Barrington Animal Hospital to take relocation plan before village board
A controversial plan to relocate Barrington Animal Hospital along Northwest Highway will enter the final stage of the village approval process, after it received positive recommendations this week from two advisory panels.
Barrington architectural review commission members Thursday night gave a thumbs-up to the animal hospital's building appearance, but encouraged installation of fencing compatible with a neighboring day-care center.
Separately, the plan commission on Monday completed a public hearing that began in October and covered several sessions. The commission recommended approval of the project by the village board, which gets the final say and could receive the proposal in late April.
Nearby business owners and others have objected to the proposal, citing the potential for noise, extra traffic and odor.
Under the plan, Barrington Animal Hospital would renovate a 4,885-square-foot structure last occupied by Fifth Third Bank at 353 W. Northwest Highway. Established in the early 1900s at 216 S. Northwest Highway, the animal hospital wants to have a full-service facility with more parking on the same street.
The facility would have 74 dog boarding kennels, instead of an originally proposed 132, as part of a phased-in expansion ultimately reaching about 13,200 square feet.
Animal hospital representatives also have agreed with a plan commission recommendation they have just one outdoor dog play area in an effort to address noise concerns.
"There's a nice flow," Joanna Krol, a veterinarian who works at Barrington Animal Hospital. "We have a flow between the play rooms and the outdoor area, so it's just the way it's been designed. They (architects) found a really nice compromise to keep it interesting yet very friendly to the neighbors, I have to say."
Terri Blanke, owner of the neighboring Barrington Community Child Care Center, is among the project's opponents. She spoke briefly Thursday night to the architectural review commission, raising questions the animal hospital's proposed fence near her property.
Blanke's concern led the commission to recommend that the animal hospital have a fence that would complement the one around the child care center.
An addition focusing on veterinary operations would be built first, followed by a second structure for the kennel, dog day care and other services.
If the plan receives final Barrington village board approval, renovations could begin in July or August, with a possible spring 2021 opening, said Barbara Stapleton, a veterinarian who owns the business.