Former tree nursery site to stay with South Barrington parks

South Barrington voters won't ax a vacant 34-acre lot that once was a tree nursery, results in Tuesday's referendum showed.

With all precincts reporting, 350 voters opposed the plan by the South Barrington Park District while 319 supported the idea, according to unofficial tallies.

District officials want to unload what's known as "Area N," on the southeast corner of Bartlett Road and Route 59 in South Barrington. They say the parcel, formerly home to Klehm tree nursery, is not ideal for a park.

The district bought the vacant 34 acres, along with a 12-acre site, for $4.3 million as part of 2003 lawsuit settlement involving a developer.

Though the ballot measure was voted down in November, Executive Director Jay Morgan said a better job was done this time in getting information to potential voters about the referendum. The outcome was unchanged, however.