The brethren are seeking to purchase land at a discount in this village and build a huge meeting room.
The South Barrington Park District district used taxpayer money to purchase this land for $3M and are now selling it at a loss for $1.75 million. This is a mishandling of our contributions and the original poor purchase decision has resulted in a lack of maintenance and upkeep for our community parks and facilities in addition to a lack of regard for the greater South Barrington communities.
The village’s comprehensive plan, dated April 2023, has this area currently designated for parks and future use for single family detached homes. However, the Village is attempting to re-zone the area in an unconstitutional fashion which is not how our elected officials should be upholding municipal code.
The proposed buyer (Plymouth Brethren Christian Church) is proposing to build a 17,000 sq ft Church, 20,000 sq ft School, and a parking lot for 281 cars. They will have a pre-school as a part of this school as well as yearly national events held in both facilities.
The proposed buyer (Plymouth Brethren Christian Church) does not have members from its congregation residing in the South Barrington or Barrington area, yet they are trying to purchase 32 acres of our community land to build a massive parking lot and a facility that won’t be of any significance to our community. They would also not be paying taxes towards the betterment of our community – any additional police presence, emergency services, etc would be paid for by the citizens of South Barrington.
The buyer in question is being asked to leave from their current establishment and location. Historical data and media on the group alludes to issues within this group that we do not want to integrate within our South Barrington or even extended Barrington and Barrington Hills communities.
The proposed buyer is proposing one access point into the residential neighborhood that is located adjacent to Area N
