Earlier this week, the Village published notice of a Zoning Board public hearing to take place on July 21st at Countryside School at 7:30 PM concerning two separate zoning text amendment proposals filed by a local riding club and a resident pertaining to horse boarding regulations.
No agenda has been posted yet, however the two text amendment proposals to be considered are currently available on the village website.
It should come as no surprise to most residents that both proposals are extremely liberal considering the two amendment proposal authors – the Riding Club of Barrington Hills (RCBH) and Dr. Benjamin LeCompte (Oakwood Farm).
The fact that a majority of Zoning Board members belong to the RCBH raises some serious ethical issues as was recently documented in an Observer editorial titled “Conflicted.” These conflicts will likely cloud any reasonable objectivity in the deliberation of the RCBH amendment proposal.
And in the case of Oakwood Farm, a recent Illinois Appellate Court decision deemed this boarding operation to be in violation of our Village code, and there is likely going to be continuing litigation despite a recent request for appeal filed with the Illinois Supreme Court.
Furthermore, given that Oakwood Farm is seeking amendments that would be retroactive to 2006, before the zoning violations occurred, it is highly questionable whether this proposal should be considered under the circumstances. After all, our Village has incurred significant legal expenses over the years related to this boarding operation including defending past and some present Zoning Board members in a lawsuit filed by the property owner against the Village.
Both amendments request that the boarding of horses, regardless of number, be addressed in agricultural zoning, not residential as it is now. Both also request that boarding businesses be exempt from the Home Occupation Ordinance (HOO), thus freeing them from almost all HOO limitations on operations such as the number of employees or customers/guests on the boarding property at any given time.
The RCBH proposed amendment would allow property owners and their employees to operate between the hours 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM seven days a week. Boarding customers would only be allowed to use facilities from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (or dusk) seven days a week, and without the HOO provisions, there is no limit to the number of employees or customers and thus, no limit to the number of vehicles or trailers present at any time.
As for the number of horses allowed at a boarding business, the RCBH proposal recommends, “two horses per acre, plus one horse per each boxed stall.” A copy of the RCBH proposed text amendment application can be downloaded here.
The Oakwood Farm proposal differs slightly in wording and terms. It calls for operating hours from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM seven days a week for an unspecified number of boarding customers and anyone involved in facilitating the boarding and training of horses. Outdoor riding and training is restricted to 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM for anyone other than the immediate family.
Regarding allowed horse population, Oakwood recommends pasture boarding of up to one horse per acre and two horses per acre if they are stable boarded. A copy of the Oakwood proposed text amendment can be downloaded here.
There are additional items to be considered in these proposals, however those illustrated so far are the ones that jumped off of the pages and are likely of the highest interest to all Village residents.
The Observer has long advocated that horse boarding has no place under the HOO. However, without most of the restrictions embedded within it to provide “peace, quiet and domestic tranquility within all residential neighborhoods,” in it to protect adjacent neighbors and neighborhoods from boarding businesses, these two new proposals may render most residents incapable of having much of any say in present or future neighboring property use.
The Observer will likely have more to say on this very important subject before the July 21 hearing, but in the meantime, we encourage readers to read the proposed amendments and plan to attend the public hearing on July 21st.
– The Observer
I am deeply disappointed that the Zoning Board members are fostering this divisive discussion on horse boarding. This can only further divide our community.
Barrington Hills needs the continued support of our horse riding and boarding community. They are a very active and supportive group involved in many community affairs beyond just the horse related issues. Barrington Hills needs them!
However, I am part of the 80+% of BH Citizens that don’t own horses. And I will not surrender my rights to peaceful enjoyment of my home to over reaching horse boarding zealots!
We need to find ways to work together. The RCBH and the Zoning Board members need to be more sensitive to the whole community. Let there be no mistake. I would rather be a peacemaker; but, I (like many other BH Citizens) will become a warrior if pushed too far.
Jan C Goss
Talk about hutzpah! Mr Lecompton loses his CASE in two Illinois Appellate Court Opinions, the case is still being litigated , and our ZBA Chair Freeman and Trustee Messer have reversed all prior VILLAGE AND ZBA opinions and are RUSHING a text amendment through the ZBA to make Mr Lecompte illegal act legal. What are they thinking? I’LL BETCHA if this goes through, there should and will be litigation against the VIllage .
Messer’s own text amenment allows commercial horse boarding “up to 2 horses per acre”. Can you imagine having 5 acre properties on four sides of your peaceful 5 acres and all the boarder (nonresidents) traffic, manure piles and ground conramination???
I can and it makes me angry and sick.
Come to te public méeting on July 21 and let the ZBA members and your neighbors hear your thoughts. There may be a few sensible ZBA members who have the best interest of the village at heart, and are not controlled to the “leaders” of the Riding Club and Polo Club.
And do remember to vote out Trustees Messer,, Meroni, Selman at the next election, because it is obvious they are not serving the best interests of the majority of the Village, just as their illegal designation of Oakwood farms campaign contributions (Finding of the election Board) should exclude their deliberation on this commercial horse boarding matter.THE HAVE A CONFIRMED OF INTEREST!!!
These trustees should be voted out just as a significant majority of the voters voted out our former Village President, who they supported
In response to Jan Goss’ s statements that the riding community is an active and supportive group involved in many community affairs….
In general, the riding club has been the single most divisive organization in Barrington Hills. Attend any village board or commission meeting and observe how their members bully and ridicule residents who have views in opposition to their own. Even sinking to voicing obscenities.
And let’s not forget the email ‘campaign’ they endorsed when a local resident/hero was killed in Afghanistan regarding NOT half masting our flag in his honor. Such a small gesture THEY choose to oppose and inflict their sick views on others. Never forget. I, for one will be very happy to witness the demise of this ‘organization’ and a replacement with one that is representational of the entire community. It disgusts me that one penny of our taxes supports their lair and agenda.
Jack Spratt, I did not mean to endorse every action by every member of the Riding Club. They are an active and cohesive group; but, not monolithic in their thinking.
It is true that Individuals in the Riding Club have supported actions that neither you nor I agree with. And some of these disagreeable actions may have been presented as bearing the endorsement of the whole organization. That does not mean that every member of the Riding Club supported every action taken in the Club’s name.
We should not hold all Riding Club members responsible for actions of some of their leaders. For example, in the primary elections I always ask for the Republican ballot. This does not mean that I endorse every misguided or idiotic statement made “my” Republican leaders.
None of this negates the simple fact that many members of the Riding Club (including members with whom I sometimes disagree) are active in many aspects of our community from which all VBH residents (riders and non-riders) benefit. One example of this is the semi-annual VBH Roadside Pickup which I have helped lead the past two years. We get more volunteers from the Riding community than form any other single identifiable group.
Further rebuttal, I have been at some Board and Commission meetings and not all Riding Club members engage in bulling.
Regarding roadside pickup. Why do not the property owners clean their own land? I do and have never relied on assistance from others. I’m not a democrat or a republican. Just responsible. The fact that you already establish the volunteers as the ‘identifiable group’ of riding club members proves your prejudice. Aren’t these volunteers – residents and members of our community first and foremost?
Regarding attendance at board and commission meetings – if bullying and ridicule exists better bet your saddle it came from a riding club member. I have witnessed them actually booing another resident during public comment. Granted not ALL members act this way but don’t you think it time to denounce the troublemakers. Remember the adage – birds of a feather. The BH riding club gets a bad rap and deservedly so.
Another word regarding the RCBH: I just re-read this publication’s editorial of 23 June. (Conflicted June 23, 2014 by Barrington Hills Observer)
I can verify many but not every statement of fact. They all sound true enough and I generally agree with the viewpoint. I am in deed, deeply concerned about over reaching by some in the Riding and horse boarding community. There is nothing wrong with saying so. But, let us be as civil as possible while plainly speaking our mind. Like I said in my first post,
“I would rather be a peacemaker; but, I (like many other BH Citizens) will become a warrior if pushed too far.”
More and more I feel the ZBA is going too far favoring some in its RCBH constituency and ignoring the interests of the large majority of our citizens. I will be at the ZBA Hearing on Monday!
We can count on those who are “over reaching” to be there in large numbers. Will there be enough of us in the here-to-fore “Silent Majority”?
I am not replying to anyone.
I wish to state simply that the RCBH proposed amendment to the Village Code is just a “DO AS YOU PLEASE PASS” for any Barrington Hills property owner who wants to board horses.
It must be a brash proposal not expected to pass but just a first step in an effort to get as much leeway as can be negotiated to board horses regardless of the consequences for one’s neighbors, or our Village as a whole.
I cannot believe that any member of the RCBH believes that the clubs proposal will pass as written.