Nestlerest will hurt neighbors, village

I have lived at 68 Robertson Road for many years and have been a lifelong resident of Lake Zurich. I have seen any number of changes to our community. There are a number of concerns about the Nestlerest condominium project: spot zoning, environmental impact, traffic control (dead-end street), safety, poor use of land, high-density housing, current failed village projects, overstated tax estimates, just to mention a few.

I would like to address the statement that the proposed Nestlerest condominium project has been favorably compared to the "Garlands of Barrington." I took the opportunity to visit this development. It is quite frankly from a non-professional planner viewpoint a well conceived project. However, there are numerous differences that need to be discussed. First, the project has direct access to a four-lane highway (Route 14) with its own northbound turning lane, southbound center turning lane, and north- and southbound exit turning lanes. I assume the current "construction only" entrance will also be used for ingress and egress in the future. More importantly, the multistory inner development is well buffered. On the north side is the screened multiple story Barrington Area Public Library and office building of Pepper Construction Co. and associated parking lots and green spaces. On the east and south sides, two story duplex residential villas have been constructed to buffer existing single-family residents and a single-family subdivision under construction. Route 14 is buffered by retention ponds, landscaping, Harris Bank and several two-story office/small business buildings. Perhaps the most important aspect of the inner development is that its height is limited to three stories.

The current single-family residence at 104 Robertson Road stands out as one of the larger homes on the street. It has a height of about 30 feet which is half of the proposed development height of 60 feet. The proposed development would tower over all abutting single-family homes. At times, Robertson Road has traffic problems caused by the Route 22 and Main Street intersection. Obviously, this intersection cannot be relocated. The density of the proposed development would only exacerbate an already undesirable situation.

While change (often referred to as progress) is inevitable, the proposed Nestlerest development is one of the most ill-conceived projects that could be approved for this property. The existing single-family nature of this dead-end street and neighborhood would be totally destroyed.

Sheryl Grever

Lake Zurich