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Northbrook board approves special permit, loading-space variance and site approval for Meadowbrook gym
Summary
The Village Board voted to grant Meadowbrook School a special permit to operate and approved a loading-space variation and site plan for a new gym at 1600 Walters Avenue after public debate about stormwater, tree loss and community engagement.
The Northbrook Village Board voted to grant a special permit allowing Meadowbrook School to operate as an elementary and secondary school at 1600 Walters Avenue and approved a loading-space variation and site plan for a proposed gymnasium, passing the ordinance by supermajority.
Village planning staff told trustees the school site, built in 1954–55, has long operated as a legal nonconforming use and that the gym plans comply with zoning except for the items before the board: the special permit, a loading-space variation, and site approval for the gym. Director McKeown said the larger school projects approved by referendum are not yet at a design stage and that state review (including the regional office of education and the state fire marshal) will handle building-level plan review.
The vote followed extended public comment. Supporters — parents and PTO volunteers — said the gym will relieve overcrowding and was expected regardless of the referendum result. Laura Jaeger, who volunteers with the Meadowbrook PTO, told the board, “the school is just bursting at the seams. We need more space.” Several nearby residents and engineers urged the board to delay approval until the district produces more-complete plans and a stronger neighborhood engagement process. Andy Horn, a nearby resident, said he “respectfully urge[d] the village board to slow this train down, demand more from district 28, encourage full transparency, neighborhood involvement, and environmentally conscious planning.” Opponents raised stormwater, tree loss, construction impacts and the sense that neighbors had not been meaningfully engaged.
Village staff and the village engineer told trustees that stormwater controls for the gym project must meet Northbrook standards and that the village engineer must sign off on any required approvals; the developer must demonstrate compliance before permits proceed. The village attorney advised trustees that a valid written protest, which staff determined appeared to meet the filing requirements, triggers a supermajority threshold (5 of 7 trustees) to adopt the ordinance and cautioned that denying the permit could expose the village to legal risk of frustrating a school district’s operations.
Trustee Hebel moved to approve the ordinance; Trustee Cassidy seconded. Roll call recorded six affirmative votes and no negatives, satisfying the supermajority requirement. Trustees who spoke during debate urged the district to expand neighborhood outreach, address stormwater and construction staging and consider sustainability measures referenced in the village Climate Action Plan.
Next steps: District 28 will continue design work and proceed through state plan-review processes; the village engineer must sign off on civil/stormwater plans before permits proceed. The board also asked the district to coordinate with village staff on traffic, construction staging and neighborhood communications as the project advances.
