Pingree Grove endorses boundary with neighbors

In hopes of preventing another round of battles over land and borders, Pingree Grove on Monday endorsed a boundary agreement with Huntley and Hampshire.

The tentative border deal, which was reached after less than a week of negotiations between the three villages, would split a proposed 1,900-home development three ways.

Pingree Grove was to vote Monday on approving the development and annexing more than 650 acres for the project north of Big Timber Road and Route 47.

But the annexation likely would have caused friction between Pingree Grove and its neighbors because the property falls within land Hampshire and Huntley have claimed for future expansion.

"It would have been a fight between three communities," Pingree Grove Mayor Wyman "Clint" Carey said before Monday's meeting. "Instead, now we have an agreement between three communities."

Under the tentative agreement, Pingree Grove's northern boundary - and Huntley's southern border - would be at Big Timber Road.

The boundary between Pingree Grove and Hampshire would fall about halfway between Route 20 and Allen Road on the west and Route 47 and Reinking Road on the east.

Community Unit District 300, which includes parts of all three villages, had expressed concern that Pingree Grove had not demanded enough money from the residential development to cover the cost of educating new students.

Pingree Grove trustees delayed a vote on the annexation and development until July 28.

But Carey said Monday the residential project "most likely will never be presented to Pingree Grove again."

While Pingree Grove officials hailed the tentative border deal as a major breakthrough Monday, the agreement still has a number of hurdles to overcome before it has the force of law.

Lawyers and planners from the three villages will continue discussions to iron out the exact details of the deal.

All three village boards need to approve the final agreement.

Huntley and Hampshire are scheduled to meet this week to continue talks on where the border between the two villages should go.

The boundary is not covered in the agreement with Pingree Grove, which mainly addresses Pingree Grove's borders with the two neighboring towns.

Pingree Grove settled a border dispute with Gilberts and developer Cambridge Homes last year in a settlement dividing 1,400 disputed acres between the two villages.