The Kane County Development Committee on Tuesday (Feb. 16, 2016) voted unanimously to recommend that the full County Board deny a special-use request by Maxxam Partners LLC that would allow a 120-bed substance-abuse-treatment facility in an unincorporated area near Campton Hills.

The full County Board is expected to vote on the petition on March 8.

The 120-acre property is the former Glenwood Academy, located at 41W400 Silver Glen Road. A special use for the private boarding school was granted in 1989, and the existing multi-building campus includes buildings for administrative, classroom, recreational, dining and residential uses. The school was closed in 2012 and is presently vacant.

The petitioner proposes to use the existing buildings and infrastructure for a 120-bed, exclusively private-pay alcoholism and substance abuse treatment facility. It also would serve people with eating disorders and other addictions, with the exceptions of methamphetamine or sexual addictions.

The average patient stay is proposed to be between 30 and 90 days, according to the Zoning Board of Appeals summary.

The petitioner is seeking a special use in the Farming District.

On Feb. 9, the Zoning Board of Appeals reviewed the petition, reports, testimony and public comments received during the course of nine public hearings held in December, January and February, and after discussion of six requirements, a motion to recommend the special use failed in a 4-3 vote.

Those six requirements are:

1. That the establishment, maintenance or operation of the special use will not be unreasonably detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals, comfort or general welfare;
2. That the special use will not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity for the purposes already permitted, nor substantially diminish and impair property values within the neighborhood;
3. That the establishment of the special use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding property for uses permitted in the district;
4. That adequate utility, access roads, drainage and/or other necessary facilities have been or are being provided;
5. That adequate measures have been or will be taken to provide ingress and egress so designated as to minimize traffic congestion in the public streets and roads; and
6. That the special use shall, in all other respects, conform to the applicable regulations of the district in which it is located, except as such regulations may be in each instance be modified by the County Board pursuant to the recommendations of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

PETITION NO. 4364: Glenwood Academy/Maxxam Partners, LLC