Forever Saving Place
There is something liberating about hitting the open road to explore the countryside. Songs and poetry have been written about the peace of mind found on the open road, evoking the images of the long scarf trailing behind the convertible on the road less traveled. We all need space to breathe, ride and play.
It wasn’t that long ago when families would pile into the station wagon and take a Sunday drive to the less-developed countryside. But as time passed, those open spaces have become fewer and farther between. Thankfully, our community still has a number of back-country roads left to enjoy, but increasingly, many are becoming threatened by development and increased use.
So how do we ensure that the rural character of the Barrington area, which contributes to the quality of life of everyone who drives, rides, or recreates on these roads, remains intact for the next generation? In 2008, Barrington Area Conservation Trust launched the Heritage Corridor Program, which aims to protect these roads through the use of conservation easements. Working with residents on some of our community’s most scenic rural byways, including Ridge Road, Old Sutton Road, Cuba Road, Brinker Road, Otis Road, Oak Knoll Road, Miller Road, Plum Tree Road, Spring Creek Road, and others, BACTrust has begun to create a network of easements to ensure the permanent protection of our heritage corridors forever.
The Heritage Corridor Program
The need for this program came into focus in 2007, when the Barrington Area Conservation Trust hosted the first Barrington Concours d’Elegance, its first-ever major fundraiser, in conjunction with founding charities Hospice of Northeastern Illinois and Cowboy Dreams. The event’s Road Rally component — a fun, two-hour scavenger hunt that takes drivers and navigators along all the scenic back roads in our area — was designed specifically to showcase the beauty of our area to those who attended the Concours. Out-of-town guests were amazed at the beauty they saw here and the seemingly unspoiled character of these old country roads. But they were quick to remind BACTrust that these roads would not remain this way forever. Development is pervasive and traffic just continues to increase in our area.
BACTrust had already begun researching a way to protect these roads and had developed the Heritage Corridor Program. The organization explored the current road protection programs in Illinois, including the Scenic Byways Program, an honorary road designation for country roads such as Plum Tree Road in our community. Similarly, the Rustic Roads program in Kane County, which is a partnership with Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, has designated Army Trail Road in Wayne as a Rustic Road. Further, communities such as Mettawa, Long Grove, and Bannockburn have also explored programs to protect roads. These programs were useful, but did not establish permanent protection for the character of the road.
Working with Lake Forest conservation attorney George Covington, BACTrust studied case law throughout the country and eventually designed the Heritage Corridor Program to comply with a state statute, the Illinois Real Property Conservation Rights Act, to create the Heritage Corridor Program. Using conservation easements placed 10 to 30 feet from the edge of the pavement into the setback of individual homeowners’ properties along a threatened road, BACTrust and local residents can form a network of permanent protection for these roads.
Each easement runs parallel to the road and includes the right-of-way on either side of the pavement, and in some cases also includes the road pavement itself. The easement may also include any structures such as bridges, signs, shoulders and vegetation. But it’s critical to know that ownership of the land remains with the property owner, and property values are generally not affected.
As neighbors band together, the road becomes designated a Heritage Corridor that allows the visual, historical, and cultural significance of the communities in which they meander for the greater benefit of the public. The Heritage Corridors in sum are a preservation district in which the geographic area is identified with a designated road.
The program works in partnership with local municipalities, such as Barrington Hills and other villages where scenic roads exist. BACTrust and the local municipality hold the easement, but the homeowner’s property or property values are not affected, because the setback is simply a narrow strip along the road.
Engaging Our Residents to Protect Roads
A number of Barrington-area families have already signed up for the programs and have Heritage Corridor easements in the works, including the Bramsen and Duchossois families along Ridge Road, which will likely become the first protected Heritage Corridor later this year. “We decided to put an easement on a 30-foot setback of our property in order to protect Ridge Road,” said Betsy Bramsen. “We still own the land, but now we have taken steps to protect our road from development. It is such a beautiful byway and we would hate to see it widened.”
Kim Duchossois is also a supporter of the program. “I was very excited when I heard about the Heritage Corridor Program that Barrington Area Conservation Trust is putting together,” she said. “It’s really a wonderful opportunity to protect our beautiful back roads, and I’m so pleased to be involved.”
Like all private land protection programs, the Heritage Corridor program cannot be successful without residents’ help. Whether you enjoy running, biking, or simply the pleasure of a country drive, protecting roadways today will be critical to protecting the way our community’s character will look tomorrow. If you live along one of the roadways mentioned here, call BACTrust at 847-381-4291 to explore how to become part of this program.
Nancy Schumm-Burgess is the executive director of the Barrington Area Conservation Trust, whose mission is to preserve the open space, rural character, and scenic, historic, recreational, and natural resources of the Barrington, Illinois-area communities through advocacy, education, and the promotion of responsible land stewardship. For more information on its programs, call (847) 381-4291, or visit www.bactrust.org.
Which roads qualify for Heritage Corridor protection?
Heritage Corridors represent the rural character of the Barrington area. They were originally designed to be rural residential routes that connected neighbors and weaved through the community. The significance of the Heritage Corridor Program is that as a result of this protection, the appearance of the community will remain relatively unchanged and embody the essential character related to the local culture from earlier historic periods. Additional benefits of Heritage Corridors might include the protection of expansive views, unusual land forms, woodlands, wetlands, prairies, autumn color, rolling farmland, architectural features, churches and old cemeteries, historical markers and riding trails.
A qualifying road for the Heritage Corridor program must fulfill the following two requirements:
- It must be a designated roadway that connects major thoroughfares, but was designed for local residential use.
- It must be a road that, if it were altered, would significantly change the rural character of the area.
- In addition, qualifying roads must fulfill two or more of the following secondary requirements:
- Must possess a scenic value and/or
possess public vistas - Are two-lane residential roads with minimal shoulders
- Pass through or are adjacent to environmentally sensitive areas and/or habitats
- Are parallel to or are crossed by historic
riding trails - Have a documented historical value
to the community - Possess archaeological features
- Possess distinct expressions of local
community life
The following are some of the roadways in our area that would qualify for the Heritage Corridor Program. If you believe your road might qualify based on the criteria above, please call BACTrust at 847-381-4291.
- Bateman Road
- Haeger’s Bend Road
- Plum Tree Road
- Brinker Road
- Miller Road
- Ridge Road
- Chapel Road
- Old Sutton Road
- Cuba Road
- Otis Road