Neighbors give Barrington auto dealership proposal the works

Neighbors of Motor Werks of Barrington are sounding off against a proposed expansion of the campus near the corner of Dundee Road and Grove Avenue.

The Village of Barrington is also pushing back against a retail/restaurant component of the plan.

Speakers from seven surrounding subdivisions stood united in their opposition at Tuesday’s meeting of the Barrington Plan Commission, held at the Barrington White House. Another meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17.

Mario Murgado Sr., who bought Motor Werks in March 2023, wants to build a multilevel 110,400-square-foot Porsche dealership and is also seeking site plan approval for a 15,000-square-foot expansion to the main dealership building.

The parking structure would house 568 vehicles with a 10,000-square-foot restaurant retail space on the first floor.

Murgado promised a beautiful “ultra luxury” addition that will be “very special.”

But neighbors, who have rallied around the phrase “Enough Is Enough — We Live Here,” said their lives have been disrupted by what already exists at Motor Werks.

“I live in Barrington, Illinois, not in Motor Werks, Illinois,” said neighbor Ken Rusin.

Rusin complained about noise at all hours from car alarms set off by employees trying to locate cars as well as the loading and unloading of vehicles.

Another neighbor, Bruce Frankenberg, said he is a Motor Werks customer. But Frankenberg said the proposal goes against the characteristics he values in the village.

“The size and scope of the parking garage and Porsche building is not hometown charm or small town heritage,” he argued. “It’s downtown chaos and big city commercialization.”

Others complained about the construction timeline and damage to roads.

Jennifer Tennant, the village’s assistant director of development services, said the village is recommending plan approval, but with conditions. Those conditions include having someone on hand at all hours to monitor transporter vehicles and additional screening.

Tennant said the village is concerned about the retail component, telling the commission, “This is a very large facility dedicated to a very specific use.”

She said the village would prefer retail and restaurant uses grow in other areas of the village, such as Northwest Highway.

At the request of the village, Motor Werks has already proposed revising circulation of transport vehicles, as well as a dedicated transporter parking area with four striped loading and unloading zones.

Motor Werks also proposed an additional level of underground parking in the garage.

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