Documents filed in March with McHenry County Planning and Development reveal plans for a brand new facility for the Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society (HARPS) in unincorporated McHenry County bordering Barrington Hills. The proposed 40-stall facility will be built on approximately 21 acres at the northeast of the corner of Chapel and Church Roads.
According to the application for site plan review, which was conditionally approved in April by a McHenry County Staff Plat Review Committee (draft meeting minutes can be viewed here), half of the 40 horse stalls will be used for the care of rescued horses, and half would be used for commercial boarding “as a means to supplement the operation costs of the horse rescue operation”.
In addition, the main facility will include an indoor riding arena, a tack room, laundry, separate wash and groom stalls, storage for feed, hay and bedding, an out-patient veterinary clinic, and administrative space. A depiction of the proposed main HARPS facility can be seen below:
Proposed main HARPS facility (click on image to enlarge)
Accessory buildings are also planned for additional hay and bedding storage, and a vehicle garage with a second story two-bedroom apartment for staff members to be onsite for 24/7 care of the horses.
Further details are included in the 16-page site review application, which can be viewed here. It should be noted that the proposed development and uses of the new HARPS facilities will be on unincorporated McHenry County land, and as such, they will be governed by the McHenry County Unified Development Ordinance, not Barrington Hills Village codes.
The land for HARPS’ new home is being provided by Barrington Hills Farms, a Limited Liability Company formed in June of 2014 when The Lawrence Pucci Wedgwood Society of Chicago purchased about 600 acres of largely unincorporated land from the Fritz Duda Company. Lawrence Pucci, who founded the original Wedgwood Society of Chicago, passed away in 2009 was described as “one of the last remaining master tailors of a bygone era of American style,” in a Chicago Tribune obituary seen here.
The private charitable foundation Mr. Pucci created is now managed primarily by Barrington Hills residents and their immediate family as well as Mr. Pucci’s sister, Caryl Pucci Rettaliata according a recent Form 990 filed with the IRS seen here.
As further Barrington Hills Farms plans for development become available, we’ll keep our readers apprised.
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