Barrington Hills trustees sent a controversial horse boarding plan back to the village’s zoning board Monday night for clarification on 11 points before they take a vote.
The board’s action came after more than 2½ hours of public comment and board discussion before a large group of residents in the Countryside Elementary School gymnasium.
Critics of the plan, which would allow landowners to board three horses for each acre of property, said it did not receive the proper scrutiny of the zoning board.
Read more here.
One of the most refreshing aspects of last night’s meeting were the handful of horse owners in Barrington Hills who spoke out against the amendment. Every person who moved to this “used to be” great Village came here knowing that it was an equestrian friendly Village.
However, for political power base purposes, Abboud pandered to the extreme horse community interests. Now, those extremes hold the Village hostage to advance their positions. Many who support advancement of commercial boarding are not land owners, but rent or board their horses here.
The Oakwood Farms dispute became their cause. In order to protect Oakwood Farms, the political alliance needed to take action. Led by Chairperson Freeman and Trustee Messer, they influenced ZBA assignments, manipulated legal opinion and crafted an amendment that not only protected Oakwood Farms, but wrote code to make commercial boarding a business in Barrington Hills. Residential code and Home Occupation protections would be destroyed and up to 15 horses with accompanying commercial boarding operations on 5 acres were to be allowed.
Last night, Trustee Konicek recommended a committee of independent residents to come up with a solution. President McLaughlin requested that meaningful input be gained on the important issues, including the environment, roads impacts, water, etc. before finalizing a recommendation. Those who love horses AND our Village should rise up and drown out the extremes in the hope of restoring a special Village.
I doubt that Trustee Meroni was aware of what was going on – she had her nose in her cell phone and was texting most of the night. She doesn’t show much respect for the residents who were commenting. Wonder if she was taking direction from her Svengali?
There were many shining stars in last night’s public comment at Countryside school, sadly none were the spokesmen from the commercial horse boarding . Mr. Jack R’s stellar remarks with respect to highlighting the excessive payouts to the old firm Burke/Warren was shocking to say the least! I’m sure the residents had no idea about the spending which has gone on! All of us should thank him for taking the time to bring this information forward. A big thanks to Steve D’Amore who continues to with his leadership provide incredible insight and supreme fact finding presentations that dilute any argument for a vote on a hastily drafted amendment.
The board bickers endlessly regarding the remuneration of Mr. Bond’s legal time, however I never heard a complaint regarding the legal spending and fees paid out over years to the old law firm.
Another speaker by the name of Pam Cools, speech managed to shed clarity on the ridiculous notion of zoning these enterprises as agricultural, made a complete mockery of their argument without insulting one person in the process. I found her argument extremely persuasive.
Mr. LeCompte argued vehemently that the public has had many opportunities to comment. They have most defintiely have not. The ZBA board needs a similar overhaul, it a puppet board. It serves only the interests of those seated at the table. Each of these amendments need to be heard in separate hearings, so that the public at large may weigh in on them pro or con.
Mr LeCompte should shut his mouth, leave his attorney at home, and know that most reasonable residents understand that he is behind this whole mess. The question he needs to ask himself is how ignorant does he think we are? He’s broken laws without remorse and now he has his minions out in full force to do his bidding at the rest of the community’s expense. Sorry. You should move through the legal process and take your medicine. Quit trying to change the laws of the entire village to suit you.
I don’t think you can call Mr. Stieper a puppet! This man thinks for himself with the village welfare in mind.
Indeed. Mr Stieper is the only one who has the whole community’s interest, not a troubled few.
Beg to differ MP. Dick Chambers, and most recently Dan Wolfgram, have been appointed to the ZB and they truly represent the interests of ALL residents. It’s the Abboud legacy members that are biased and control the vote on the ZB.
Kilroy are they actually seated? Of the meetings I’ve been to, they are not. I agree with Colleen that an independent resident board should oversee. It’s so sad that we have to go to meeting after meeting and not be heard, regardless of the propaganda the LeCompte and others seem to live for.
I wish Stieper was on the bot. We need him in that role. He just won’t be intimidated by the blustering, single issue fob (friends of Bobbie) robots.
Good old boys club.
Steiper has his eye on a trustee seat in April. Proper vetting will answer questions about additional conflicts. Keep an open mind
The observer is no better than the herald in their bias. Thrice deleted. Steiper is obviously bucking for the April election. Proper vetting will reveal the truth.
Oh really P? At least no one is paying the Observer. And so what if Steiper is “bucking for” the April election? He’s a damn sight better for the community than old bobby’s boys. He’s smarter than Messer, Harrington, Selman, Meroni and Grohl put together.
Oh really MP? This forum is supposed to be informative and educational and an area where residents can view their opinions – not a political ad for incumbents hailed by their family and friends in their posts. Granted Steoper may be a ‘damn sight’ better – but not much.
P-perhaps you may have lost your way to the website(s) to which you were referring, meaning run by relatives and friends. You say friends, I say minions. You know the ones. They all have SAVE 5 ACRES or SAVE BARRINGTON HILLS or SAVE HORSE BOARDING IN BARRINGTON HILLS. The funny thing is the only thing BH has to be saved from are the people who have wrecked it beyond recognition in the last administration. Thank goodness for reasonable and responsible public servants like Marty and Colleen. When we get them some help in April, then we can SAVE BARRINGTON HILLS.
“Clerk of Barrington Hills,
Please forward this article to President McLaughlin and Trustees.”
I started this post as an email to the BOT, but decided that a post on the Observer would be more effective, and I will forward a copy of the post to the President, the Trustees, and the ‘Record’ of the Village.
A number of Trustees questions (for sure Trustee Harrington) inquired about the background about the 2011 Horse Boarding Text Amendment activities).
The Daily Herald published a story on that topic in 2011 (http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110812/news/708129926/)
The difference between 2011 and 2014 is that in 2011, when the Village reversed itself and issued the “Shuman Letter” classifying Oakwood Farms as Home Occupation, the ZBA declared the Home Occupation ordinance sufficient and recommended to the Board of Trustees that no text amendment was needed. Indeed, (Steve) D’Amore showed a copy of Freeman’s 2011 note to the BOT
Now, since two appellate courts have ruled that LeCompte was wrong, the ZBA has rushed a hastily prepared text amendment on the topic, which, coincidentally would ‘right any wrongs’ that LeCompte made in 2011. He even had his lawyer present legal arguments at the July, 2014 ZBA Public Hearing.
Fortunately, last evening (9/22/14) the BOT sent the Text Amendment back to the ZBA, with 11 specific items that need to be addressed. The interim Village Attorney Bond advised the Board that any new Text Amendment must be promulgated to the Public, and then the Public would have the opportunity to express their views at a Public Hearing.
Unfortunately, some members of the BOT (Harrington and Selman) expressed concern over big barn owners who are ‘uncertain’ of their zoning status in the Village. These Trustees and Messer expressed the need to push a ‘timeline’ to move this text amendment(s) out of concern for these (14 to 18 ) barn owners. WHAT ABOUT THE CONCERN FOR THE 4000 RESIDENTS WHO OWN 1300 NON-BARN PROPERTIES IN THE VILLAGE AND DON’T OWN HORSE AND ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED 3 HORSES PER ACRE AND ZONING CHANGES WHICH REMOVE RESIDENTS PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE HOME OCCUPATION ORDINANCE???
Who’s interests do these Trustees have? They state the (14 to 18) barn owners, so they are ostensibly not concerned about the overwhelming majority of the properties and residents of the Village. Or is it really that their interest is LeCompte. Recall that our Village Manager Kosin has publicly stated that there have been no complaints by neighbors against any barns except LeCompte’s. That is the way it looks like to me.
Trustee Konicek suggested establishment of a non-biased, (non-conflicted) group of residents to address this. Another Board member responded, “We have experts on the ZBA – that is what Boards and Commissions are for”. Can they possibly believe their words! They are so conflicted! Look at the recent record of the ZBA, the behavior of its Chair!
Where would Judy Freeman’s Pony Club and other (non-village) horse competition events park their cars if LeCompte didn’t open his pastures? FREEMAN’S BEHOLDING TO LECOMPTE
Where would the Polo Club and the Riding Club hold their annual LeCompte Polo Match if LeCompte closes it down (as was rumored this summer) if the zoning ruling is not in his favor and allow him to re-open his extensive boarding operation? KAREN ROSENE AND JOHN ROSENE ARE BEHOLDING TO LECOMPTE.
Kurt Anderson made the comment at a 2011 ZBA meeting on the topic, and I paraphrase, “Home Occupation is sufficient – we don’t need to change it. I don’t know Mr. Anderson’s link to LeCompte – he is, however, a former law partner / ‘of counsel’ of Joe Messer, who raised the issue in the BOT that a Text Amendment is needed.
Besides being an avid (and good) polo player, Messer represents (as a lawyer) significant equestrian members of the community, and his firm represents some equestrian residents before the ZBA. Joe Messer is also one the three Trustees found in violation of election laws in the 2011 Trustee Election over a failure to properly report Lecomptes $5,000 donation to himself and Meroni and Selman. I attended that Board of Election Hearing on the election violations: Joe Messer testified that ‘he was not an election law lawyer’; Ms. Meroni blamed her violation on a clerk in her husband’s law office. I can’t remember if Ms. Selman had an excuse. LeCompte was there too. He testified that he didn’t want to be associated with Save 5 Acres, their campaign slogan. The rest is history. They took the checks, deposited them in their own accounts, and wrote personal checks to their Campaigns.(Shortly thereafter, the Shuman letter was issued by the Village stating that Oakwood Farm now complied with Home Occupation.) JOE MESSER IS BEHOLDING TO LECOMPTE.
The last ZBA member (Clark Beckendorf), who rushed the TA to the BOT, is heavily involved in the Riding Club – his wife a former director of membership and a Trail Representative for the Northeast Sector. The Riding Club Leadership IS BEHOLDING TO LECOMPTE.
Note that I say Leadership! I am a member of the RCBH, and I was never consulted or polled on 3 horses per acre and essentially unrestricted horse boarding and a destruction of the Home Occupation protections. I’ve spoken to many RCBH members who do own horses, and they agree with me on the dangers of the density and traffic. Even Jason Elder, the RCBH president, agreed with me on these concerns. I don’t buy their ‘open spaces’ arguments. They can’t or won’t explain to me why they would even write an ordinance allowing 3 horses per acre.
In my opinion, the RCBH, by hitching their wagon to LeCompte, the Club is alienating 4,000 residents of this Village (non-equestrians), and pushing votes through ZBA because they have a majority on that Board. So, whatever these conflicted group do from here on out is uncertain.
There have been many calls and demands for these ‘conflicted’ Trustees or Board members to recuse themselves. That is what happens when there is a real or apparent ‘conflict of interest’. It is a widely understood code of business conduct. However, they won’t even respond, let alone do the right thing and recuse themselves.
And finally, one lady last night told the majority of those attending (and the majority was against or spoke against the Text Amendment, to “move if you don’t like it”. Hey lady, I checked out the zoning before I moved here. I wouldn’t have done so if I had a horse boarding facility on 5 acre properties surrounding me (or the potential for it to be).
Remember all the reports about the junkyard on Steeplechase? Rusted out cars and junk. I saw that in 1997 when I started looking for property in the Village. Because of that junkyard (which apparently the Village couldn’t do anything about), I sought and purchased property at another location. Trustee Messer has constantly reported on that eyesore situation; he recently reported that the property will be demolished. 17 YEARS – or more, before I saw it.
I’ve tried to be factual (and If my facts are wrong, I will stand corrected); I have avoided any personal attacks. I expressed my opinions.
I think the direction of the majority members of the ZBA (Freeman, Rosene, Anderson, Beckendorf) and Trustees Gohl, Meroni, Messer, Selman, and Harrington will cause irreparable harm to the Village, subject the Village to increased legal liability and $$$$ costs if the LeCompte/Anderson amendment (or similar) are passed and made an Ordinance.
I have recently recommended to President McLaughlin to investigate excluding any indemnity protection for errors and omissions in their official capacities since they are operating against advice of Counsel and putting the Village (and its residents) at risk.
Jim O’Donnell
Ridgecroft Road
Good job Jim!
re: Recall that our Village Manager Kosin has publicly stated that there have been no complaints by neighbors against any barns except LeCompte’s. That is the way it looks like to me.
This is a big misconception Jim – I live next to a property with 5 horses (from what I can tell) and have constantly – CONSTANTLY – complained about the stench, lack of manure management and contamination of my property from downhill stormwater. Kosin has refused to acknowledge these issues and incorrectly reports same. I have provided the village videos of the property in question during rains. There are many complaints the residents no nothing about – including horses being pastured in a wetland. I would love to see those ‘experts’ Meroni speaks about regarding water contamination because I have the lab reports that state differently.
Pauline,
of course I know about your complaints. I was refering to the 14 or 18 (village is unsure of the number) of “big barns that ostensbly odder commercial boarding.
these are the 14 – 18 properties that Trustees Harrington, Selman, and Messer are concerned about (at the expense and risk to the other 1300 non barn properties and 4000 residents.Jim
o’Donnell
The statement attributed to Kosin said ‘any’ barn.
Mr. O’Donnell, Bravo for your gutsy letter to the public! Our Village needs an investigation by an independent government body on several specific matters and actions taken by the Prior Village President, the Board of Trustees and the Zoning Board. Any offenses should be prosecuted.
You have stated clearly; governance the past several years supported special interest cronyism and not the good of the overall community. That is reflected in our Village spending increases, taxes, road disrepair and property values. Personal harm came to those who dared get in the way.
It is time for drastic action. Too may fear social or political reprisals. This is about doing what is right – drastically REFORM our Village governance and restore a renewed POSITIVE AGENDA for our future without the obstruction of those serving special interests alone.
For those of us who have stayed close to the issues the past few years, these comments are not overly dramatic, just overdue.
Jack Reich
A quote from a previous Republican convention comes to mind, ” character is doing the right thing when no one is looking”! That means, being ethically driven to hold people to the highest moral standards Iin public and private life. I’m glad there are people of your caliber who stand up, and will not shy away from the illegal activities of the past years. We complain about Springfield, but quite honestly we aren’t too far behind!
I urge my fellow residents to come forward as well. Together we can achieve great victories.
Well Pete – you want truth and honesty here goes…..this has been an ongoing battle for me for over 5 years and it is not nor should it be ‘only’ my battle.
I am quoting from the BOT Meeting minutes from June 2009 with respect to an unfinished ‘public’ project that was initiated to resolve the subsequent flooding as a result of new construction and clear cutting of a property that abuts that corner. This clear cutting and construction resulted in large amounts of storm water overflowed across Ridge Road. This project included the installation of catch basins to alleviate this issue but our illustrious village engineer is responsible for basins that are undersized and inadequate and often overflow. This sewage now deposits contaminated storm water onto my property at the ne corner of Merri Oaks and Ridge Road. More importantly is the quote;
‘Regarding the piping project President Abboud asked Director Kosin to explain the necessity to continue this project. Director Kosin said that the concern has been that the intersection of Ridge Road and Merri Oaks will flood and that the current sewage piping will COLLAPSE. It is functioning well now, but the major concern is that if it collapses, then it will become an emergency situation with approximately 4700 cars using Ridge Road on a daily basis, this could happen sooner than later. President Abboud suggested that this project be halted for the time being.’
And there it remains. So in my opinion, the leftovers from the former administration have little to no regard for the safety of our residents and our children – let alone the contamination of my property from these ‘sewage pipes’. Since I am considered insignificant I won’t beleaguer the last comment.
For those of you who are not aware – school busses stop at this intersection. Isn’t it refreshing that our Roads and Bridges trustee feels it is more important to ‘top’ off the road with asphalt rather than fix the drainage issue that could realistically cause physical harm to someone. There is another shining example of taxpayer funding well used.
But then let’s chalk this up to collateral damage since no horses will be harmed in this action..
I am tired of Mr. Kosin perpetuating the myth that there have not been complaints about horse boarding in the village. That was the case of a newly opened facility on County line Road backed up to Deepwood that had numerous problems that the board had to address maybe five years ago. There were issues about drainage, lighting, and advertising. Controls were put in place. And there have also been problems with non boarded horses, like the folks over on Church Road have been dealing with.
Mr. Kosin tends to be a lightweight where matters of zoning or enforcement are concerned. I don’t personally believe for a moment that there have been no complaints about horse boarding. Only complaints which weren’t reported! Trustee Konicek mentioned the formation of a resident panel, we should take her up on it. at the next board meeting. That way we, the residents can adjudicate the matters instead of them! Simply put, no law or amendment can stand on solid ground without proper and consistent enforcement. It begins with zoning, and determining by count what properties have large barns. The village has no handle on this information. Unless one knows the answer to that question one can’t expect more until a new board is seated.
I personally complained to Mr. Kosin without much results. In previous years we called the police about odor problem. They told us to contact the village. The village told us to contact the riding club which told us to talk to our neighbor. Really? Thanks for the help!
I stand corrected on my quoting Kosin on “no complaints”.
All the more reason for special use permits for large commercial boarding operations.
I echo the writer’s comments that enforcement is needed.
Jim O’Donnell
Odor? Now how the heck do you expect the Village to enforce your concerns with odor, waste spill off, excessive flies, etc. The Village (Kosin) cannot be expected to adjudicate these kinds of neighbor disputes. As for the Riding Club, who could possibly expect them to tell a fellow equestrian to do a better job of horse property management.
Well, Trustee Messer, Chairperson Freeman, Member Anderson and the rest of the Save 5 Acre majority have an answer for you. Pass the LeCompte / Anderson proposed text amendment. That will allow 15 horses at your 5 acre property next door under agriculture, stripped of Home Occupation rights and liberal times of operation for boarding, training, breeding .. . and odor.
The only way to fix the problem, STOP the proposed amendment to liberalize commercial horse boarding. Place tighter limitations on horse boarding and create special use for those large scale horse boarding operations.
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