Woodlands master plan required for Barat property

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Updated: March 12, 2012 8:02AM

The demolition of Old Main and gifting of the 23-acre former Barat College property in Lake Forest continues to inch along.

At the Lake Forest City Council meeting Monday night, the full council gave unanimous approval of first reading of a request by the future recipient of the property, Woodlands Academy, to amend its Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow for expansion of the campus boundaries to incorporate the additional Barat acreage. Final approval would be made at another meeting; the next meeting is scheduled on Monday, Feb. 2,0 at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall, 220 E. Deerpath in Lake Forest.

Monday’s vote was taken following presentations on the request by both Director of Community Development Cathy Czerniak and City Attorney Vic Filippini during which the aldermen were told no work would proceed without the submission of a master plan by Woodlands for the property, a plan that would require approval of the City Council.

The master plan would detail “how Woodlands will use the 23-acre parcel for educational use,” Czerniak said.

“There are several provisions,” Filippini said. “Without that, no activities will occur on the Barat property.”

The provisions include a plan for ongoing protection and maintenance of the ravines and cemetery, reconfiguration of the entrance driveway to Woodlands and an overall circulation plan for vehicles and pedestrians on the combined campuses.

The SUP amendment also calls for donation or sale of remaining artifacts or building elements and a plan for reuse, salvage, disposal and recycling of materials resulting from the expected demolition of Old Main.

Filippini also outlined “use restrictions” included in the SUP amendment that indicate should Woodlands Academy cease to exist as an educational institution, the Woodlands Academy Campus may only be redeveloped as residential.

In response to a question from Second Ward Alderman David Moore about wireless technology and how that might factor into the “educational use” of the property, Filippini reminded the aldermen that “the master plan will come back to the Council before it becomes official.”

First Ward Alderman Catherine Waldeck questioned why the Letter of Mutual Understanding for the transfer of a “clean” Barat site calls for a 12-month lag between demolition of Old Main and the gifting of the property by anonymous donors to Woodlands Academy.

“They want to be sure the site is completely cleared up with no burden on Woodlands. It doesn’t mean the transfer couldn’t happen earlier,” Czerniak said.

Third Ward Alderman Donald Schoenheider asked when the master plan process will start.

“I don’t have a specific timeframe on that,” Czerniak said, adding that a schedule might be ready for final approval at the next meeting. “If not, we will explain why not,” she said.

Just before council members voted on the amendment request, Second Ward Alderman George Pandaleon asked, “If everything were to go wrong, this property would revert to residential, with 15 to 16 family homes?”

Filippini agreed and said, “Any successor owner would be bound by the same conditions.”

Anonymous donors of the Barat property purchased the 23-acre former college campus in December. The sale came following a meeting of the Plan Commission in which the members voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the amendment to the SUP, subject to several conditions that are now included in the ordinance.