The Village Board of Trustees will hold their monthly meeting tomorrow night at 6:30 PM. A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
Archive for the ‘Special Use Permits’ Category
Village Board meeting Thursday
Posted in Agendas, Building Department, County, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, HARPS, Heritage and Environs Committee, McHenry, Minutes, OMA, Plan Commission, Police Reports, Roads and Bridges, Special Use Permits, VBHPD, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on July 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »
June Zoning Board meeting recordings posted
Posted in Animal Welfare, Audio Recordings, Barrington Hills Park District, BH Polo Club, Board of Health, Commercial Horse Boarding, Conflict of interest, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, FRVPC, HARPS, Horse Boarding, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Politics, Special Use Permits, Village Code, Zoning Board on June 29, 2016| 3 Comments »
Audio recordings from the June 20th Zoning Board of Appeals meeting are available for review on the Village website. The menu of edited recordings by agenda topic can be accessed by clicking here.
Nine residents made public comments at the beginning of the meeting, and since the sole topic for discussion that evening was the commercial horse boarding zoning text, a handful of historically vocal equestrians on the matter made most of the remarks.
The first speaker was the chairman of Barrington Hills Farms (formerly known as the “Duda” property), who stated, “we have invested in this property with the intention of housing two wonderful organizations, one of which is HARPS, which we’re all familiar with. We very much depend on the horse boarding text amendment as it exists today, and hope that there is nothing that is ever done to change that.” His comments can be heard here.
As we’ve reported recently (see Plans unveiled for new HARPS facility), most of the 600 plus acres that compromise Barrington Hills Farms is not in Barrington Hills, but instead in unincorporated McHenry County, so few, if any, of our codes pertain to their plans. And the HARPS facility is already going through the McHenry County zoning process. So, even if the proposed new HARPS facility were being built in Barrington Hills, codes outside of any commercial boarding text would require that a special use permit be granted, since the HARPS complex is an animal rescue facility and it will also be providing out-patient veterinary treatment.
It’s also worth noting that Barrington Hills Farms was organized on June 25, 2014, according to records seen here. The Zoning Board of Appeals didn’t even hold a public hearing on any of the four commercial horse boarding text amendments submitted that year until July 21, 2014, so at the time the 602 acres were purchased, boarding was still classified under “Home Occupation” in our codes.
The second speaker is a professional horse and rider trainer in the Village who was very vocal during the last public hearings in 2014. Since that time, she has moved her base of operations from Tudor Oaks Farm to Oakwood Farms. Her comments can be heard here.
During her remarks, she stated, “I have to surmise that the only possible reason that the Village Board of Trustees wants a ‘do over’ would be to satisfy their own egos to get their own way at any cost.” It would seem that if this were this the case, this meeting would have taken place a year ago after the 2015 election.
Further on she stated that, “every discussion regarding horse boarding is held in executive session now in the, with the Board of Trustees, so the general public is left out of the loop.”
We cannot comment on her allegation since executive sessions by the Board of Trustees are confidential, but we are interested in which trustee(s) might be sharing information from these meetings with interested parties.
Later on, a resident at the heart of the boarding controversy, who was allowed a protracted amount of time to comment said, “We’ve been debating this horse boarding issue since two-thousand and five, OK? The only year I think it may not have been on the agenda in the last 12 years is 2013. But I could be wrong, I’d have to go back and look.
So for 12 years we’ve been going through this. We’ve considered special use. We’ve considered a bunch of things. We’ve considered agriculture, all this stuff, and finally a year ago, or it’s two years ago, a year ago we passed it, two years ago it started, we passed an amendment. Yah, some people may not like it, but that’s the democratic process, and it passed.”
The speaker’s full comments can be heard here, but we would be remiss if we did not remind readers of the change in presidency of our Village in 2013 when horse boarding was not an issue according to the speaker.
Two years later, the “democratic process” the speaker referred to may have contributed to the ouster of two incumbent trustees in the 2015 elections who voted to approve a commercial horse boarding amendment considerably based on the language the speaker himself proposed in 2014.
The last public speaker, who happens to be in the real estate profession, added his perspectives on how the recently enacted commercial horse boarding codes have affected property values and sales in Barrington Hills. His comments can be heard here.
When the board got down to their business at hand, the question of whether the current commercial horse boarding text enacted in early 2015 should be revisited was posed by the chair and the attorney to the board members . The question was prompted by a recent petition submitted to the village by a resident to amend the current commercial horse boarding codes.
The first member to respond did not hesitate, but we cannot do his comments justice by summarizing them. What we will state is his remarks on what has transpired in recent years were remarkably candid.
We also believe he has coined a phrase that will be repeated often when he referred to a “handful” in our community as “Radical Jihadist Equestrians” (henceforth RJE’s) who shoved the current commercial horse boarding text down residents’ throats. He later apologized for the frankness of his remarks, however, we believe many readers will appreciate them, and they can be heard here.
The next member to speak suggested that perhaps the Home Occupation Ordinance (which was the former code for all boarding operations since 2005), was “far too restrictive” on larger existing boarding operations, and that the 2015 text amendment “compensated too far in the opposite direction.” She went on to state the board should revisit horse boarding codes in an attempt to find a middle ground. Those comments can be heard here.
The third board member’s comments, again, cannot be summarized in order to do them justice. However, his historical knowledge and prior experience on the Plan Commission warrant readers to take note and listen to them by clicking here.
Another member stated he would like to learn more of the history of the matter, but expressed his belief that the recently enacted ordinance provided, “large powers to businesses.”
He went on to say, “I think everyone here in Barrington Hills moved here for the space, and for the quiet, for the nature. Some wanted horses, which is great. I prefer to ride bicycles, that’s great. Some people like to bird or hike or whatever, it’s always been a place, I think, peace and quiet and neighbors getting along.” His remarks can be heard here.
The next member to speak was on the Zoning Board when the draft of the current boarding text was being fast-tracked, and he recalled, “I was on the Zoning Board when it was passed, and I was given assurances that wasn’t going to be passed the way it was, that we going to discuss alternatives, and that never occurred, so it doesn’t bother me to come back and revisit the issue.” His comments can be heard here.
The chair then stated he thought there was a consensus to review the text that is currently in place, but also suggested options that included doing nothing at all. He then laid out a preliminary action plan and timeline for the process to proceed. Both remarks can be heard here.
During the discussion that ensued, the board agreed they wished to hear from residents on the matter during the process, and they would solicit expert testimony as needed.
They also would like to have the Barrington Hills Park District weigh in on the matter. We find this curious, since there may be conflict of interest on the part of at least three members of that board, two of whom spoke during public comments at this meeting (John Rosene and Dennis Kelly). Nonetheless, we look forward to hearing their perspectives.
The next meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for Monday, July 18th.
Zoning Board meets tonight
Posted in 2015 Elections, Agendas, Animal Welfare, Commercial Horse Boarding, ePacket agendas, Equestrian Commission, Horse Boarding, Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Politics, Real Estate, Special Use Permits, Village Code, Well Water Quality, Zoning Board on June 20, 2016| 3 Comments »
The Zoning Board of Appeals will be holding their regular monthly meeting this evening at 7:30 PM. The topic for discussion will be commercial horse boarding codes according to the agenda, which can be viewed here.
The 48-page ePacket agenda (seen here) contains a number of historical documents, most of which have been published in these pages over the many years this topic has been discussed. One new item to be found in the file, however, is a recent letter from Trustee Fritz Gohl who cautions the members of the Zoning Board of opening “Pan Dora Door’s Box” should they consider revising our current commercial horse boarding codes.
Gohl’s thoughts on the matter of commercial horse boarding can be read here.
May 23rd Village Board meeting agenda released
Posted in Agendas, Building Department, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Reports, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Special Use Permits, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on May 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The Village Board will hold their regular monthly meeting Monday evening at 6:30 PM. A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
April Village Board meeting recordings available
Posted in Audio Recordings, Building Department, Equestrian Commission, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Land Use, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Road construction, Special Use Permits, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on May 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The April 25th meeting of the Board of Trustees took place with a minimum quorum of four members present. Pro-Tem Hannigan was out of the country, and trustees Harrington and Gohl were absent, which seems to have become a pattern since Village records indicate Harrington and Gohl have each missed seven regular or special board meetings in the last twelve months.
Four people took part in public comments at the beginning of the meeting. The first two comments were about horses or horse boarding, and the last two were regarding a septic system. All four comments can be heard by clicking here.
Board members later affirmed decisions made by the Zoning Board of Appeals by unanimously approving a basketball court and new signage at Countryside School and a small addition to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
During the Plan Commission report, a member of Citizens for Conservation weighed in on whether or not to treat trees infested with Emerald Ash Borers. Her comments can be heard here, however President McLaughlin made it clear more than once that the Village has never taken a position on whether or not to treat infested trees as the speaker implied.
At the end of the meeting, President McLaughlin made reappointments to the Zoning Board, Board of Health, Plan Commission and Equestrian Commission with the unanimous support of those present. McLaughlin also appointed Village Clerk, Anna Paul, to become the new Village Open Meetings Act Officer. Recordings of these appointments can be heard here.
The menu of edited recordings by agenda topic for the full meeting can be accessed here.
April Zoning Board meeting recordings released
Posted in 220, Audio Recordings, School Districts, Special Use Permits, Village Code, Zoning Board on May 2, 2016| 1 Comment »
The Zoning Board of Appeals held two public hearings at their April 18th meeting. The first was a continuation of the application for a permit for a small addition to the rectory of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Ridge Road, and the second was a new petition by Consolidated Unit School District 220 for an outdoor basketball court and a new sign at Countryside Elementary School.
The St. Mark’s hearing lasted just over an hour with little discussion of the proposed addition and most centering on improvements made by the church to septic systems and installation of new efficient plumbing fixtures to reduce water usage. These improvements seemed to satisfy board members that sufficient measures have been taken to alleviate runoff issues that have occurred in the past, and they voted unanimously to approve the construction of a screened porch.
Next, during the second hearing, a representative of District 220 presented plans to construct an outdoor asphalt basketball court of the east side of Countryside School that is being funded by the school PTO and the Barrington Hills Park District, though it is unclear what the ratio of investment is. The district also is planning to install a new sign on the County Line Road frontage (inset left) similar to signs at other district schools. It was emphasized both will be non-illuminated, and with relatively little discussion by the board, the plans were approved unanimously.
The menu of edited recordings by agenda items from the meeting can be accessed here.
Village Board meeting agenda posted
Posted in Agendas, Board of Health, Building Department, Equestrian Commission, Heritage and Environs Committee, Plan Commission, Special Use Permits, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Zoning Board on April 25, 2016| 1 Comment »
The Village Board will hold their regular monthly meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
Tonight’s Zoning Board meeting agenda posted
Posted in 220, Agendas, School Districts, Special Use Permits, Village Code, Zoning Board on April 18, 2016| 7 Comments »
The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold their regular monthly meeting this evening at 7:30 PM. The meeting will include two public hearings regarding a proposed addition to the rectory at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church as well as a proposed outdoor basketball court and new signage at Countryside Elementary School.
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The 135-page information packet for tonight’s meeting can be downloaded here.
March 30th Village Board meeting agenda posted
Posted in Agendas, Building Department, Cuba Rd Bridge, Financial Reports, Lighting Ordinance, Pension Funding, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Public Safety, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Special Use Permits, Taxes, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on March 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The Board of Trustees will hold their monthly meeting this Wednesday evening beginning at 6:30 PM.
The meeting will begin with a public hearing regarding the proposed 2016 Appropriation Ordinance. Appropriations amounts are set higher than the budget figures already approved for 2016, and represent the maximum dollars the board may spend in a given year. A copy of the ordinance can be viewed and downloaded here.
The agenda for the regular meeting beginning immediately following the hearing can be viewed here.
February Zoning Board meeting recordings released
Posted in Audio Recordings, Commercial Horse Boarding, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Lighting Ordinance, Special Use Permits, Village Code, Zoning Board on February 26, 2016| 1 Comment »
The Zoning Board of Appeals had a relatively full agenda when they met on February 17th, including two public hearings on special use permit applications, review and approval of the official 2016 Village Zoning Map, and a general discussion of how to better address various special events that occur in Barrington Hills.
The first special use application heard was for a back-lit lettered LED sign and cross mounted on the northwestern face of the Barrington United Methodist Church located at 98 Algonquin Rd. The sign was desired to better help those unfamiliar with the area to locate the church at night.
The sign was approved, and if approved by the Board of Trustees, it will be the first of its kind in Barrington Hills on a structure. The recording of the public hearing can be heard here, and the discussion and vote by the board can be heard here.
Another special use application was presented by representatives of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at 337 Ridge Rd. for an addition of a small screened porch to the church’s rectory. The permit was required due to a needed setback variation.
The matter was tabled until the March meeting after discussion turned to some ongoing drainage and septic issues in the general area, and board members wished to look into those matters before deciding on the permit. That public hearing recording can be accessed here.
Board members then went through the ritual of approving the yearly official zoning map, but it was not unanimous, and was the subject of debate on if it accurately depicts R-1 zoning in the Village as can be heard here.
The board then began to consider how the Village might draft or better define codes related to the variety of special events held on private properties in the Village throughout the year, as can be heard here.
The menu of edited recordings by agenda topic from the full two and a half hour meeting can be accessed here.
Comments
joefargo3767 on Stop Stacking Costs on Illinoi… Thomas Paine on ‘Not 1984’: Flock… Say it ain't so on Correction: Board of Trustees… joefargo3767 on Pritzker defends 57% toll hike… Dan on Illinois Tollway board approve… joefargo3767 on Illinois Tollway board approve… Based In Barringtion on Illinois among worst in U.S. f… Recently Viewed Posts
- Barrington parents ask District 220 to reduce students’ screen time
- Ex-caregiver charged with sharing videos on Snapchat of nude residents at memory care home in South Barrington
- Forest Preserves of Cook County Reaches Agreement with Teamsters Local 700
- Rabid bat found in Hoffman Estates
- Illinois suburbs halt Flock use, suspend officers and review policy amid alleged improper use
Archives
Categories
Subscribe to The Observer
