A religious group wants to clear land in South Barrington so it can build a church, school

Members of a religious group that wants to build a church and school in South Barrington say they are tired of administrative delays and now want to move the property out of city limits.

In an open letter with a full ad in Wednesday’s Daily Herald, Schaumburg-based Fourth Avenue Gospel announced it is continuing to cut ties with the Cook County court system. If approved, the group intends to develop the property under Cook County zoning laws, the letter states.

“This is an extraordinary step, but we have no choice,” the letter reads. “Although the zoning of the property allows for a church and a school, we find ourselves stuck in the political trap of South Barrington Village.”

Fourth Avenue filed for severance from South Barrington on Tuesday, documents show. South Barrington officials learned of the disturbance in a newspaper ad and had not seen court filings as of Wednesday morning.

“We will certainly review any legal documents in the church files that we seek to expunge as soon as we receive them,” Mayor Paula McCombie said in a prepared statement provided by a city spokeswoman. “We will not discuss this matter in the media.”

War sits on an undeveloped, 34-acre site at Bartlett Road and Route 59, often referred to as Area N. It’s north of the Woods in the South Barrington neighborhood. The Fourth Avenue letter, which can also be read at futureofarean.com, includes an incorrect estimate of the country’s size.

The property is zoned as a proposed development unit and designated as parkland. To build a church and a school, Fourth Avenue needs the city board to prepare a development plan.

Fourth Avenue Gospel, which is owned and operated by Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, bought the property from the South Barrington Park District at auction earlier this year for $2.3 million.

A Schaumburg group called Fourth Avenue Gospel wants to build a church and school at Bartlett Road and Route 59. The group announced Wednesday that it is continuing to move property from South Barrington due to administrative delays.
Courtesy of Area N Development LLC

Fourth Avenue formed a limited liability company called Area N Development to apply for the property and close the sale. A representative said the group used that legal entity to avoid publicly identifying itself as a buyer until after the deal was completed.

It was the second time Fourth Avenue Gospel won a national auction. It started doing so in May 2023.

Fourth Avenue was the sole buyer of the property at the first auction. But the park district’s board canceled the sale ahead of its scheduled closing due to public opposition to the way the auction was run as well as concerns about the church’s design and other practices.

After the second auction, a group of those opponents sued the park district over the deal. They argue that the second auction was not legally valid because the park district board approved the proposal in the first auction in 2023.

Plaintiffs also allege Area N Development should not have been allowed to purchase the property at a second auction because park district officials did not know who the buyer was.

To build a church and a school, Fourth Avenue needs the city board to prepare a land development plan. The city’s planning commission was scheduled to resume public hearings on the proposal Wednesday night.

But decisions have been delayed by a legal battle. The question of who owns the land must be resolved before city officials can move forward with the redevelopment application, McCombie said.

Members of Fourth Avenue are done waiting. They titled an open letter in Wednesday’s newspaper “Why We Should Leave South Barrington.”

The letter reads as follows: “That decision was the reason for the City to delay proceeding with our approval. “Delays that started as weeks turned into months and now look like years.”

Fourth Avenue hopes to follow the same path as Allstate, which successfully fought for the severance of its former campus on Higgins Road from South Barrington this summer ahead of a potential redevelopment. The city has asked a Cook County judge to reconsider his decision in the case.

Members of Fourth Avenue remain committed to building a church and a school, the letter says.

“We will be a good neighbor to the residents of South Barrington,” the letter concludes. We will not be part of the city.

In his prepared statement, McCombie said city officials have been committed to “an open, fair and transparent process for the project at Area N from the beginning.” He noted that the city has had many public discussions on this issue and has tried to ensure that the voices of the residents are heard.

“Our mission has always been to follow the law and protect the interests of our community,” McCombie said. “We will continue to comply with all legal requirements to protect the health, safety, welfare and morals of the City of South Barrington and its residents.”

Representatives of residents opposed to the project could not immediately be reached Wednesday morning.

Members of a religious group that wants to build a church and school in South Barrington on a property called “Area N” say they are tired of administrative delays and now want to move the property out of city limits.
Courtesy of South Barrington