McHenry County Blog

If, like I, you have not looked at the 2030 McHenry County Land Use Plan, you might want to and send you reaction to the county board.

Comments were supposed to be over, but, because the county’s capacity to receive emails didn’t work this past weekend, the comment deadline has been extended to 4:30 this coming Thursday. Below is a press release to that effect:

McHenry County Department of Planning & Development announces:

Due to technical difficulties with our server over the weekend, the comment period for the 2030 Plan has been extended to Thursday March 11 at 4:30 p.m.

The County had received reports of e‐mails to 2030Plan@co.mchenry.il.us not being delivered. This issue has now been corrected. Those interested in commenting on the plan may do so at that e‐mail address or by mail at: 2030 Plan, c/o Department of Planning & Development, 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL 60098.

All comments received by the deadline will be reviewed by the Planning and Development Committee of the County Board.

And the “IF” was in capital letters.

Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano and Joseph Gottemoller, attorney for Metra, appear before the Crystal Lake City Council seeking permission to proceed with annexation of the land for a Ridgefield commuter station.

Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano returned to his home town city council for a second time seeking permission to proceed with plans seeking approval for a new commuter train station in Ridgefield next to the old 84 and new Alexandra Lumber location.

The proposal debated by city council members basically said that if Metra met all the requirements set by the city council that it could gain annexation to the city.

Mayor Aaron Shepley framed the debate like this:

“The question is solely whether council wishes to assume control of development of this project.”

At the end of the debate, the council voted 5-2 to assume control. Jeff Thorsen and Ralph Dawson voted “No.”

Jeff Thorsen registered his complaint about what he saw as the one-sided nature of the agreement.

Thorsen thought the agreement too one-sided.

“The agreement does not even require they ever annex,” he said. “At the end of the day, we can’t say ‘No.’ You can say ‘No.’”

He worried that if money is needed to enforce Crystal Lake’s Watershed Ordinance that Metra would not have to pay its fair share.

Shepley wondered if Thorsen wanted county government to be the approving governmental entity, as it was for 84 Lumber, which property covers more of the watershed than would be allowed had it been annexed to Crystal Lake.

“If the county wants to be irresponsible about developing it, then it’s not on my shoulders,” Thorsen replied.

Later Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller pointed out that the proposed 2030 Plan for county land development does not recognize Crystal Lake’s Watershed Ordinance.

Ralph Dawson views a Ridgefield Metra Station in Crystal Lake as a way to stretch city police forces too thin.

Ralph Dawson worried about extending city police protection still farther, pointing out that the Pingree Road Station had had vandalism problems, which Crystal Lake Police had to handle.

“It’s a far stretch from the city limits,” Dawson said. “I cannot support the City of Crystal Lake annexing the station. I don’t think the city should be obligated to go that far out to give it service.”

Trying to pour water on the fire, Pagano affirmed, “Metra intends to work with the city on the watershed…and traffic.”

Still Dawson concluded,

“I don’t see my taxpayers to benefit on this project.”

Brady Mueller asked,

“Are we out there already?”

Police Chief David Lindner pointed out that his force already served nearby McHenry County College and

“If there is a request from the Sheriff and we’re closer, we go out there.”

Ellen Brady Mueller argued for city control of the Crystal Lake watershed on which the proposed Metra station would be located.

Brady Mueller wanted to know,

“Why in the world would we want to give up a piece of property in the watershed?”

“We want to have the control.”

Cathy Ferguson agreed:

“I want control. I have enormous traffic concerns.”

Both relative newcomers Brett Hopkins and Carolyn Schofield concurred.

“I’d absolutely like to see it under control of the city, rather than the county,” Schofield said.

Summing up, Shepley said,

"If we say, 'No', we're counting on somebody else to do our job," Mayor Aaron Shepley said.

“We have fought like wolverines to control what goes on in the watershed. It’s not just our right; it’s our obligation.

“There is no done deal. Mr. Hopkins said it. The only question is who should we be dealing with.

“The downside for them is if they don’t meet our standards, they still have to go to the county.

“As far as police enforcement goes, Mr. Dawson, I think that is a fair concern. If it should go to the county we’ll still be the first responders.

“The difference is that the benefits will not fall to the Crystal Lake side of the ledger.

“If we say ,’No,’ we’re counting on somebody else to do our job.”

Dawson suggested the county was “in a new era. They’re talking about water, at least they’re making waves in an election year.”

“If the county is good, we’re better,” Shepley stated. “We owe it to the people to protect their interest.”

You read what the Woodstock Independent, the Northwest Herald and the Daily Herald want to know about and from candidates. Here’s what the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water are interested in learning about those running for the McHenry County Board:

ALAW County Board Candidates Survey: 2010 Primary Election

Please, indicate yes or no in the box to the right of the question.

A. Land Use

1. Have you personally attended any of the Regional Planning Commission meetings or subcommittee meetings on the 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan?

2. Have you read the proposed 2030 Land Use Plan?

3. Do you think the makeup of the 2030 Regional Planning Commission was a balanced representation of the residents of the county?

4. Do you agree that new development should be located where infrastructure exists, to minimize the extension of new roads, utilities and services, and protect farmland and water recharge areas?

5. If elected, will you support funding permanent protection of agricultural land and the agricultural industry in the County?

6. Do you understand that new rural development costs more for the extension of infrastructure (roads, water, sewer and services) than it brings to the County in taxes and that those extra costs are passed on to the existing taxpayers?

7. Do you support creation of the Hac-Ma-Tac National Wildlife Refuge in the county?

B. Water Resources

1. Would you oppose any land use change that would exceed a locally recharged aquifer’s capacity?

2. If elected will you enforce use of the SARA – Sensitive Aquifer Recharge Areas map developed by the County Water Resources Department, as a determining factor in every land use change decision?

3. Do you support redistributing groundwater from water-rich areas to areas that have over drawn their groundwater?

4. Do you think that McHenry County will be able to get water from Lake Michigan?

C. Transparency in Government

1. Would you support a requirement that all elected or appointed county officials make up-front disclosures of any financial or other interest in any real property in the County?

2. Do you support a requirement that all elected or appointed county officials make up-front disclosures of their interest in any business entity doing business with the county?

3. Do you believe that public officials should disclose whether they provide professional services to any unit of government to which they are elected or appointed?

4. Do you agree that all scheduled meetings agendas and minutes, including committee and sub-committee, should be posted on the County web site?

5. Do you agree that all McHenry County Board meetings should be video recorded and posted on the County web site?

D. Short Answer. Only the number of words indicated will be published in the response report. (please add a page if you need more room, but remember that we can only print the number of words indicated. Thank you.)

1. What role do you think the County should play in planning for growth? (50 words)

2. By protecting agricultural lands and soil resources, groundwater and its natural recharge can also be protected. What will you do to provide that protection? (50 words)

3. What does the County get from its annual contract with the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation and is it a good investment of taxpayer money? (50 words)

4. Who do you consider to be your constituents and how do you intend to communicate with them to ensure your positions honestly represent them? (50 words)

5. Please provide a personal statement about what you intend to accomplish, if elected to the County Board, and/or provide additional information regarding any of the “ / no” yes answers given above. (100 words)

Answers are due January 11th.

Good Morning. My name is Kim Willis and this morning I am speaking to you on behalf of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, located at 124 Cass Street in Woodstock.

You’ve just heard a brief overview of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan document, and I’d like to thank  Mr. Eldridge, Mr. Dreher, and Mr. Sandquist for providing you with that overview.

The Defenders have followed the Regional Planning Commission and staff through the hundreds of hours they have dedicated to creating this document for you. We applaud their efforts and commitment to this important process.

The plan, in its current form, represents an honest attempt at balance.

However, it starts from an assumption of preserving the status quo of recent growth, then tries to balance everything else we value within that framework. This will defer difficult problems to our children, as the status quo runs up against our county’s physical limitations of water, food dependence, infrastructure and the inevitable end to easy development. Instead, we have the opportunity to start with a focus on these actual physical realities and work to balance the interests of development within this more prudent framework.

As such, the Defenders will continue to advocate for greater consideration of water resources, agriculture and open space in this document. Our most significant request at this stage is that the existing basic provisions made for environmental concerns be preserved, spared from deletion or dilution.

Our members, along with many other members of the public who commented on the draft plan, overwhelming called for the plan to reflect their desires to protect the water resources, open spaces and agricultural land in McHenry County.

We ask the members of the Planning and Development Committee, as well as the Board as a whole to maintain the current protections provided to our community’s water, food, and natural areas, act upon the general public’s request for greater protection to land and water, and ensure the final plan provides a more equitable vision for the future of McHenry County.

Thank You.

Here’s a press release from a group I have not heard of before, the McHenry County Green Team:

YOUR COUNTY PLAN COMMISSION NEEDS YOUR INPUT!

The McHenry County Green Team encourages all residents to read the proposed 2030 Land Use Plan.

Copies are available at the County Planning and Development office and on line at www.mchenrycounty2030plan.com.

Comments on the draft plan can be submitted via email to 2030plan@co.mchenry.il.us or in writing to McHenry County 2030 Plan, Department of Planning and Development, McHenry County Government Center, 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098.

All comments must be received by 4:30 PM, Friday, July 10, 2009.

“If the average resident would just get a copy and read this plan, they would be shocked,” says Green Team member Joyce Kunath.

The plan currently encourages dramatic residential, industrial, and commercial growth in unincorporated areas.

This kind of growth plan is not only destructive to the very resources that sustain us, but will be expensive to support.

“No land use plan should require existing residents to subsidize future residents,” says Green Team member Joe Daleiden.

McHenry County Green Team Members attended several sessions of the recent McHenry County Regional Planning Commission presentation of the Plan.

“We are encouraged by the priorities of most participants in these meetings,” stated Green Team member Patricia Kennedy.

“But substantial changes must be made to conform the plan to these priorities. Residents want to keep the rural feel of the unincorporated western county, preserving farmland and open space and protecting our water supply. These are the same priorities in the results of the Imagine McHenry County Survey done in 2006.”

Green Team member Michelle Kuhlman adds,

“encouraging development without first knowing the long-term sustainable water availability is a prescription for disaster. Without sufficient water McHenry County real estate will become almost worthless.”

Green Team member Rich Brook summed it up saying,

“Long term sustainable agricultural land is a prime prerequisite to survival of the species. There could be almost three billion more persons in the world by the middle of this century and the United States is one of only a few areas in the world with a significant (but shrinking) agricultural surplus. In the near future, farmland will be more valuable as farmland than as developed land.”

At least one County Board member at the Plan Commission’s Tuesday sessions agreed that water is a priority resource and the plan needs changes.

For more information about the McHenry County Green Team email us at mchenrycountygreenteam@yahoo.com.

McHenry County Green Team, Patricia Kennedy, Official Spokesperson, 815-943-7223, kishvalleywater@yahoo.com, Mail: ALAW, PO Box 1021, Woodstock, IL 60098

It was in an Algonquin Countryside article by John Gonigam and concerned McHenry County’s 2030 Plan.

Jung was explaining how a developer can get a municipality to violate the county government’s plan through what is usually called “strip annexation.”

Jung is the District 5 county board candidate whom I believe to be most vulnerable to the Democratic Party challenge by Lake in the Hills candidate Paula Yensen.

My own village of Lakewood used the strip annexation approach in the dark of night to annex Turnberry, when the developers balked at Crystal Lake’s development impact fees.

I don’t think I can ever remember my father being more disturbed.

It was in an Algonquin Countryside article by John Gonigam and concerned McHenry County’s 2030 Plan.

Jung was explaining how a developer can get a municipality to violate the county government’s plan through what is usually called “strip annexation.”

Jung is the District 5 county board candidate whom I believe to be most vulnerable to the Democratic Party challenge by Lake in the Hills candidate Paula Yensen.

My own village of Lakewood used the strip annexation approach in the dark of night to annex Turnberry, when the developers balked at Crystal Lake’s development impact fees.

I don’t think I can ever remember my father being more disturbed.