D'Arcy Abstains On Prairie Landing Vote, 'This Is Not A D'Arcy Development, It Is A Horton Development': Hug

JOLIET, IL — At Tuesday night's meeting, the Joliet City Council voted in favor of allowing homebuilder, D.R. Horton, to construct two different model houses that will feature single-story dwellings at the new Prairie Landing subdivision now under construction behind the D'Arcy Motors on Essington Road.

During the meeting —and prior to abstaining from the vote —Mayor Terry D'Arcy explained he is not involved as the subdivision's developer. The key land in question has been sold to D.R. Horton and D.R. Horton is now constructing the new 120-home subdivision called Prairie Landing.

An attorney affiliated with Prairie Landing said the City Council amendment on the meeting agenda meant that no more than 48 of the new homes will be one-story homes.

"Larry, can you tell me again whose subdivision this is?" Mayor D'Arcy spoke up before the vote. "John Ferak, are you listening tonight?"

"Yeah, in the Patch, John Ferak did a headline, 'the D'Arcy housing subdivision,'" Councilman Larry Hug explained. "I talked to Terry long before he got involved in politics with this, with his attorney, which at the time was Mike Hansen. Terry, the long and short of this is, Terry had to move off of Jefferson with his Hyundai. That's what franchisees are up against ... you need a bigger footprint. You need to be further west. That's what Terry was told. If you don't move, you lose your franchise. He went there and ... a farmer with a wife and no kids, he passed. He had some nieces and nephews. And he passed and it became available. Well, the nieces and nephews ... he tried to negotiate with them and eventually, he bought it and then his intention at the time, and I knew that, was to turn around and sell that to somebody to develop it ... and he found somebody to sell to. He does not own any interest in this development. You don't have any stock in Horton?"

"Nope," D'Arcy responded.

"No stock in Horton," Hug repeated. "I wouldn't be voting on it if I knew he did. He would not be voting on it if he knew he did. It is not a D'Arcy development. It is a Horton development, and I think they're the largest or second largest home builder in the nation. Mr. D'Arcy is not part of this development."

After the attorney finished explaining the nuances of the land transactions and that D.R. Horton currently has ownership of at least 30 lots at the new Prairie Landing subdivision, Hug remarked, "Thank you. And to be clear, once again, our mayor does not have a financial interest whatsoever in this. He sold the land."

The vote passed 8 to 0 with Mayor D'Arcy abstaining from the vote.

According to a memo from Joliet's community development director Dustin Anderson, the petitioner and homebuilder, D.R. Horton Inc., is now requesting to add two additional house models to the set of approved house plans for Prairie Landing Subdivision.

Anderson explained in his memo that last April, the City Council approved the final planned unit development of Prairie Landing Subdivision, which is on the east side of Essington Road at Old Castle Road. The subdivision contains 120 single-family lots, a small park lot and multiple storm detention areas. Three house models, with 10 total elevations, were approved with the planned unit development; all models are two-story homes.

However, at this point in time, Anderson noted, the petitioner has requested to add two one-story house models with eight total elevations.

The petitioner requests to add the one-story models due to market interest for this size and style of home. Prairie Landing is a new subdivision, with home construction recently begun in November 2025. If the request is approved, the additional plans will be available to almost all prospective home buyers for the subdivision.

Anderson further explained that the previously approved house models are for two-story homes with living areas between 2,000 and 2,600 square feet. The houses include four to five bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and attached two-car garages.

The two proposed models are one-story homes that have the same architectural style and roof pitch as the approved plans. One model has around 1,700 square feet of living area and contains four bedrooms, while the second model has around 1,500 square feet of living area and contains three bedrooms. Both models include attached two-car garages.

The approved two-story house plans include between 25 and 41 percent brick or stone on their front elevations. The proposed one-story house elevations all meet or exceed the requirement of 25 percent brick or stone on the front façade, Anderson's Council memo advised.

Last year, Joliet City Manager Beth Beatty revealed that the development company of Westside Joliet Real Estate LLC consisted of two people, Mayor D'Arcy and Bob Calzaretta of Palatine.