, but as Mahomet-Seymour constituents consider a 20-plus-percent increase in the portion of residential property tax allocated to the Mahomet-Seymour School District, questions are circulating about the responsibility the Village of Mahomet and the Mahomet-Seymour School District have in ensuring development and growth do not exceed what school buildings and classrooms can handle in the next two decades, at minimum.
While some hail the plan as what is needed, others have asked the district to consider other plans that would allow for capacity issues to be addressed as plans for the future of the district are established.
This was evidenced at the Village of Mahomet Planning and Zoning (PNZ) meeting on June 7. The board room was packed with mostly residents of Fox Run, who were notified of a potential zoning change that could lead to additional multi-family development along Tin Cup Road. Although Robert DeAtley, the Commission’s chair, stated that it was the responsibility of the PNZ to look at whether or not the development met the criteria set before the board, community members voiced their concerns on many levels, including, but not limited to how the development might impact the school district.
In what is now an RV park, owner Quentin McNew, a real estate developer and Owner at McNew Capital LLC, looks to add residential to about 9 acres of the 35 acre commercial property. McNew is what is considered a new developer, not just in his interest in Mahomet, but also by trade. The motion was tabled.
Whether or not the zoning request will move forward remains to be seen. Within the last few years, recommendations coming out of the Planning and Zoning Commission are not always agreed with at the Board of Trustees’ level. Mahomet’s PNZ, an appointed commission, used to be part of the vetting process as developers proposed additions to the community. Because of that, the process from idea to development used to take place in the public purview.
That’s not necessarily the case anymore. The PNZ is dubbed as more of an advisory board while much of the process takes place through Village staff, according to Village Planner Kelly Pfeifer.
After reviewing Village staff and Mahomet-Seymour staff emails through FOIA over the last six months, it is reasonable to state that by the time a development reaches the PNZ, or even the Village Board, the development has been negotiated, and generally pretty secure in its terms.
McNew is one of a handful new developers in Mahomet. Developers who have purchased land in the Village since 2013, are more likely to turn their vision into reality within three to five years than “legacy” developers who phased developments over a few decades. Yet, at this time in Village history, both new and legacy developers are making moves to expand their portfolios and housing options in Mahomet.
Mahomet-Seymour constituents have noticed the trend. While many will advocate for single-family housing, they can also see that their child’s classrooms and schools are packed to the brim while they also question what more will come in the next two decades, and if the current Bulldog Blueprint plan, which will provide a junior high school and bus barn with additional upgrades and additions throughout the district as funds allow, is enough.
While the Mahomet-Seymour School Board, in part, and the Village of Mahomet felt secure enough with the Bulldog Blueprint plan to ask taxpayers for $97.9 million dollars, the Mahomet Daily continued to ask questions about future development within the Village seeing as investors continue to purchase land contiguous to already existing development.
In looking at three resources, the Mahomet Comprehensive Plan and the annual zoning map alongside data provided by the Champaign County GIS, it was established that approximately 600-acres of land was designated residential, and that currently approved development packs about one single-family or one two-family dwellings on each quarter-acre parcel.
As the school board approved the referendum language in February, 2022, citing that it can only account for five years of development planning within the Bulldog Blueprint facility plan, Village Planner Kelly Pfeifer was asked via email, “how many acres are labeled as residential in the comprehensive plan that are not currently developed? I can figure most of it out, but it’s harder in the area that is along the school district property and down along 150. If you just have that number, that’d be helpful.”
The question was posed after months of reviewing emails between the Village, school district, developer Darrin Peters, and then school board member Jenny Park, as they discussed relieving the district of their obligation to develop Secretariat and instead extend South Mahomet Road through the district’s 70-acres.
The South Mahomet Road extension not only subsidized Peter’s to-be development (Prairieside), but also in its first phase gives transportation, water and sewer access to the 251.74-acres on the east side of the current Middletown Prairie Elementary property. In phase II, also to be funded through TIF, developer Randy Huffman and The Atkins Group (Sugah Land Holdings, LLC) will have a South Mahomet Road connection to Prairieview, along with extended water access.
The infrastructure will not guarantee that development will occur, yet, TIF districts are established to put public money into public infrastructure within “blighted” areas to spur development. In its 22nd year, the catalyst of the TIF could be debated, but with its extension, the TIF fund will see the benefits of commercial development that has been stimulated with the addition of Middletown Prairie Elementary on the east side of town.
According to Pfeifer, neither developer, Huffman or “Atkins” has wanted to zone or re-zone their land. Still, the Village of Mahomet has been in talks with each entity since 2016, even helping to provide drawings for Huffman’s land along IL-150. Frontage property may include commercial development, and Pfeifer said the rest of the land is likely to be residential development.
This, according to Pfeifer, is the only time that the Village will build a road. She also said that she doubts the Village will expand its boundaries more, at this time. She predicts that new development will remain consistent with about 70-80 homes annually.
With that said, investors are purchasing land on the outskirts of the Village. Perhaps one boundary on the east side of town is the Clapper property, a “legacy” landowner. Getting infrastructure to those 129.5 acres will take some time. That, though, did not stop Liautaud Development Group, LLC from purchasing 301.22 acres of farmland within Village limits. The company owned by “Jimmy John” also has 96.66 acres contiguous to Deer Hollow and Fogel Road.
Pfeifer said that Liautaud reached out to see about development, and she mentioned that utilities would have to be run out there. In an interview, Pfeifer also said that the Village has authority over subdivisions within 1.5 miles of its limits, and that they would not approve more subdivisions at this time.
Instead, Pfeifer said that the Village will focus on “fill-in” development. McNew’s property would be one example of that, while Bud Parkhill’s vision for Prairieview Road, a south-end extension of Fox Run and an easterly Candlewood extension, would be another example.
To Mahomet residents, it may seem that most of Mahomet is developed. Yet, there are properties like Huffman’s Visionary Hospitality property with 34.5 acres that is contiguous to Hunter’s Ridge; Shreeves property to the south and west of Fox Run that has been talked about as being a residential development while interest has peaked for an event venue; land south of Whisper Meadow that still has room and plans for development; and a “spite strip” that sold in 2021 to investors interested in developing.
Pfeifer put a three-year minimum turn-around on any new development at this point. She said in four years she will be able to predict development in the area better, seeing which developers move forward and which ones stick around.
By that point, movement on updating the Village plans should also be complete. In answer to the February, 2022 question about residential zoning Pfeifer said, “Our comp plan map and the underlying zoning are not reflective of intended land uses in the east part of Mahomet in particular. That update is on our work plan for this upcoming fiscal year. The overall comp plan and any zoning as R1a cannot be assumed to be planned for that kind of development. Until we update the comp plan with a land use amendment and/or move to rezone lands into their intended land uses, there really is no way to provide you this information. Remember, land when annexed was by default made into our lowest density residential. But the actual land uses were not considered and the east Mahomet TIF district area proposed land uses within its duration that could not possibly be realized due to lack of infrastructure and the end result of the terms of the TIF. Unfortunately you cannot provide any guidance to your readers down that path until we amend certain elements of the comp plan. Again, that is on my work plan to lead next fiscal year.”
She did indicate in a different interview, though, that the Village vision will be refocusing on downtown development. Recently, the Village purchased .4 acres on Elm Street ($135,000) and 206 South Lincoln and 408 and 410 East Dunbar ($355,000) to hold for the “right” developers who are interested in erecting rowhouses or potential multi-family development. According to Pfeifer, that process may begin soon.
The downtown master plan, which gives vision for development from 2019 to 2050, trades single-family homes in that area for development like townhomes buildings and 3-to-4 story mixed-use buildings, along with other public spaces (parks) and parking. As with anything, the downtown master plan is a vision, and private investors would need to engage. This area is also within a TIF, and so those dollars will be used to spur development.
Another consideration that Pfeifer said the Village cannot help the school district plan for is renovation of current homes. The demographic plan banks on people who already live in Mahomet staying within the district after their children finish school. This is how the enrollment numbers even out. Pfeifer said that the Village has seen an increase in building permits for additions. She added that it is difficult to plan for how these additions may affect enrollment, whether the family grows or sells with additional square footage.
The conversations, though, have not just been at the Village level. Pfeifer said she had several ongoing conversations with former Superintendent Rick Johnston, specifically in 2015, about how to plan for future enrollment. Pfeifer even started keeping track of bedrooms within the Village in order to better inform the district. Board members Max McComb, Jenny Park (former, 2019) and Lance Raver (former 2019) are seen in emails about development, particularly in relationship to the South Mahomet Road extension.
Since 2016, the Village and the school district staff have also communicated in ways they have not before. Prior to the development of Middletown Prairie Elementary, it would be accurate to say that the district and Village relationship was limited. Over the last six years, though, the Village has been in consistent communication with the school district, not just about South Mahomet Road, or the Village getting 13 Acres Park, Middletown Park and a deal for Mahomet-Seymour Junior High, but in efforts to put together a demographic study, based on Village development projections, that would benefit both entities.
Even if the Village had not communicated at all with the school district in the last six year, in 2010, they discussed, at length, that Mahomet-Seymour Junior High was at and beyond capacity. They also heard from parents and teachers as early as 2015 that class sizes were exceeding reasonable limits.
Perhaps there are few official development plans on the books. And with the current climate: interest rates and inflation, perhaps developers will be less likely to take on projects in Mahomet. Still, the developments that were approved between the demographic study (2019) and today were being discussed as early as 2016, yet not included in the projections for the district. The same holds true for true for the land to the east and northeast of where Middletown Prairie is today.
In the April Mahomet-Seymour School Board meeting, a few board members were interested in doing that study again, looking at new and projected development as constituents prepare to cast their votes. It’s easy to think that the Mahomet-Seymour School District only serves the Village of Mahomet, though. While the majority of the constituents do live within the Village, there is close to an equal amount outside of the Village (the 1.5 miles). There are also new developments, like Jacob’s Landing, that is at the south of the County, with a Champaign address that is growing. In the Champaign Tomorrow comprehensive plan, 100 acres owned by The Atkins Group/Sugah Land Holdings is tagged for residential development, and yet that wasn’t considered when looking at district growth.
The Mahomet-Seymour School District spans about 15 miles to the north and south on the west side of Champaign County and about 8 miles east and west.
Whether or not the Village of Mahomet continues to grow, it is certain that Mahomet-Seymour continues to be a desired school district within Champaign County. Superintendent Lindsey Hall noted in a board meeting that the district office receives calls from guardians looking to send their children to the school district. Not only is enrollment in the school district desired, but vacant lots are also being filled with families as the school district does not allow enrollment of students outside of its boundaries.
The following chart and map is meant to give Mahomet-Seymour residents a look at what is currently happening and what has been talked about in recent years. Links to board agendas and developer websites are also provided to give reference.
Demographic study
The following image shows the development that was included in the 2019 demographic study. That study was done again in 2021 with development information provided in 2018. The district only updated the study based on enrollment at that time.
The following table shows each development in the demographic study and how many lots are available for sale, if available.
| Subdivision Name | Number of Total Lots on Developer Website | Number of lots sold (some have homes, others do not) | Other Notes |
| Sangamon Fields | 219 lots | ||
| Solace Apartments | 200 two-to-three bedroom apartments | Local officials have said only adults without children live in these apartments, at this time | |
| Harvest Edge (First Phase) | 10 left for sale or currently under contract | ||
| Harvest Edge (Phase 2) | 128 lots | ||
| Hunters Ridge | 36 available, 6 under contract | ||
| Ridge Creek | 11 available, 5 under contract | ||
| Thornewood Sixth and Seventh | Number of sold unknown, much of the next two phases has not been developed yet, could be around 104 more lots with the 34 lot addition in the 7th phase | ||
| Prairie Crossing | This development should be nearly complete | ||
| Whisper Meadows (Phase II) | 6 lots left to be sold |
Additional developments
The following table shows what was approved by the Village of Mahomet from 2019-2022. These subdivisions were not included in the study.
| Subdivision | Number of lots | Other Notes |
| Prairieside | 51 | The Prairieside Subdivision will have access to develop once South Mahomet Road is complete. |
| Conway Farms 5 | 7 | |
| Vision South | 50 | This development was originally 10 units, and expanded to 50 when the developer decided to expand multi-family housing. |
Outside Mahomet
The following table shows development left in Jacob’s Landing on the corner of Rising Road and Kirby Avenue.
| Jacob’s Landing | 23 lots available For development updates visit https://www.thenateevansgroup.com/resources/subdivisions |
Looking at potentials
The following list shows developments discussed with the Village of Mahomet on the east and south sides of town since 2016. To be clear, these are not approved at this moment. In fact, the only development in motion is Tin Cup, recently purchased by Quentin McNew.
Candlewood Mobile Home Park
Fox Run, both to the west and south
Huffman/Purnell Land, assortment of commercial and residential
Atkins/Sugah Land Mahomet, potentially residential
Atkins/Sugan Land Mahomet, 100 acres listed as residential in Champaign Tomorrow plan
Land purchased by Liautaud Development
Property, formerly known as a 50-acre “spite strip”, purchased by Domus
PV403 “the Owner does not desire to undertake land planning or subdivision of the Remaining Property at this time”
Whisper Meadow III was not discussed, but there is another phase coming at some point in time.
Map
The following map is interactive. You can click on land and see what is developed, ongoing, and/or talked about.
Vision South
Thornewood 6 and Hunters Ridge Final
Hunters Ridge Rezone
Prairieside
Hunters Ridge Final
Sangamon Fields
Conway Farms 5
Prairie Crossing
Alot of info in the article about village development. I for 1 am sick of the way the village has grown and the village boards push for growth. It is ruining whst brought people to Mahomet. So many green spaces filled with apartments and houses, people and students. The village forced annexation of my property against my wishes and arguments. Now their lack of foresight is causing this HUGE referendum to be considered, to what? Build some more. Annexing into the village raised my taxes several hundred dollars and now if the referendum passes I am not sure but I could be looking at an additional $1,000 a year. Add that into inflation and costs to live are skyrocketing. Just stop, stop the growth and building. Give it a rest for a year to see where you are going and forcing me to go along. In my opinion the village board has not been good caretakers of village residents.