The Campton Hills Planning and Zoning Commission on July 30 held a continued public hearing on Headwaters Academy’s application for a special‑use permit to operate a kindergarten through eighth‑grade school on a five‑acre parcel on the north side of Campton Hills Road; the commission took no final vote.

Headwaters’ attorney, Hal Francke, and Executive Director Sarah Elliott presented the school’s plans and proposed conditions, and traffic consultant Andrew Bowen of KLOA Inc. summarized a traffic memorandum offered to the commission. Neighbors testified about traffic speeds, sight‑line and culvert issues at the driveway, septic capacity, noise, and risks to adjacent horse properties. Village staff and the petitioner said outstanding approvals — notably a septic/percolation sign‑off from the county health department and coordination with the local fire protection district — must be completed before final municipal approvals.

The petitioner described the site and operations. Sarah Elliott, Executive Director of Headwaters Academy, said the property is rectangular with a two‑story house and accessory buildings, approximately 305 feet of frontage and 720 feet deep, and that much of the rear two‑thirds of the lot is fenced. Elliott said the school currently has 18 students, will cap enrollment at 25 for the 2025–26 school year and does not plan to exceed 45 students ultimately. She described hours of operation as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (class time 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and said drop‑off would run 8:45–9:00 a.m. and pickup 3:15–3:30 p.m. Elliott said the applicant measured sound levels while 10 children played and reported decibel readings of about 40–45 dB at 100–200 feet and 37 dB at 350 feet.

Andrew Bowen, traffic engineer for KLOA, told the commission Hampton Hills Road carries roughly 600 vehicles per day and about 60 vehicles during a peak hour. Using Institute of Transportation Engineers trip‑generation rates, Bowen said the school’s maximum enrollment would generate a modest number of site trips and that many families could carpool. His recommendations to reduce queuing and maintain sight lines included widening the driveway segment between the circular drive and Campton Hills Road to about 20 feet to permit two‑way flow, widening the north end of the circular drive to aid turning, increasing the driveway radii at the road, trimming vegetation in the road right‑of‑way to improve sight lines, and encouraging right turns out of the site during afternoon pickup. He estimated about 13–14 cars can stack on the circular drive as currently configured and advised staggered pickup times if enrollment reaches the 35–45 range.

Hal Francke framed the legal standard the commission must apply and noted the parcel is zoned Residential Estate 2 (RE2), which identifies an elementary school as an authorized special use. Francke said that, while the zoning code allows consideration of the school, the commission must find the special‑use standards are met and may recommend conditions. Francke listed conditions Headwaters would accept or negotiate: a cap on enrollment (25 initially, 45 ultimate), no more than 12 after‑hours school events per year ending by 10:00 p.m., prohibition on third‑party rentals, compliance with all applicable laws and village codes (including nuisance standards), meeting and resolving fire district concerns (the petitioner acknowledged the fire protection district requires sprinklers for an elementary use), and a “look‑back” traffic review by the village after the school has operated for a period if the village chooses to exercise that condition.

Commission members and staff raised outstanding technical items that would be required before final approvals, including an engineering plat, formal parking and ADA plan (the commission discussed at least one accessible stall and accessible paths), county health‑department review for the septic system, and any required building fire‑safety work. A staff member noted that the village must request septic/percolation review from the county health department on the applicant’s behalf before the county can act.

Residents who spoke emphasized safety, traffic and land‑use compatibility. Yanna Hodges, a Country View Lane resident, cited the posted 50 mph limit on Campton Hills Road and said, “most of the vehicles that travel on Hampton Hills Road do not abide by the speed limit.” Dan Korth, a professional geologist, said an existing residential septic system designed in the 1970s for a single household would be overloaded by daily school use. Kevin Fort Kemp, an adjacent property owner, said the proximity of children to equine activity raised safety and insurance concerns and that the property’s previous use as an equine parcel made the school proposal incompatible with neighboring horse uses: “You just don't have horse properties next to schools,” he said. Other neighbors said the applicant had not sufficiently engaged the surrounding neighborhoods and expressed concern about noise, privacy, and property values. Supporters in the public record and at the meeting said they view the school as a nature‑based educational option and disputed some of the asserted harms; one supporter, Holly Boron, said she would like to send her child to the school and asked the commission to “distinguish between what is an irrational NIMBY complaint and… what are the factors here.”

No motion or vote on the special‑use application was taken at the July 30 special meeting. The hearing is a continuation of the July 9 public hearing, and village staff confirmed several outstanding regulatory actions remain: (1) county health‑department review of the septic system once the municipality forwards the application, (2) coordination with the local fire protection district on required sprinklers and other fire‑safety measures, (3) final engineering plans addressing driveway geometry, parking and ADA access, and (4) any driveway/widening or right‑of‑way vegetation work the village and its engineers require. The commission may address conditions and a recommendation to the Village Board at a future meeting once those technical items are resolved.

Meeting context: the special meeting included the petitioner’s presentation, a traffic memorandum from KLOA, detailed questioning by commissioners about driveway, ADA and septic issues, and extended public comment. The commission accepted the petitioner’s materials into the record and continued the hearing for further review and any required staff or consultant follow‑up.