By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald
Barrington village trustees gave the green light Monday for a new 110,400-square-foot Porsche dealership on the Motor Werks campus, despite objections from its neighbors.
However, trustees said no to red LED lights required by Porsche on the new building. A Motor Werks representative said that could pose a problem for the project at the corner of Dundee Road and Grove Avenue.
Motor Werks of Barrington received village approval Monday for a new Porsche dealership, but a request to add red LED lights on the new building has been rejected. | Courtesy of Barrington
The board’s approval followed a long review process involving both the village’s plan and architectural review commissions. Neighbors from surrounding subdivisions packed those hearings, arguing that the new facility would aggravate existing problems with car-carrying trucks, test drives and traffic.
The plan commission ultimately recommended a scaled-down plan for campus expansion, eliminating a parking deck with accessory restaurant and retail uses from the initial proposal.
The village board gave way on one of the issues, permitting the vehicle display instead of recommended landscape screening.
Motor Werks attorney Betsy Gates-Alford warned that the elimination of the red lights — which neighbors said would be intrusive — could lead Porsche to seek other locations.
“The red LED lighting aspect is part of Porsche’s branding and design,” she said. “This is a design requirement that Porsche has, and that they would require Motor Werks to commit to for the construction of the new building.”
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