Library will continue talks to sell land for Barrington road project
Barrington Area Library District board members say negotiations should continue for the potential sale of land to accommodate a realignment of Lake Zurich Road - a move backers contend would boost driver safety in the area.
Trustees expressed concern about selling a parking lot near the main entrance to accommodate the road project but agreed during a nonvoting committee meeting Monday night to continue negotiations with Barrington. Noise and no guarantee of continuous access to the library during construction are among the issues raised by officials.
Lake Zurich Road would be shifted south so it intersects with a traffic signal at Northwest Highway and Berry Road at the library's entrance. Library board President Donald Minner said a new entry at the light with turn lanes, a roundabout and other enhancements could benefit drivers not using the facility and patrons.
"I think there are some reasons to move forward," Minner said.
In May, Barrington Village President Karen Darch sent a letter that solicited support from 18 governments within library boundaries for the proposal to shift Lake Zurich Road's intersection with Northwest Highway. A stop sign controls traffic on westbound Lake Zurich Road at Northwest Highway, also known as Route 14.
Darch cited at least 14 crashes in about the past two years at Lake Zurich Road and Northwest Highway in saying the realignment should be pursued for safety reasons.
At Monday's meeting, Barrington library Trustee Barbara Pintozzi questioned whether the road project would cause increased parking lot flooding. Barrington's director of development services, Greg Summers, responded that the construction would provide more protection.
"Not only does the project take the water off your lot, it takes the water off Route 14 that currently floods during summer rain events," Summers said.
If built, the $3.5 million project would be funded mostly from federal and state sources, with the village picking up an estimated $348,700. Berry Road would be widened if Lake Zurich Road shifted south under the proposal, which the village projects would benefit 3,000 daily travelers with a signalized intersection.
Library attorney E. Kenneth Friker said a complete appraisal of the land has yet to be completed.