Barrington looking to swap land with animal hospital to build new train station entrance
Barrington plans to build a new Metra station parking lot entrance off Northwest Highway, provided the village can complete a property exchange with an animal hospital.
Under the plan, the village would get roughly 2,800 square feet of Barrington Animal Hospital land at 216 S. Northwest Highway for the train station parking project.
Barrington Director of Development Services Marie Hansen said the animal hospital's property would allow for construction of a right-turn lane from Northwest Highway to an access drive leading to the Metra station lot. In exchange, the village would give the animal hospital about 7,000 square feet of public land to the south that could be used for client parking.
Hansen said a traffic signal at the new Northwest Highway entrance also is proposed. She said construction bids for the project, which would involve the Illinois Department of Transportation, could be solicited as soon as April.
"That's the big perk of this project, to try and relieve the traffic congestion coming in and out of all those commuter lots," Hansen said.
Although Barrington raised the train station's daily parking fee from $3 to $3.50 in October, along with offering commuters a chance to buy premium parking permits for $1,200 apiece for one year, officials said the extra revenue would go toward upgrades such as 67 new spots, platform heat lamps and the new Northwest Highway entrance.
Village Manager Scott Anderson said the proposed entrance by the animal hospital is expected to be a "significant improvement" for the commuters.
Separately, a Barrington plan commission meeting will resume at 7 p.m. today on the animal hospital's proposal to open a new full-service facility at 353 W. Northwest Highway. The hearing before the advisory panel, which started Oct. 8, is about whether the animal hospital should receive a special-use planned development permit.
Barrington Animal Hospital would renovate the 4,885-square-foot structure last occupied by Fifth Third Bank. The hospital plans an office, a kennel, a grooming area, boarding suites for up to 132 dogs, and indoor and outdoor play areas. The proposal also calls for two building additions totaling about 9,660 square feet, plus parking, landscaping and signs.