Lincoln event venue closer to opening

Only one more legal hurdle stands in the way of Barb and Chris Lincoln in their unique quest to create a major event venue on an old dairy farm on Huntley’s far north side.

On July 26, the Huntley village board unanimously approved a complicated set of ordinances to create a legal Rural Event Venue category in the village code. Trustees amended the village’s zoning ordinance to 1) add Rural Event Venue to the definitions, and as a special use in a residential estate district; 2) created a special use permit for a Rural Event Venue in a residential estate district, and 3) added a site plan review section for proposed site improvements to accommodate a Rural Event Venue.

The Lincoln property is located at 8401 Route 47, just north of the Talamore subdivision.

“Now, we need just one more significant approval, and that’s from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT),” Barb Lincoln said. “That’s for a new entrance and exit to our property off Route 47. Originally, we wanted to add two entrances, but our 300 feet of frontage along Route 47 isn’t long enough for that, so we have applied for a modified entrance format. We hope to get that approval sometime in the next two months.”

The Lincolns, who have lived in Huntley for three years, recently bought 2.7 acres of farmland on the west side of Route 47. The IDOT approval will enable the couple to begin the major part of their project to transform the old farm site into a major event destination.

The Lincolns have already remodeled the inside of the farmhouse and moved into it last year. Motorists passing by will recognize the Lincoln site because of eight decorative pillars that line the edge of the property along the Route 47 roadway.

The couple plans to build a porch around three sides of the house, and convert the large dairy barn and some smaller buildings into an entertainment, banquet, and meeting venue for wedding receptions, corporate meetings, reunions, farm-style parties, and social events. A recent visit to the site by the Sun Day revealed that, while both Chris and Barb pursue professional careers, they have cleared much of the property of unwanted debris and facilities, created some new landscaping, and added garden space.

This project will be the only facility of its kind in the Huntley area. The Lincolns say they plan to act as project directors themselves. Chris is a senior executive with Ryan Homes, a national home-building company, and Barb works as an interior decorator and has designed and decorated model homes for many builders opening up new subdivisions.

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