County Postponing the Condemnation Vote

The McHenry County Board has a vote coming up that conservationists are watching.

It is whether to condemn sensitive property just north of Island Lake in order to construct a roundabout.

River and Dowell Roads, near Holiday Hills.

The proposed roundabout is at River and Dowell Roads, near Holiday Hills and north of Island Lake.

The vote was supposed to have happened already, but nothing appears on the next agenda of the County Board.

You may remember that Donald Trump is being criticized for using eminent domain to obtain land for a building project.

Perhaps with

  • a four-way race going on in District 3 (three incumbents on the ballot–Joe Gottemoller, Mike Walkup and Nick Provenzano)
  • both County Board Chairman candidates–incumbent Joe Gottemoller and Mike Walkup–coming from District 3 and
  • the Chairwoman of the Transportation Committee, Anna May Miller

also being on the ballot, one might think the election had something to do with the postponement.


Comments

County Postponing the Condemnation Vote — 12 Comments

  1. The owner fighting the condemnation isn’t complaining about the delay I’d bet.

  2. This property contains a protected wetland.

    An additional section of the property was dedicated as protected with the Land Conservancy after the condemnation proceedings were initiated.

    I walked the property with the owner just prior to that.

    It does not appear to me that a roundabout can be built there as the sewer line runs just under the North skirt of the existing road and would have to be substantially relocated so as not to be moved into the wetland.

    When I raised this at the last meeting, I was told it was not relevant.

    The entire area has seeps that were historically located right under where the roundabout is slated to be built.

    Any attempt to try to change that area wholesale could create unforeseen and unforeseeable consequences to the flow of water into the adjacent lake.

    I had initially been successful in killing the roundabout for this intersection, but it was brought back on a later vote.

    Three Board Members changed their votes without offering any explanations and it narrowly passed the second time around.

  3. A pipe could be put in to account for the seeps, or didn’t they mention that?

    The present intersection there is dangerous, do you have a solution to that fact?

  4. It seems to be being left alone…until after the Primary Election.

  5. Cindy,

    Leave a known dangerous intersection alone?

    Ever heard of liability and related lawsuits where gov is almost always paying out?

    Streamwood some years back, knew a sign was missing for a center median.

    Drunk motorcycle driver hit that same median.

    Lawsuit resulted in Streamwood raising it’s taxes.

  6. By today’s laws and standards all wet land if disturbed has to have the same acres and volume restored and even then some.

    Roundabouts take up more space than a normal T intersection, but because they off set that by comp storage like detention and retention ponds that often are wet bottom structures.

    Piping can be installed to accommodate under ground flow.

    Because the flow of traffic is constantly moving, less fuel is burned reducing CO into the air, less chance of global warming.

    If Traffic signals were to be used, the electricity costs would offset the additional cost and size required for a Roundabout in a few years, plus in the long run less electricity used means lee CO in the air also.

    McDOT has some of the best Engineers in the state and can always ask for assistance if needed.

    Oversite by State should be part of the deal if MFT funds are used also.

    People like my pal Mike, who fight safety and good health seem to be like the buggy whip, past their usefulness. 🙂

  7. The Nob?

    You want to protect when you can’t.

    Over thirty years ago I almost got T-boned there.

    It makes you a little smarter and much more cautious and aware.

    You are compairing apples and oranges with your missing sign post.

    Your idea about bringing back buggies may be more of a solution.

  8. Nob you’re awfully knowledgeable on this.

    Are you in charge of installing this roundabout?

  9. This is a lazy county board…. If they do not come out publically condemning the roundabout than they are for it!

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