The following came from a Cary friend of McHenry County Blog:

I have to say I have never experienced a municipal meeting like the one I attended last night in Cary, over 2 1/2 hours, perhaps over three hours of public comments with virtually 100% of  those who spoke opposed to the rezoning which would permit the proposed low income housing, that is until the last person spoke, who stated she didn’t have enough information to make a decision as she just became aware of this.

A view of the crowd.

Trustee Bob Bragg stated to those in attendance that he would make a motion to reconsider the rezoning that was approved last week.

Bottom line is the Mayor and Trustees “got a major whooping tonight”, sadly, this is a meeting that never should have had to happen.

Most articulate attendees who did a great job of educating the Mayor and Trustees that it is their duty to represent their constituents, and clearly based on the fact this zoning change was achieved with no posting on the property (not required by Cary Village Code), now that the pubic has become aware of it, and based on public input, they have to duty to act in accordance with what overwhelming number of those in attendance are expressing, not to mention the over 525 online signatures that have been gathered in just four days, signatures of those opposed to the rezoning and the proposed project.

Most disturbing was the fact the Mayor and the Director of Economic Development didn’t seem to understand that this project will be a draw on the Village, Township, schools, food pantries, etc.

The Mayor looked like a deer in the headlights when it was pointed out that it is quite likely the Village will expend more than $4,600 dollars annually in services to the residents of this community, that low income residents will typically have a Link card, ask for the registration fees for their children for school and park district programs to be waived, go to the Township for emergency funds, etc..and that in the end, those fees will ultimately result in increased taxes and/or fees to other property owners.

A man pointed out that if that project paid real estate taxes based on the same ratio of taxes to assessed value (keep in mind Pedcor touted the $18,000,000 “investment” they are making in Cary, the real estate taxes would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $700,000 annually, NOT somewhere in the mid $80,000’s  range.

I question the unintended consequences of having current owners of rental properties in Cary having to compete against a highly subsidized complex, could this not push rents down, resulting in financial hardships and thus deteriorating properties.

This project is wrong on many levels and for many reason, and a slap in the face to the real “workforce housing” residents in attendance, those who worked and purchased their own modest homes in Cary.