Lake Barrington plans for preservation of vacant site

Lake Barrington officials were poised Tuesday night to buy 29 acres at the northwest corner of Route 14 and Cuba Road for natural restoration.

The Gibbs family parcel will cost the village $1.1 million, to be paid for from a $5.5 million bond issue for open space acquisition approved by voters in 2007.

The village also intends to extend the potential of the bond issue by selling the land piecemeal to Citizens For Conservation.

This will begin with a 6.5-acre piece of the property, though a final price hasn't been negotiated between the village and the organization.

Village President Kevin Richardson said the land is environmentally sensitive because of its proximity to Flint Creek and is also an ideal gateway into Lake Barrington that reflects its character.

Citizens For Conservation board member Alberto Moriondo said the new land complements the Flint Creek Savanna, which is farther north in Lake Barrington and which his group also owns.

At both locations, the mission is to remove nonnative plants like buckthorn and return the land to its original state.

Moriondo described Citizens For Conservation as the ideal steward of the new site. The group was established in 1971, has only grown stronger since, and one of its mission is to preserve land in the Barrington area, he said.

One of Lake Barrington's first actions after the 2007 referendum was to purchase the 26-acre Freier Farm at 23687 N. Kelsey Road for $2.1 million and begin restoring its farmhouse to be rented out.

The new Gibbs property has no buildings on it and includes 21 acres of wetlands.

The list price for the land was $2.4 million, more than twice what the village will pay.