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Walnut Grove residents urge Barrington trustees to block rezoning for school parking; staff says district removed request

Village of Barrington Board of Trustees · December 16, 2025
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Summary

Residents of the Walnut Grove neighborhood urged the Village of Barrington Board to deny rezoning that would permit demolition of four homes to create roughly 40 parking spaces for District 220. Village staff told the board the district removed the rezoning and the four lots from its current application and submitted only auditorium and front-lot modifications.

Walnut Grove residents pressed the Village of Barrington Board of Trustees on Dec. 15 to reject any rezoning that would let the local school district convert four residential lots into a parking lot.

"My neighbors and I unilaterally do not want a parking lot at the top of Hager and Main Street," said Ruth Scherr, who identified herself as a Walnut Grove resident, during the meeting's public-comment period. Scherr said many homeowners have paused improvements because of uncertainty around rezoning.

Beth Chambers, a third-generation resident, said the school district’s plan — as discussed publicly — would demolish houses at four parcels on Main and North Hager and create what she described as "a paltry 40 new parking spaces." Chambers asked the board to "protect my neighborhood from spot zoning," arguing that targeted rezoning for a single institutional use would undermine property values and neighborhood character.

Wendy Dow told trustees Walnut Grove opposition had been "consistent, unanimous and repeatedly communicated" at district meetings and at a Dec. 10 neighborhood meeting. "Participation is not approval," she said, warning that approving spot rezoning could make incremental encroachment more likely.

President Mike Moran acknowledged the residents’ concerns and asked staff whether a rezoning application had been filed with the village. A staff member told the board the school district had "modified their proposal to remove the rezoning request and the 4 lots completely from the application." The staff member said the materials currently submitted to the village address an auditorium and modifications to an existing front parking lot; a Planning Commission public hearing on those auditorium plans is scheduled for Jan. 12.

The board did not take formal action on rezoning at the Dec. 15 meeting. Trustees and staff repeatedly told residents they had heard their concerns and that any future rezoning request would be considered through the formal planning and zoning process if and when it is submitted to the village.