Posted in Algonquin Rd, BHPD, Heritage Fest, IDOT, Newsletter, Road construction, Topics Of Interest, Uncategorized, Village Board, Village Code, Village Director of Administration on August 29, 2018| Leave a Comment »
The Summer issue of News from Village Hall was recently mailed out to residents. Click here to read the issue online.
Topics include covered include announcement of the 6th Annual Hills Are Alive Fall Festival on Sunday September 30th, updates on the 2018 Road Program and the IDOT Route 62 study, news from the Police Department and much more.
Posted in 2015 Elections, 2017 Elections, 2019 Elections, 220, Algonquin Rd, Barrington Hills Farm, Bicyclists, Commercial Horse Boarding, Deception, Elections 2011, Elections 2013, Ethics, Heritage and Environs Committee, Hoffman Estates, Horse Boarding, IDOT, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Disconnection, Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Longmeadow Parkway, Organizations, Plum Farm development, Politics, Riding Club of BH, Save 5 Acres, School Districts, South Barrington, Topics Of Interest, Uncategorized, Unite Barrington Hills, Village Board, Village Director of Administration, Village Government, Village President, Your Barrington Hills on August 26, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Once again, supporters of former Village President Bob Abboud have taken to the social media networks to begin creating a false controversy to stir the pot prior to the 2019 Village Board Elections.
Recently, some Facebook pages have started publishing information about the proposed Plum Farms Development in Hoffman Estates. One of these pages is purportedly run by the same individual who publicly cast aspersions upon the character of the Village President and members of the Board of Trustees in April of 2017 (but was unwilling and unable to provide any corroboration of her ridiculous accusations). See April 24th Board meeting recordings released.
Long-time readers of the Observer will recognize the same tired tactics of the Abboud-o-philes: create a false controversy, then stir up resident sentiment against current leadership and against those whom they may support in the upcoming elections. Save 5 Acres! Save Horse Boarding! Ban the Bikes! Save Open Space! Save Polo!
The Plum Farms Development in Hoffman Estates was used as a major 2017 campaign issue by Trustees Paula Jacobsen and Robert Zubak, but both have been eerily silent on the issue for well over a year. As candidates, Jacobsen and Zubak were so adamant about the Village having legal standing, authority and ability to impact this development, and they vowed to be the voices to vigorously “oppose harmful development”.
Today, as it was then, they chose to remain ignorant to the simple fact that this issue was over in 2004 when Bob Abboud and former administrator Bob Kosin botched the chance to work with the landowner to come to a development compromise that would have kept the property within the village, and would have protected our community from the dangers of deannexation of the parcel into an adjacent town with an insatiable hunger for more tax dollars.
But in fact, the current administration has been working in concert with South Barrington and District 220 to slow the progress of this development. Strange that this hasn’t been reported by any of the social media outlets managed by those folks who enjoy stirring the pot. Accusations of inaction and mismanagement by President McLaughlin and others on the Board will be aired, but nary a word of criticism of Jacobsen or Zubak.
And speaking of Jacobsen, the more vocal of the less-than-dynamic duo, what has she personally done with regard to Plum Farms as a Trustee? Nothing. She bemoaned the Longmeadow Parkway project as a candidate, but did she volunteer to be on the IDOT advisory board for Route 62? Nope.
Does anyone remember the laundry list of issues that she & Zubak used as their campaign platform? We do.
The only issue they are truly interested in is commercial horse boarding, which wasn’t in their campaign platform at all. Strange…
And back to that lengthy list of issues — what have they accomplished from that list? Nothing. And why? Because none of those “problems” actually existed.
Paula Jacobsen with former trustee Fritz Gohl
However, Jacobsen, who has been absent from more than 26% of the fifteen Board Meetings held since she was elected as trustee, has had the opportunity to advocate for some other interesting issues. As stated in our previous articles, May and June 2017 Board meeting recordings released and July Board Meeting recordings released , she has found time to question the meeting minutes which characterized her friend’s public comments at the April 24thboard meeting as slanderous. She has questioned why the Village couldn’t have employed a warmer and fuzzier process to inform a property owner of their violation of a cease and desist order with regard to illegal demolition of a residence and violation of the tree ordinance. It should be noted that the property owner in that case was a prominent donor to her trustee campaign.
Jacobsen has pondered the complexity of the Exterior Lighting Ordinance and wondered if it shouldn’t be revisited and revised, oblivious to the divisive history of the ordinance. Coincidentally, her interest in lighting ordinance enforcement occurred only when another friend of hers had filed a complaint against a neighbor.
Paula has also suggested giving landmark status to historical homes in the village. When asked to explain who would be the arbiter of this distinction and the mechanics of implementation or enforcement, she had no suggestion.
She also has given detailed reports of Arbor Day plans by the Heritage & Environs Committee at no fewer than three meetings. Let’s hear it for the oak sapling giveaway!!
And there has been advocacy for costly live video-streaming of Village Board meetings, which are only attended by a handful of the same residents each month.
It is not surprising that NONE of these issues were in the Jacobsen/Zubak campaign platform and that NONE of the issues in the platform have been pursued by the duo in any meaningful way in the past fifteen months.
And why is that? Because a quiet village operating harmoniously is not something the Abboud-o-philes can tolerate. They must have controversy and they will create controversy were none exists. And when faced with the reality that President McLaughlin & this Administration have delivered on each and every promise they have made to the community, they pivot back to the old worn-out talking points. The village is operating better than it ever has, spending has been slashed and services are more efficient. And that makes some embittered people very unhappy. Change is not easy for some. And they are desperate to regain control.
So the pot stirring will continue. With a little eye of newt and toe of frog mixed in for good measure. Here’s hoping that this bad spell will be broken soon.
Posted in Algonquin Rd, County, Kane, Land Use, Longmeadow Parkway, News Media, Press Release, Road construction, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Uncategorized on April 5, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Starting the week of April 9, 2018, weather permitting, intermittent temporary daily lane closures along IL 62 between Regan Boulevard and north Autumn Trail will occur to allow crews adequate room to safely unload supplies and equipment needed to begin storm sewer installation along IL 62. These closures will take place during non-peak travel times.
You can read the entire KDOT press release here.
Posted in 220, Accidents, Algonquin Rd, BCFPD, News Media, Press Release, School Districts, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Uncategorized on April 4, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Fire crews had to rescue a school bus driver who crashed into a ditch near the intersection of Bateman and Algonquin roads in Barrington Hills late Tuesday afternoon.
Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District firefighters arrived on the scene at around 4:37 p.m. and found that the bus, which was only occupied by the driver, was tipping to one side. The driver was unable to exit the bus without potentially causing the vehicle to tip or roll over.
Fire crews stabilized the bus and helped evacuate the driver, according to a news release issued late Tuesday.
To read the full story in the Daily Herald, click here.
Posted in Algonquin Rd, County, Illinois Tollway, Kane, Longmeadow Parkway, News Media, Press Release, Resident Surveys, Road construction, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Uncategorized on March 15, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Illinois Tollway Regional Mobility Survey
The Illinois Tollway is offering I-PASS customers in the Kane County region an opportunity to provide input on a Kane County project to improve regional mobility through the development of the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor improvement. The Longmeadow Parkway project is designed to alleviate traffic congestion in northern Kane County and relieve pressure on the existing bridges crossing the Fox River. While the Illinois Tollway is not directly involved in the development of the improvement, we are hoping that our I-PASS customers can provide valuable feedback regarding their travel habits and preferences.
The Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor improvement is 5.6 miles in length and includes a new four-lane Fox River Bridge crossing and four-lane roadway with a median that passes through portions of the Villages of Algonquin, Carpentersville and Barrington Hills, as well as unincorporated areas of Kane County.
For completing the survey, Kane County’s consultant is offering entry into a drawing to win a $500 check card.
Posted in Algonquin Rd, Community Alerts, Kane, Land Use, Longmeadow Parkway, News Media, Press Release, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Uncategorized on January 20, 2018| Leave a Comment »
From a Kane County Department of Transportation press release:
The next stage of right-of-way work for the Longmeadow Parkway Corridor will take place in Barrington Hills, starting next week.
On Jan. 22, 2018, weather permitting, right-of-way preparation and tree removal will begin along the Longmeadow Parkway Corridor from east of IL Route 25 to IL Route 62 and along IL Route 62 in the village of Barrington Hills.
During the work, there may be temporary single-lane closures with flaggers directing traffic. Construction work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The work is anticipated to take two weeks to complete.
Right-of-way preparation is being done in advance of the roadway improvements that will start in spring 2018.
The above-mentioned roads will remain open during treatment, but may be reduced to one lane of travel using temporary daily lane closures.
Motorists need to be prepared to reduce their speed, exercise caution and be extra alert. Watch for and obey flaggers and other traffic control devices within the work zone.
Drivers should expect delays while traveling through the work areas. You may want to add additional time to your commute and consider the use of alternate routes while this work is being completed.
KDOT officials remind drivers that it is illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving through a highway construction work zone.
Questions and concerns may be directed to Patrick VerHalen at 630-208-3138. For all Kane County traffic advisories, see the KDOT Traffic Alerts page on the KDOT website.
SOURCE: KDOT news release
The entire press release can be read on the Kane County website here.
Posted in Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Bicyclists, Commercial Horse Boarding, FPDCC, Horizon Farms, Land Use, News Media, Real Estate, Topics Of Interest, Uncategorized on December 7, 2017| Leave a Comment »
The Forest Preserve District of Cook County cannot evict the former owners of Horizon Farm in Barrington Hills, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday, citing an appeals court order from August that essentially sent the sale of the 400-acre equestrian estate back to the legal drawing board.
The land, which features four miles of trails for hikers, bicyclists and horse riders, has occasionally been open to the public since 2015.
The August order voided the sale of the property, which leaves the district with no right to evict the former owners, the court ruled Tuesday.
Richard Kirk Cannon and Meryl Squires Cannon argue the county unlawfully acquired the property through a $14.5 million foreclosure sale with BMO Harris Bank back in 2013.
The court’s latest opinion reverses a previous circuit court decision to award the district possession of the property and puts the eviction issue on hold pending resolution of the foreclosure case.
“We hold that the reversal of the foreclosure judgment voids the sale of the property to the FPD,” the opinion says. “If the circuit court, following trial, again awards a foreclosure judgment in favor of FPD, the court will need to hold a new foreclosure sale, and the purchaser at that sale will acquire the property owner’s rights and duties under the lease with Royalty Farms (if Royalty Farms has a valid lease).”
The full text of the Daily Herald article can be accessed here.
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