Audio recordings from the August 30th Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing regarding a text amendment proposal for horse boarding codes have been released. The menu of recordings edited by agenda topic from the meeting can be accessed by clicking here.
This third and final hearing held by the Zoning Board on the matter included two hours and forty-five minutes of testimony. Since this process began in July, the ZBA has heard a total of seven hours of testimony, including what can only be described as an hour of filibustering by the owner of Oakwood Farms at the end of the latest hearing.
Throughout this hearing process, board members have heard very few specific amendment recommendations related to the proposed text amendment, aside from, “It’s too restrictive” or “We don’t like it.” This provided little, if any, guidance for them to make changes to improve it.
As a matter of fact, not one person who testified suggested any modifications to the language itself.
However, board members also heard that the LeCompte/Anderson, or “Anderson II” codes are too liberal leaving neighbors with few, if any, options to protect their peace and privacy, especially should a new boarding and training facility be built next door without anyone asking of they would approve of such a facility.
But what was clearly evident is that many residents felt the Village had no business entertaining any petitions from residents who were currently involved in active court proceedings related to horse boarding. A number of attorneys, whether residents, or those advising our Board of Trustees, consistently and strongly recommended that the Village not tamper with codes related to a private lawsuit.
Instead of heeding these cautions, the ZBA which was presiding in 2014 marginally approved the LeCompte/Anderson amendment, and then in 2015 by a majority of the Board of Trustees, including three trustees who are no longer on the board, despite a presidential override of the ill-advised legislation.
Once it was confirmed that everyone who had wished to testify had had their say in the matter, the chair then adjourned the public hearing and opened the public meeting to entertain comments from the members of the Zoning Board.
There was one procedural question regarding the disposition of the amendment, and then about a twenty-minute recap of the history, both good and bad, behind the history of how Barrington Hills has handled, and mishandled, horse boarding zoning codes for over ten years was provided by David Stieper.
His commentary, opinions and citations of Village and court records can be heard here. Once he concluded his remarks, Stieper then made the following motion:
“The Drury Amendment be adopted to the limited extent that the former Home Occupation Ordinance, which has served this Village so well in recent years, be fully reinstated into the Village Code, and that all other language in the Drury Amendment be rejected for now, and that all language in the Village Code constituting the 2014 Anderson II boarding amendment be rejected, removed from the code and held for naught. In other words, I move that our Village Code as it relates to horse boarding be restored to that it was in year 2011.”
His motion was seconded, however due to the time limits on the use of the room, the discussion and vote was continued to the next meeting of the Zoning Board scheduled for September 20th at Countryside Elementary School at 6:30 PM.
You have to hand it to David Stieper, he is like Superman. Always interested in truth, justice and the American way and more than able to stand up for the silent majority that have been “cowed” by the small but vocal horse radicals.
Why do I feel that the hidden plot is a cash driven agenda of a few equine investors and their sycophants to have their nefarious investments protected and enriched at the expense of the village lifestyle?
I believe that these people care not for the decades long traditions of this town but for their own personal gaines and vanities.
Truly we do need an advisory referendum so the wishes of the true majority can be heard and the minority investor class can be silenced and exposed once and for all!
What’s with the Beautiful book of photos and dialog that was sent in the mail to BH residents recently? It must have taken some investment to publish and distribute this book. While i appreciate the lovely book – I don’t like the propaganda implied by the title – Equestrian Community. We moved here to enjoy peace, space, and serenity. If someone wants to have horses – fine. If they want to run a business – follow the rules. Don’t try to snow us that the Village is only about Equine Interests – that is just inane.
Propaganda is a correct description since it’s nothing but advance campaign spin for the April 2017 trustee elections pure and simple. Unfortunately, this campaign piece won’t fit in my shredder!
Propaganda or not, I really enjoyed the book. It was well done and the price was right.
However, it was in dire need of professional editing. The grammar was full of incomplete sentences and many other child like, basic, rudimentary errors. My eighth graders make the same type of mistakes.
Oh well, the price was right!
The equine radicals MUST take the board back in the 2017 election or all of their coniving will be for naught.
This will be the most contentious election this little hamlet has ever seen, not to mention the most expensive.
But alas poor Yorek, money hath little value when egos are at stake.
The game is afoot, dare I say, even now as we speak!
The pictures are gorgeous!
First thoughts: 1) There is a typo in the very first phrase of the very first sentence and 2) regrettably, due to tension in our village over the Anderson II amendment, the very name of this beautiful book is cause for concern, Still, I love this book and give my thanks to the Barrington Hills Farm for their contribution.
First sentence says Chicagoans were visiting Barrington area on day trips in the early 1800s. Should be early 1900s! First white settlers did not even arrive in the Barrington township area until 1834; train travel between Chicago and Barrington area did not exist before 1854. I did not notice grammar mistakes but this history boo-boo really jumped out.
Regarding the name: “Barrington Hills an Equestrian Community”. There should be nothing wrong with this! And ten years ago no one would have been bothered by this title and they still should not be. However, owing to the actions and statements of a few radical extremists, one now wonders is Barrington Hills (becoming) ONLY for Equestrians?
I would like to see the word “Friendly” inserted between “Equestrian” and “Community”. This should not be necessary! But, again owing to the actions of a few radical equestrians fomenting discard and suspicion within our community, many of us are concerned that by commenting favorably on this publication we are endorsing the idea that Barrington Hills (is or should become) an Equestrian Only Community.
As much as I like the book and value my copy, I would like it even more if those associated with Barringotn Hills Farm would confirm that ours is an Equestrian Friendly and not an Equestrian Only Community.
First of all, Barrington Hills farm is not in Barrington Hills. If (and when) Mr. Davis has his way, it will be. Please note that Mr. Davis didn’t name it “McHenery farm”, could that have been an oversight?
I think not.
Its monetary value will be greatly enhanced by the annexation.
I sometimes feel that the future of Barrington Hills is in the hands of a small group of entrepreneurs that are more intrested in their personal bottom lines than the constructive future of our village.
The upcoming election will be the best harbinger of things to come.
Blazing Saddles = Great Movie
It is obvious by the comments that Barrington Hills Farms (not in located in the Village of Barrington Hills) is not about horses, the environment, birds and all of the fluff and inaccuracies in their picture book; it’s their bottom line. (Note: they use the postal address assigned to the Barrington Hills side of Spring Creek Rd.) BHF continues to clear cut natural treelines, the latest example you’ll see on Haegers Bend Road opposite the entrance to Glenmoor Subdivision. Large mature trees were bulldozed/removed, a road entrance constructed, which looks suspiciously similar to those where a Sales Office might be located. Could this be the beginning of marketing homesites? to be sold under the Barrington Hills “brand”, as a former VBH Pres. used to strut about? Again, a previous commenter sensed the obvious. Build under County regs. then come with “hat in hand” to their VBH Trustees, asking to re-annex to the Village. Thiis is not the behavior one would expect from a good neighbor. Rev up my friends for the 2017 election; we don’t want to lose what we gained in the last (election).
Perhaps we can resurrect the idea of the 4 lane highway connecting rt 25 through Haegers Bend again? That would provide a nice selling point for access to this property.
Mr. Developer;
You can fool some of the people, some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time!
How could you destroy the magnificent stand of trees that were part of this village’s heritage? What other surprises do you have in store for us?
Will this development be one acre lots or two? How long will you wait until you try to return to the village?
This speaks VOLUMES about your future plans.
I never comment on blogs because they are nameless and in the shadows but I do fully respect the reality of fear of the unknown.
Barrington Hills Farm is a project of my wife Dawn and as sincere a commitment to our community as she can make it.
To undermine her intentions is a shortcoming beyond belief and disrespectful of the heritage of Barbara MacArthur too.
Time will tell and our family wishes the best for our community and it’s families.
Please feel free to call me and ask any questions you might have.
My phone number is easily availiable.
JR Davis
is your community Barrington HIlls or Algonquin?
IF CAMPAIGN CASH MEANS ANYTHING; JR WAS AGAINST COMMERCIAL BOARDING BEYOND HOME OCCUPUPATION, BEFORE JR WAS FOR IT.
The photography in the Pucci Foundation Book is absolutely splendid and I have it displayed in my office. It is a great compliment to my conference room and I want thank this foundation for this unsolicited gift. It truly is spectacular!
The book talks about the benefit of “well managed equestrian farms” which I could not agree with more. The question is what about those boarding operations which are not well managed, should the burden fall upon neighbors to litigate abuses at their own expense or should the Village properly regulate this business practice via special use permit at the onset of the boarding operation. For every other residential village which permits horse boarding this is a “no brainer” but not in Barrington Hills. . .
If we follow JR’s pocket book, of course JR Davis agrees with the latter given JR has in prior years donated in toto @ $30,000 to former VBH Pres. Robt. Abboud and his “Save 5 Acres” political team cronies who spent @$167,000 of VBH tax payer money in attorney fees with Burke-Warren shutting down Oakwood Farm commercial boardiing operations at the ZBA, trial court and Appellate Court level.
Until the illegal Schuman letter, 34 days after three secret-illegal political campaign donations by Oakwood Farm to former Trustees, Messer, Meroni and Selman, former Pres. Abboud was a vocal opponent of commercial boarding on any scale in Barrington Hills beyond home occupation. So much so VBH BOT under his direction took court court action. . .
Ever wonder why former Pres. Abboud and his Save 5 Acre BOT cronies from year 2005 to 2013 never legislated commercial boarding beyond home occupation? Ever wonder why Abboud Sr. and JR Davis never voiced their opinion at public meetings in support of this business endeavor beyond home occupation during Abboud Jr’s reign?
The intense vocal support for this business practice is a recent trend of theirs which deserves further exploration by BHO. Perhaps JR or Abboud Sr. would like to explain to BHO readers their recent change of heart and what factors were behind this change.
Because if JR always supported large scale boarding so passionately it behooves me to ask again, why would JR financially support political candidates Robt G Abboud and his Save 5 Acres cronies with so much campaign cash when these VBH politicians publicly opposed large scale commercial boarding?
JR’s candidates were so opposed to the business practice of large scale horse boarding that they filed a successful lawsuit against Oakwood Farm costing “we” the taxpayers Tens of Thousands of Dollars.
Please, JR drop the sappy VBH historicle traditions “horse pucky” and as the Don Henley lyrics go let’s you and me get to the “heart of the matter even if you don’t love me no more”.
https://i.imgur.com/f7FdEdG.jpg
The book talks about the benefit of “well managed equestrian farms” which I could not agree with more. The question is what about those boarding operations which are not well managed, should the burden fall upon neighbors to litigate abuses at their own expense or should the Village properly regulate this business practice via special use permit at the onset of the boarding operation. For every other residential village which permits horse boarding this is a “no brainer” but not in Barrington Hills. . .
Hysterical response since Stieper used his influence as a member of the zoning board to hide all the septic failures (more than one) of St Marks Church that contaminated neighboring properties. Truth be told. And all the accolades about Stieper – maybe he should stop writing them as we are all onto his modus operendi. So who is really bucking for a trustee position?
A question for you JR.
Will your wife’s pet project be tax exempt?