IMPORTANT: Please include your full name and home street address in Lake Zurich, IL in the comment box so your signature can be verified by the Village. This website may ask for a donation, this has nothing to do with this petition so you can ignore the request.

We, the undersigned residents of the Lake Zurich respectfully petition the Village of Lake Zurich to reject the proposed Regal Cinema Redevelopment as currently presented and to require major revisions that respect the community, environment, and existing neighborhoods by requiring dramatically fewer apartment units than the 246 units currently proposed.

Our Core Concerns

The proposed development remains too dense, too aggressive, and unresponsive to the Village Board and public feedback. If approved as presented, this aggressive density would create lasting harm through:

• School Overcrowding
  • Added strain on District 95 resources without enough funding to offset impacts.
  • Isaac Fox Elementary already has classroom sizes of nearly 30 students and all rooms are occupied.
  • The developer is stating that their 246 units, which include 2- and 3-bedroom units will only create 39-49 children. This estimate is egregiously low, and a number they will not and cannot guarantee.
  • The developer has insensitively understated the quality of District 95 education and the value our community places on our schools even flippantly and inaccurately assuming that, as stated by the developer at the October 15 Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) meeting, “readjusting those school boundaries” will be the solution, which we vehemently oppose and is entirely unacceptable.
• Traffic & Safety Risks
  • Increased congestion at already dangerous intersections and corridors.
  • June Terrace currently is regularly clogged by vehicles visiting the various commercial businesses (i.e. Starbucks), causing backups onto Rand Road. At the PZC meeting, the developer’s traffic consultant noted that signage would be the solution to prevent this from occurring and acknowledged that impatient drivers will not always abide by the signalized limitations, underscoring the reality that an engineer’s design is not necessarily a practical, realistic or effective solution.
  • At the PZC meeting, the developer’s traffic consultant also noted that “traffic will increase… there will be, obviously, increase in delays… yes, we are adding traffic.”
• Disrespect for Heritage and Landmark Green Space
  • The elimination of heritage and irreplaceable fully mature growth is contrary to the values of Lake Zurich.
  • As proposed, this project undermines and nullifies awards recently otherwise earned in our community, including the EPA Green Power Community Award for the Village of Lake Zurich and the Green Ribbon School District Award by District 95.
  • According the developer, they are removing 292 trees, 192 of which are desirable, heritage and landmark trees, which include a 100-foot tall oak trees.
  • The proposal destroys the natural environment and home to endangered species, which was fully acknowledged and undervalued by the developer at the PZC meeting.
• Stormwater & Flooding Issues
  • The aggressive density significantly increases impervious surfaces, increasing the risk of flooding for the area at large.
  • The property sheds water toward Ela Road and the Braemar community, each of which have been subject to flooding and destruction and this development increases the risk of further destruction and diminution of value.
  • Removal of natural vegetation and mature trees that helps mitigate stormwater and replacing it 100% with buildings and parking lots will further exacerbate existing flooding issues and will put Lake Zurich residents’ properties at increased risk.