Land swap meant to help flood-prone Barrington neighborhood

Barrington village government and the park district have agreed on a land swap meant to help a flood-prone neighborhood.

Village officials have agreed to transfer ownership of Meinhard Park, at Bristol Drive and Concord Lane, to the park district. In exchange, the park system will transfer open space at Miller Park to the village.

Officials said in an announcement Tuesday that the park district will keep Roy Wilmering Scout Cabin and its immediate surroundings at the 8-acre Miller Park.

Under the plan, the village's work at Miller Park would involve creation of a stormwater retention pond in an effort to reduce the flooding risk around East Lincoln Avenue, Summit Street and East Russell Street.

Greg Summers, Barrington's director of development services, said the retention pond would be built as part of a second phase of a project for sewer and water line upgrades in the village's southern end in 2018.

On the park district's end, the plan is install playground or other equipment at Meinhard Park, at Bristol and Concord just south of Miller Park. Meinhard would serve as a neighborhood park.

"The streets around Miller Park have had significant flooding issues, and while it was the park district's desire to help remediate these concerns, it was also equally important to continue providing for the neighborhood a pocket park that would have a playground with usable open space," park board President Christine Garry said. "This agreement addresses both issues and we unanimously support the project."

Village and park officials will hold a joint meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, to discuss the tentative plans and answer questions from residents. The session is set for village hall, 200 S. Hough St.

Barrington Village President Karen Darch hailed the agreement as an example of separate government agencies working together to benefit the community.

Members of Barrington's advisory plan commission will host hearings related to new zoning classifications needed before any work can start. The commission will issue a recommendation to the village board, which gets the final say in issues.