ROCKTON, Ill. (WIFR) – Red Barn Golf Course misses eagle at the Rockton Village Board. On Tuesday, it failed its second attempt to build townhouses on the driving range.

Richard Barnes, Red Barn’s owner, expected the loss before village trustees voted.

“The vote is going to be ‘no’ because we know we filed the wrong paperwork,” he confessed.

The owner requested the Rockton Village Board approve his special use permit. Days before, at a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, he hoped for a similar measure – until board members unanimously voted against it.

Trustees delivered another unanimous (0-6) vote on Tuesday; Barnes believes it’s due to a misfiling.

“Once we get the right paperwork in, I’m confident we’ll have luxury townhouses on the range,” asserts Barnes.

During the Jan. 16 zoning meeting, Barnes warned he lost 27% of his business due to media coverage and a new ordinance “against” Red Barn. He argues the law (enacted in July) charges the golf course $750 each time a ball from the driving range hits nearby condos – a fine he can’t afford.

While the owner said he hasn’t paid a fine yet due to ongoing negotiations with the Village, the potential forces him to consider new revenue streams, like homes on the range.

Since July, neighbors pressured the village to protect condo owners from the “concerning” conditions of the driving range. The idea to build 14 townhouses each with four units inspired a resistance to fill seats at board meetings.

“Who in the hell came in there with the idea of changing the whole course?” asks one Summit Condo owner during Tuesday’s public comment.

Sandy Eddy is one of the dozens of Summit Condo residents in the crowd.

“They should not put [in] all of those townhomes,” she argues. “They’re stacked, and that’s a lot of buildings.”

Eddy attended both meetings where Barnes asked for development permission, “When you’re not present and you don’t know what’s going on, who knows what’s going to get slipped in in them.”

Other residents echoed concerns of decreasing property values and safety if the townhomes arrive. Following the trustees’ vote, Eddy breathes relief.

Yet, Barnes describes the paperwork process as a bureaucratic labyrinth.

“It’s been a challenge,” he admits. “I could continue and spend more money and get lawyers involved.” Still, the owner stresses the goal isn’t “to put in luxury townhouses for the heck of it. The goal is to make the range profitable.”

Besides gathering support for the townhouses, Barnes wished his words to village trustees would motivate a relinquishment of the $750 fine. If the ordinance stays in place, and permission to develop isn’t awarded, he sees court as his last resort.

“The village did not give us the due process, so that I could defend what we’re doing at the driving range,” maintains Barnes.

Red Barn’s owner plans a return to village hall next month. He putts to PUDs, or planned unit developments, as his next zoning approach.

According to the National Association of Realtors, PUDs give developers “freedom from rural, residential, industrial or commercial zoning laws” – creating “flexible” communities where residents often belong to homeowners associations.

Before the swing to PUD approval in February, Barnes hopes to find a resolution with condo owners and village leadership.

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