Lake Zurich Road realignment going before Barrington library board
Plans for a realignment of Lake Zurich Road at Northwest Highway in Barrington - touted by proponents as a way to improve driver safety - will be addressed at a special public meeting next week.
Under the proposal, Lake Zurich Road would move south so it intersects with a traffic signal at Northwest Highway and Berry Road, the entry to Barrington Area Library. A stop sign currently controls traffic for right and left turns from westbound Lake Zurich Road onto Northwest Highway.
But for the realignment to occur, the library board must agree to sell its main parking lot to the village. Under a tentative deal approved by the village in February, Barrington would buy the land for an appraised price approved by both sides, subject to Illinois Department of Transportation concurrence.
Library board members have called the special meeting for 6 p.m. Monday, April 23, to discuss and possibly take action on the Lake Zurich Road realignment plan. The session will be at library headquarters, 505 N. Northwest Highway.
"My understanding is that the board will hear public comment and then discuss the Lake Zurich Road realignment proposal," library spokeswoman Karen McBride said Tuesday. "At some point, a motion might be made to vote on whether or not to continue negotiating the proposal with the village of Barrington. That is all I can confirm at this time."
In a statement, the library board reiterated its top concerns, citing the potential for increased difficulty entering and exiting the library, the creation of a negative experience for patrons, lack of control over the Lake Zurich Road project and "impaired use" of the remaining land.
But Barrington Village President Karen Darch and others point to driver safety as the primary reason Lake Zurich Road should be moved. They also say the plan would have benefits for the library.
Darch said there is limited time for the library board to formally approve its end of the tentative agreement. Further delays could place at risk the expected federal money to fund 50 percent of the $5.9 million Lake Zurich Road shift, with the state and village chipping in 25 percent apiece.
"We've been talking about this specific project since 2016," Darch said. "Delay at this point is not our friend."
Village officials say the idea dates to 1997 and '98, when public hearings held were held on the Garlands senior complex. The library rejected a plan to bring Lake Zurich Road behind the facility and south to a traffic signal at Valencia Avenue and Northwest Highway. The idea of rerouting the street also fizzled after meetings between the village and library in 2008.
According to the village, the library would receive several benefits from the latest realignment proposal, including a new parking area with more spaces at no cost, a safer walkway along Northwest Highway and an improved entrance ending the need for patrons to walk through parking lot traffic to get inside.
About 2,250 daily vehicle trips occur on Lake Zurich Road near Northwest Highway, according to the most recent Illinois Department of Transportation count.
The Barrington village board will call a special meeting for Monday, April 23, allowing all trustees and Darch to legally attend the library board session. Board members will gather at village hall before traveling to the library.