Demonstrators gather Wednesday outside the South Barrington Park District headquarters to protest the proposed sale of park district land to a church. (Russell Lissau | Staff Photographer)
By Russell Lissau – Daily Herald
The battle over the potential sale of South Barrington Park District land to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church is headed to court.
A request for a temporary restraining order filed by residents opposing the sale could be heard by Cook County Judge Claire J. Quish on Tuesday, Sept. 5, the district’s attorney, Scott Puma, confirmed Thursday.
The hearing will be held virtually at 10 a.m., Puma said.
The church is set to buy the 34-acre site, which is south of where Bartlett Road and Route 59 meet, for about $1.7 million. It wants to erect a house of worship and a school there.
District leaders postponed a real estate closing scheduled for earlier this week after receiving copies of a legal complaint and a request for a temporary restraining order seeking to block the sale.
The complaint — targeting the church, the park district and the village — was brought forth by anonymous South Barrington residents, documents indicate.
People demonstrated against the deal at the park district’s community center before Wednesday night’s board meeting and then spoke against the plan during the meeting. Many are residents of the Woods of South Barrington neighborhood, which is just south of the property.
Read more here.
Related: “Why the South Barrington Park District has halted land sale to church, (Part 2),” “Why South Barrington Park District has halted land sale to church,” “South Barrington Park District proposed property sale updates include request for support,” “Hearing on controversial church plan canceled in South Barrington, but opponents still have their say,” “Why some South Barrington residents oppose plan for new church, school,” “Nearby South Barrington Park District property sale concerns neighbors”