Barrington village board approves Claremont development, overrules plan commission
The Barrington village board unanimously approved the 88-home Claremont development on the former PepsiCo site, overruling the plan commission’s previous recommendation to deny it.
The commission voted in August to reject the gated community on 94 acres at 617 W Main St. Concerns about the plan’s fit in the community, particularly surrounding its private, gated nature, led to the commission’s decision.
Neighbors were also concerned and urged the board to side with the plan commission.
At Monday’s board meeting, village trustees acknowledged the importance of the commission and reiterated their trust in its decisions. Ultimately, though, they came to the opposite conclusion.
“I place great deference (to the commission), but when I feel the decision rendered is not correct, as a member of the village board, we have the final say on either approving or rejecting those recommendations,” village trustee Jason Lohmeyer said.
Before deciding on the project itself, proposed by developer Joe Elias of Vintage Luxury Homes, the board voted to rezone the property from commercial to single-family residential.
Lohmeyer cited the decision as a chance to “take off the table anything related to industrial or other uses of that property.”
Board members addressed concerns regarding the planned gate and ornamental guard house. This was one of the plan commission’s leading concerns about the project.
“I cannot support a gated development with an ornamental guard house on Main Street across from Barrington High School,” commissioner Dan Hogan said in August.
But Lohmeyer and fellow board member Brian Prigge argued its proximity to the school is the reason why it does need a gate. Their concern was that parents would otherwise use the community as an unauthorized pickup zone to bypass pickup lines, creating unwanted traffic flow and risking poor decisions from teenage students.
“I believe significant danger is posed by allowing high schoolers to cross to that new pickup area, and I believe it would happen,” Prigge said.
According to Kate Duncan, a village trustee on the board and a former member of the plan commission, the developer met all the requirements for approval.
“Through all of the materials that were submitted, which were also extensive, I believe that the criteria for approval has been met,” Duncan said.
Elias has made some concessions since the project was first introduced, including reducing the height of walls, paying park district impact fees, reducing the floor-area ratio to a maximum of 55% and widening streets.
One of the selling points for the board was the homeowners being responsible for maintenance and upkeep of roads within the neighborhood instead of the village taking responsibility once they are complete.