Politics & Government
Lake County Finds Common Ground With Villages on Dimucci Property
Officials finally research tentative agreement for development at the corner of Old McHenry Road and Route 12.
Lake County officials on Tuesday afternoon announced they've found common ground with the Hawthorn Woods and North Barrington over a controversial commercial development proposal at the southeast corner of Route 12 and Old McHenry Road.
Among the many compromises, it calls for a reduction in total floor area, a two-story parking structure, on-site security, screening for outdoor retail storage and display, county officials said.
One of the biggest sticking points has been the size of the project, said Eric Waggoner, Lake County's director of planning, building and development. The proposed floor area has changed from 800,000 square feet to no more than 650,000 square feet, Waggoner said. Of that total, no more than 450,000 square feet can be devoted to retail, he said.
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County officials will present the new proposal to the public at 5 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Concorde Banquets, 20922 N. Rand Road. It's expected to the first in many public hearings on what's commonly referred to as the Dimucci property, county officials said.
"We hope these concepts will be seen as reasonable approaches among those who have attended the public hearings on this issue in the past," Waggoner said.
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Months ago, the Dimucci family had asked the Lake County Planning, Building and Development department to rezone the property from residential to commercial, allowing for a major retail hub. Part of the parcel's more than 108 acres, about 53 acres, may be turned into a major retail development.
Over the past months, Lake County officials have looked over hundreds of designs that specified lighting, setbacks, square footage and open space, county officials said.
Residents of Hawthrone Woods and North Barrington have expressed concern to village and county officials about the size and scope of the proposal.
After the public hearing, the county's PBZ committee will consider the proposal for a recommendation. That recommendation will be forwarded to the county board for final consideration.