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Archive for the ‘Aunt Blabby’ Category

When the weather conditions permitted, construction activity continued through the winter months. Between January and March, crews completed the following work:

Preparation for permanent sheeting installations
Permanent sheeting installation is required along the Route 14 corridor to support excavation and construction of the lowered roadway. Following excavation work, concrete formwork will cover the sheets, completing the final retaining wall structure. The contractor has completed pavement removal and surface preparation, positioning the start of this permanent sheet work this spring.

Ongoing construction of the storm sewer pump station
Following substantial completion of the pump pit structure last year, work on the pump station has continued through the winter. Activities included installing stairs and handrails, placing drains, removing concrete formwork and backfilling, applying waterproofing, retaining wall work, installing electrical conduit, and structure preparation and construction of masonry walls. For more information on the pump station, please refer to the December 2025 update.

Water Main and Storm Sewer Installation
Elevation changes associated with the lowering of Route 14 necessitate the rerouting of some existing Village utilities and installation of new facilities. Earlier this year, crews completed storm sewer and water main relocation work on Route 14 near Drury Lane. They also began installing additional storm sewer infrastructure to drain the future underpass, which will connect to the pump station structure.

Route 14 Culvert Construction
As part of the project, Flint Creek will be relocated to maintain gravity flow. Currently crossing under Route 14 just west of the railroad tracks, the creek will be shifted farther west toward Route 59, where it will flow beneath Route 14 through a new storm sewer culvert. Construction of this culvert is underway, with excavation work completed and forming and rebar placement work underway. The culvert’s bottom slab will be formed and poured first, followed by the walls and top of the structure. After completion of this work, a similar structure will be constructed to carry the creek under Route 59.

Continued relocating utilities
Utility relocation work has continued throughout the winter and will progress alongside upcoming construction activities.

Weather and material availability permitting, the contractor plans to begin sheeting and excavation work necessary to begin construction of the railroad bridge this month. As this work progresses, the contractor will refine plans for the remainder of this year.

To stay informed and receive project updates, please visit the dedicated project website us14underpass.com or watch for email notifications.

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By Michelle Meyer | Shaw Local

A ramp connecting the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway to Route 31 in Elgin will be closed for toll plaza improvements starting Sunday and is expected to last through the summer.

Beginning at midnight Sunday, the ramp connecting westbound Interstate 90 to southbound Route 31 will be closed, according to an Illinois Tollway news release. A posted detour will direct traffic on the interstate to the Randall Road interchange, bringing cars back onto eastbound I-90 to access Route 31.

“Tolls will be waived at the Elgin Toll Plaza for traffic following the detour,” officials said in the release.

Crews will be removing the existing barrier walls and equipment and installing new infrastructure. Ramp pavement and shoulder work, along with improvements to electrical, lighting and signage, also are planned, according to the release. All work is weather-dependent.

The construction is part of Illinois Tollway’s 16-year, $15 billion capital program called Move Illinois and its seven-year, $2 billion Bridging the Future capital plan. Improvements are planned for all toll plazas systemwide.

Signs warning about the upcoming closure will be posted this weekend. Updated information will be posted on the Illinois Tollway website’s daily construction alerts.

Maps and construction information are available in the “projects” section on the tollway website.

Article continues here.

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The Village Roads & Bridges Committee meets this afternoon at 4 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • [Vote] Road Program 2026 Recommendation (Left blank)
  • River/Algonquin Road Curve

A copy of the full posted agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

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The Equestrian Commission/Riding Club will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • McHenry County Conservation District’s Comprehensive Plan
  • Animal Disaster Preparedness Plan, and
  • Equestrian Signage

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting tomorrow evening, February 23rd, beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

PUBLIC HEARING

PUBLIC MEETING

A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

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Public Notice is hereby given that at 6:30 PM, on Monday, February 23, 2026, a public hearing will be held by the President and Board of Trustees for the Village of Barrington Hills, Illinois (located in Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry Counties) in the MacArthur Room at Barrington Hills Village Hall, 112 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, Illinois for the purpose of considering the proposed Appropriation Ordinance of the Village of Barrington Hills for the Fiscal Year Commencing January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2026.

A copy of the proposed Appropriation Ordinance is available in the Clerk’s office by appointment. All interested parties are invited to attend and will be given an opportunity to submit oral or written comment at that time. Emailed/mailed written comments should be directed to the Village Clerk and received by 5:00 PM, February 23, 2026.

Village Clerk
Village of Barrington Hills
112 Algonquin Road
Barrington Hills, IL 60010
clerk@vbhil.gov

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Courtesy Brennan Investment Group website

Our Board of Trustees had an unannounced guest speak last Monday evening at their regular monthly meeting. The unofficial transcript of what was discussed goes something like this:

Cecola: So, we have, um, somebody be the name, a guest in the audience out there, who somebody approached the Village regarding, um, data center, and we invited him to come and speak for about five (5) minutes, so (unintelligible) here. Um, there’s nothing to be voted on, there’s nothing to (unintelligible) the Trustees know the Village know (unintelligible with multiple people speaking).

Speaker: This doesn’t amplify, (unintelligible). To start I just wanted to thank everybody for your time (unintelligible interruption), oh sure, Jack Brennan, with Brennan Investment Group, and I just wanted to start by thanking you because I know I was squeezed in last minute here, so I’ll keep it very brief. 

Uh Brennan, we’re owner and operator of commercial properties throughout the US. We’re headquartered in Rosemont, but we have about nineteen offices across the US, and um, the purpose of tonight’s very brief presentation is, just was hoping to get some feedback on a proposed development in Barrington Hills.

We have a hundred and ten (110) acres site under contract roughly at the corner of Penny Road and 68, uh, in Barrington Hills that’s adjacent to, you know, the Palumbo tucking depot and all of that, and, um, our company over the last five years has done a lot on the, uh, Artificial Intelligence data center side. We’ve developed a number of campuses for Microsoft and a hand full of kind of third-party data center end users, and are working on one in Rolling Meadows right now.

Uh, I was introduced to this site through a friend of mine and, long story short, just given it’s proximity to the high voltage lines owned by ComEd, it makes itself a perfect powered land, so I, and um, you know our proposal for this, for this property here would, um, you know, would nbe to develop a data center campus.

The benefits, um, of this proposed development is first very low impact. Typically, these are fully enclosed with abundant privacy landscaping and walls and all the features so that it’s not a nuisance from a viewing standpoint. They also to emit very little noise. There’s virtually any (no) employees. There’s no burden on any roads.

Um, and then from an economic incentive standpoint, um, typically a project of this size would cost about two billion to develop, so from a real estate property tax you’d be looking at between twenty and forty million annually in real estate tax.  And then on top of that there’s a utility tax for the, uh, for the electric which goes to the municipality, and a project of this size would generate over ten million annually, in, um, utility tax, so anywhere from thirty to fifty million in revenue for a project such as this.

So, you know, first off I know this is out of character, uh, just for Barrington Hills in terms of the history, but you know I did think it in was kind of compelling we’re working on a number of these throughout the US, and, um, just kind of wanted to open up for feedback, because if it’s a quick no, I understand. Um, but at the same time, you know, I do think that it, um, it could be a great outcome, so, and, and, very feasible. We have end users that would move in quickly here, so just kind of wanted to open it up to any specific questions or any feedback you may have.

The discussion which ensued lasted twenty minutes. The presentation and discussion begins at the 29:10 of the meeting recordings found here. First, last and most frequent comments were made by Trustee Laura “AB” Ekstrom (She should seriously consider allowing that perpetual sunburn on her tongue heal one of these days).

The proposal may be brought before the Village Plan Commission in 2026, and there are some considerations residents should be made aware of.

The 110-acre property appears to border Barrington Hills and East Dundee. It is unclear if our Village still has a current Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with East Dundee. Given the magnitude of this development, we doubt if anything like this would have been foreseen or would stand up in court if Brennan wished to de-annex.

Our Village has boasted lower taxes and levies for over a decade, however that has likely come to an end. The Village Treasurer suggested that for a number of reasons, the Village reserves will require some attention. Any potential litigation would likely be costly and maybe even cost prohibitive.

If you are surprised by this news, we were too. Hopefully in the new year our Village Board will take a more proactive role in keeping residents informed if this proposal moves forward.

Related:Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property

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The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting tomorrow evening beginning at 6:30 PM. A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

 

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“The CAG is a collection of community representatives and serves as the focal point for the exchange of information between government entities and the local community. The CAG is made up of representatives of diverse community interests, local government officials, community representatives, property owners and residents, and stakeholders with technical expertise. The CAG assists IDOT in making better decisions on transportation related projects that benefit the community and environment. Members are invited based upon who they represent with the goal being an even distribution from each interest area.

The application window for the Community Advisory Group is now closed.

CAG Meeting #6 was held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 from 10am-12pm. Materials from CAG Meeting #6 are available below.

CAG Meeting #6

Exhibits

Presentation

Editorial notes: The reader who was kind enough to forward this tip noted: “Of considerable note are the currently proposed designs for the Bateman Road and Old Sutton Road intersections: non-signalized Right-In/Right-Out with a U-turn, as depicted (below):”

(Click on image to enlarge)

Also, to appease the Riding Clan, IDOT included a graphic of a, “Potential Pedestrian Underpass,” as seen below:

Last, it’s unclear if the current Village Roads & Bridges Chair (A.B.) was invited to the meeting. We highly doubt it (for obvious reasons).

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The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Treasurer’s Report Review & Approval of the November 2025 Park District Financials
  • Riding Center Advisory Committee Report
  • In-District & Out-of-District Rental Agreements & Rates
  • Review of Cooperative Agreements
  • Facility Rentals (Carriage Club Rental)

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

Note: “Requests for a qualified interpreter require at least five working days advance notice.”

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