South Barrington church plans move ahead — but will group still try to disconnect from the village?

The South Barrington village board has approved zoning variances for the long-proposed redevelopment of vacant land by a religious group that wants to build a church and school.

Trustees on Wednesday endorsed Fourth Avenue Gospel’s parking-lot plans for the property at Bartlett Road and Route 59. The site is often called Area N.

The board also voted to let Schaumburg-based Fourth Avenue erect a fence around the school.

Both permits are contingent on Fourth Avenue dropping its legal push to disconnect the 34-acre property from South Barrington, a village spokesperson said. The group has 90 days to drop the case, the spokesperson said.

In October, Fourth Avenue Gospel announced it would pursue disconnection and develop the property under Cook County’s zoning rules because of delays in the village’s development process.

In an email to the Daily Herald, a spokesperson for Fourth Avenue thanked the board for voting in favor of the group’s plans. He said the group has no comment on the disconnection effort.

Fourth Avenue Gospel, which is owned and operated by a congregation of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, bought the land from the South Barrington Park District at an auction last year.

Area residents concerned about traffic, the project’s impact on the environment and some of the Plymouth Brethren’s practices unsuccessfully fought to stop the sale.