Schaumburg pet cemetery proposal comes back

Plans for the pet cemetery outside of Schaumburg have been resurrected.

The would-be developer of the land along Wise Road near Rodenburg Road will host an informal public forum to discuss the plan at 5 p.m. Friday, May 22, at the Schaumburg Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Road.

Oak Brook-based developer Guy Sorrentino said he's better prepared this time around and wants to listen to the public and garner their support. In February, Sorrentino withdrew his proposal from consideration by the Cook County Zoning Board of Appeals amid resistance from area residents.

Sorrentino admitted he may have "jumped the gun a bit" before the last set of meetings, during which county officials said he was unprepared. He said he now has better conceptual renderings and engineering plans to present to the public. He sent out letters to neighbors and said the meeting was his idea because he wants a better measure of the public's concerns before returning to the county. County officials have not yet received a new proposal.

A January meeting before the county zoning board in Schaumburg left Sorrentino frustrated by strong community opposition. He knows it'll be tough sell, as many residents prefer the land is left vacant.

"They're never going to want to hug us," he said.

Among opponents' concerns were drainage and soil problems on the six-acre property. The village of Schaumburg also weighed in that a pet cemetery doesn't fit into its comprehensive plan, which calls for single-family homes on the land. But Sorrentino says the cemetery, which would be named Pet Dreams, meets zoning criteria for the property. He also said he and his associates, including co-developer Alan Scimeca, will address those issues during next week's meeting.