A drawing of the proposed entrance to the SportsPlex on the other side of where Route 176 now enters Route 47.

An email from the neighborhood folks fighting the McHenry County SportsPlex asks for opponents to attend the Tuesday Lakewood Village Board meeting that starts at 7 PM.

CALL TO ARMS! We’re not done

YET!

According to today’s Northwest Herald, MC Sportsplex-specifically Lou Tenore, is asking Lakewood for an extension on the annexation agreement ““The extra time is needed to tie up all the loose ends.” Please read the article for more information.

Remember “The agreement calls for Lakewood to contribute $5 million in fee waivers and grant assistance to the project. ”

Our sources have revealed that sale contracts for the properties along Pleasant Valley Road and Hamilton Road were NOT extended thus they have already expired-that’s not to say that they can’t be re-written.

Your presence is requested at the Lakewood Board Meeting on Tuesday when Lou Tenore will request this extension. The Lakewood Village Board is to consider the request at a meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. this Tuesday 7/26 at RedTail Golf Club, 7900 RedTail Drive, Lakewood.

Some of our key people will be there to oppose this request and present facts on the inaccurate/incomplete “feasibility study” (again, done by Terri Gauoette, who was declared only a “turf specialist” when confronted about his Wisconsin indictment for fraud). A copy of analysis of this feasibility study is attached. Just to refresh your memory, our analysis was done by Joseph Daleiden, former Director of Long Term Planning for Ameritech and responsible for reviewing acquisitions and major capital investments and hence, had much experience in assessing such proposals. A commentary will also be made on Lou Tenore’s financial situation.

PLEASE RSVP TO THIS EMAIL IF YOU PLAN ON ATTENDING. A CONTINUED SHOW OF OPPOSITION STRENGTH IS ESSENTIAL.

Hope to see you there!

Some may remember that the night the SportsPlex was rushed through the village board last summer. It was said to be essential to pass the ordinances that night. It was not a good night for the democratic process in Lakewood.

Subsequently, one of the village board members who voted for the package was replaced during the spring elections. One of the District 5 McHenry County Board members–a Democrat–lost his re-election attempt. The other person on the County Board who voted for Federal Stimulus Bonding authority was outvoted by the candidate who knocked off the Democrat.

The agenda item appears below:

Motion to Extension through January 26, 2012, of

• Ordinance No. 2010-65) (An Ordinance Authorizing Execution of an Annexation and Development Incentive Agreement Between the Village of Lakewood, Napier Partners, LP, Patricia M. LeClair Revocable Trust, Donald Swanson and McHenry County Sportsplex, LLC), Ordinance No. 2010-66 (An Ordinance Annexing the Napier and LeClair Properties Commonly Known as 12317 and 12512 Pleasant Valley Road to the Village of Lakewood),
• Ordinance No. 2010-67 (An Ordinance Zoning 12317 and 12512 Pleasant Valley Road as AG Agriculture District and 11717 Pleasant Valley Road as B-2 General Business District (Napier Partners, LP, Patricia M. LeClair Revocable Trust and Donald Swanson Properities),
• Ordinance No. 2010-68 (An Ordinance Issuing Special Use Permits for Planned Developments for Property Commonly known as 11717, 12317, and 12512 Pleasant Valley Road (Donald Swanson, Napier Partners, LP, and Patricia M. LeClair Revocable Trust Properties) and
• Ordinance No 201069 (An Ordinance Approving the Preliminary Plan for Napier Patrners, LP, Patricia M. LeClair Revocable Trust and Donald Swanson Properties)

One of the things I would like made clear in the contract is that the SportsPlex will be forced to pay real estate taxes. The consultant hired had little clue regarding the property taxes that could be expected and, since then, I have heard that the developers may try to organize as a not-for-profit organization, which would potentially allow the SportsPlex to pay no real estate taxes.

As a Lakewood resident, I want a clause that would guarantee payments in lieu of property taxes, should the development manage to gain a real estate tax exemption.