Apartments proposed near Barrington golf club

A Barrington-based custom home developer has asked for village officials’ opinion of a preliminary plan to replace the company’s former office building next to Makray Memorial Golf Club with a 58-unit apartment complex.

The complex being suggested by Michael J. Graft Builder would consist of one- and two-bedroom units and have enough on-site parking for 150 vehicles, according to village staff.

The currently commercially zoned property at 914 S. Northwest Highway, just west of the golf course and south of Hillside Road, is about 2.5 acres, according to a village official.

Though the site is zoned for business, the village’s comprehensive land-use plan allows consideration of other uses, Barrington’s Director of Development Services Greg Summers said.

The land has been on the market for at least a couple of years, and the village has been hoping for some other businesses complementary to the new Ace Hardware store at that end of town, Director of Economic and Community Development Peggy Blanchard said.

Summers explained to trustees at Monday’s committee-of-the-whole meeting that the Graft company was looking for their initial thoughts before deciding whether to take the proposal to the next step.

Apart from the developer seeking a residential use on commercially zoned property, the village board expressed some concerns about the number of apartment units proposed for the site, said Village President Karen Darch.

Village Manager Jeff Lawler agreed that’s probably the bigger of the two issues.

“They have to look at the density,” Lawler said. “It’s beyond anything else that we have.”

Michael J. Graft Builder is now relocated just outside the village, along Route 22 east of Northwest Highway. Representatives of the company could not be reached for comment Tuesday.