Trustees table Headwaters Academy special-use decision after hours of testimony on traffic, sewage and neighborhood compatibility

Trustees of the Village of Hampton Hills voted to table a decision on Ordinance 25-24, which would grant a special-use permit to Headwaters Academy to operate a private school at 42 W. 420 Hampton Hills Road, following extended public comment and an extended trustee debate.

Neighbors and expert commenters urged trustees to weigh adjacent uses and private covenants in addition to zoning. Pat Griffin, representing residents of Hampton Hills Farm subdivision, said the board should apply the special-use ordinance’s requirement to consider adjacent uses and the neighborhood character. Dan Korth, who submitted a hydrogeologic report, told the board the property sits atop the Mill Creek shallow glacial-drift aquifer and recharge zone and warned that daily septic discharge could affect groundwater if not adequately mitigated.

Trustees focused on three statutory elements the village attorney said the board must consider: whether the special use would endanger public health and safety, whether the use is compatible with adjacent properties and neighborhood character, and whether the use would be inconsistent with zoning ordinances and adopted land-use policies. Several trustees cited traffic safety as a central concern for a school driveway on Hampton Hills Road, a segment with posted speeds near 50 mph. Trustee discussion identified potential mitigations — internal circulation changes, plantings to mitigate noise, and the possibility of a turn lane — but trustees also noted that some mitigation (roadway alterations or turn lanes) would require engineering and funding beyond what the village may provide and might fall to the applicant or developer.

Hal Frank, attorney for Headwaters Academy, asked the board to table the vote for two weeks to allow the applicant to respond to comments and consult the applicant’s traffic consultant about mitigation (including the feasibility of a turn lane). Trustee Janet Berson moved to table the item and the motion carried on a roll-call vote.

The board did not make a final finding on the special use at the meeting. The applicant committed to additional neighbor outreach and to return with information and any revised conditions for consideration at the next meeting. The planning-and-zoning commission had recommended denial; the village attorney reminded trustees that Illinois law requires the favorable vote of a majority of trustees then holding office (four trustees in this case) for approval of a special use where the commission recommended denial.