Although the leader of an organization helping disadvantaged minority youths contends race is a factor in his delayed plan to move into a Barrington Hills home with 25 children of color, village officials say the zoning code is the only issue.
Terrance Wallace wants to move his InZone Project into the 12,000-square-foot home on roughly 28 acres so he can provide opportunities for the children, who are under his legal guardianship, to live in a nurturing residential environment with support. He said he wants to relocate InZone to Barrington Hills from its temporary Wauconda home.
Wallace said he first contacted Barrington Hills in April 2018 to make village officials aware of his plan and did not receive a response for several months. He said officials have continued to ignore his recent emails.
“I definitely believe that has everything to do (with race),” Wallace said after he and several supporters brought their concerns to the village board meeting Monday night.
Village Attorney Patrick Bond said officials don’t have all the facts needed from Wallace and that race is not an issue.
“Everybody follows the same rules,” Bond said. “The zoning code doesn’t know what color you are, what race you are, what religion you are. That’s just not the case. The rules apply to everybody who comes into this village. And that’s not unique to this village. It’s not unique to this county. It’s not unique to this state.”
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