Erin Smith

Below is the fall newsletter from Lakewood Village President Erin Smith:

For many of us, summer is a slower time of the year as we travel or enjoy local pursuits such as golf or boating. At the Village of Lakewood, however, it’s our busiest time of the year. And this summer was no exception.

New Home Construction

I am most pleased to report that we have seen an increase in the number of new single family homes being built in our community.

Four (4) new homes are currently under construction, and an additional three (3) new homes are currently under review and hope to break ground this fall.

This is a significant turn around from the past few years (during which no new homes were built) and bodes well for ongoing growth and development.

It is also consistent with a study reported in a May edition of the Chicago Tribune that indicates the Village of Lakewood is the only community in McHenry County to experience an increase in its property values during the past five (5) years.

Specifically, we have experienced an increase of 17.65% with a current median value of $353,250.

While the real estate market continues to be challenged, there has definitely been an uptick in new home construction and values, and this will benefit our entire community.

Lakewood Homes in Crystal Lake Service League Housewalk

Consistent with the beautiful and unique houses throughout our community, all of the homes showcased in the 2012 Crystal Lake Service League Housewalk are within the Village of Lakewood. It will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase our community. These include

• the Shade’s at 7307 Fairway Drive;
• the Dvorak’s at 6919 Inverway;
• the Olsen’s at 318 Hampshire Lane; and
• the Wencek’s at 6910 Cambria Cove.

New Centegra Hospital Approved

We have actively supported and closely monitored the status of the proposed new Centegra Hospital on Haligus Road in Huntley.

It recently received final approval and is expected to be completed in 2016.

Not only will this facility provide improved access to health care for our residents, but we are developing a strategy to aggressively market our residential developments to the physicians and staff members who will work at the new hospital.

El Café Open for Business

In the last newsletter, I was thrilled to report that El Café was preparing to open. It has now opened to much acclaim and success! The owners are actively listening to their patrons, and plans are underway to make minor modifications to the coffee shop that will allow them to serve fresh salads every day. If you have not yet had a chance, please stop by and support our newest business. As always, please contact me directly if you have a lead for a possible new business in our community.

Commercial Sign Standards

On August 28, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution requesting that McHenry County place a moratorium on the issuance of new permits for electronic billboards until it considers standards for such facilities.

This action was prompted by the pending application for an electronic billboard on Illinois Route 47 and north of Ballard Road.

This property is currently in unincorporated McHenry County but is surrounded by the Village of Lakewood.

Therefore, we are pursuing the forcible annexation of this area so that any development is consistent with our standards for this commercial corridor.

Lakewood Summer Festivals

It was a busy summer for festivals!

Celebrate Lakewood brought nearly 300 residents to see the renovations at the RedTail Golf Course clubhouse.

Our local businesses also had an opportunity to introduce themselves to our residents, and the highlight of the day was the landing of a “Flight for Life” helicopter.

Our thanks to the Economic Development and Golf Course Committees for all of their hard work to make this event a reality.

Shortly thereafter, Crosspoint Lutheran Church held its first Family Fest. Again, nearly 300 people enjoyed great food, music, and activities.

The summer ended with a bang as 585 runners and countless volunteers participated in the first annual Deep Dish Dash at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. All of the funds raised will support Family Health Partnership Clinic’s breast cancer fund, which helps uninsured women in McHenry County have access to life saving screening, education, and care coordination.

Not only are these events an important component of building a sense of community, but they help to introduce visitors to our beautiful community.

The Lakewood Village Hall could morph into a restaurant overlooking Crystal Lake. It would be the only one.

Long-Term Plans for Village Hall

We have also had some very preliminary discussions with a consortium to begin to more thoughtfully and carefully consider

• the possible development of a restaurant on the current Village Hall site;
• the creation of a town center; and
• the construction of a municipal complex.

This process is completely exploratory at this time, and no commitments will be made without significant input from our residents.

A more formal presentation to gather additional information about the process is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 25.

2012 Roadway Program

Our 2012 roadway program is expected to begin in mid September and, as a reminder, it includes:

• South Shore Drive from Essex Lane to Meridian Street;
• the 200 blocks of Essex Lane,
• Oxford Lane,
• Cumberland Lane,
• Melrose Lane, and
• Meridian Street;

as well as localized patching and restriping throughout the Village.

Partridge/Braemar Water Main Replacement Project

The Board of Trustees also recently approved a $424,759 bid for the replacement of water mains, isolation valves, and fire hydrants on Partridge Lane and Braemar Circle.

This neighborhood routinely experiences water main breaks, and so we are pleased to finally be able to address this long-standing problem. A more detailed letter regarding the project will be mailed to the residents of this neighborhood in the near future.

And thank you for your very positive response to the letter that I sent earlier in the summer about the drought. We continue to be under a severe drought, and we are carefully monitoring our water supplies and treatment/storage facilities. Please exercise moderation in your water usage!

Crystal Lake has receded between Gate 3 and the outlet.

As fall begins, please be cautious on the roadways as children and buses travel back and forth to school.

Sincerely,

Erin

Village President