McHenry County Blog

Mayor Aaron Shepley speaks to the gathering about the TIF project. In the shade are City Council members Ralph Dawson, Kathy Ferguson, Ellem Brady Muller and Carolyn Schofield. All but Schofield were on the Council when the project was begun.

The expensive Tax Increment Financing District remake of Virginia Street from Kwik Kopy to the Pizza Hut is finished “on time and on budget,” Mayor Aaron Shepley told a group of contractors and local businessmen this morning on the northeast corner of McCormick Park.

The city web site says the whole project is estimated to cost $9.3 million. (I have a call into the Finance Department for a better answer, but was told to file a Freedom of Information request, which usually takes a week to get an answer. This article will not wait that long, so if city officials want to be more precise, they can call or leave a comment.)

Add to that the State Department of Transportation spend on the highway repaving.

I see $3 million for property acquisition (look below) in the TIF district, which probably isn’t part of the streetscape. There is another $2.5 million for parking, which may or may not represent money for re-working the parking spaces on the north side of Virginia Street.

A new sign points to Downtown and the Lake. extolled the new look, saying it would look even better next year when the plantings were put in.

Shepley extolled the new look, saying it would look even better next year when the plantings were put in.

He explained that the idea was to make Crystal Lake’s original “Main Street” look like Downtown.

For those who don’t know, Crystal Lake was combined with a village called Nunda that grew up around the train station Downtown.  The merger explains why the lake resort community streets don’t always fit those in the other part of town.  (I remember we got lost a lot when we moved here in 1958.)

The TIF project includes signs pointing to Downtown.

Star 105.5 radio host Joe Cicero suggested a ribbon cutting to celebrate the end of road and “streetscape” construction (and re-construction, as sections of the new asphalt was removed so decorative walkways could be added at Dole and McHenry Avenues).

STAR 105.5 Radio host Joe Cicero uses giant scissors to cut a big red ribbon held by Mayor Aaron Shepley and Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller. Most not taking photos got in the picture. Click to enlarge.

A monument at Country Companies across from Kwik Kopy on Route 14 marks the western edge of the TIF District.

Another monument in front of Fifth Third Bank marks the eastern edge of the Tax Increment Financing District on Virginia Street.

Shepley said the idea came up 13 years ago at a visioning meeting. There were 21 ideas for the 21st Century, he said.

This idea was pushed by Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller, Shepley said.

After the ceremony I asked Mayor Shepley if there would be another TIF District to continue the streetscaping east of Fifth Third Bank and Pizza Hut.

That’s where the new black light poles, new sidewalks and landscaping end.

Tax Increment Financing District money can only be spent within the boundaries of TIF districts.

“There are no present plans for another TIF,” he said deliberately.

“What the future brings, who knows?”

He added that I had taught him “never to say never.”

I also talked to Shepley about the lost parking places on the north side of Virginia Street.

This corner building, which used to have a cell phone store, lost two or three parking spaces.

Pointing to at least two parking spaces that are now covered by grass in front of the white building on the corner of Pomeroy and Virginia, I offered the opinion that it would never be occupied by a business again because of the parking the re-designed of the streetscape had eliminated.

I got the feeling that such implications of less on-street parking had not occurred to him.

Unintended consequences of governmental actions almost always happen.

But some can consequences can be predicted.

It’s not as if the Virginia Street Corridor, the official name of the project, has lots of off street parking similar to Downtown’s.

1776's Andy Andresky and Angie Angelos of Andy's Family Restaurant were at the ribbon cutting.

Two restauranteurs were present for the ceremony, 1776′s Andy Andreski and Andy’s Family Restaurant’s Angie Angelos.

Andresky revealed that the construction season had cut down on his business by 35%.

Angelos declined to offer an estimate, but said that if it were not for her parking lot across the street and loyal customers, not to mention her “construction specials,” business would have been a lot worse.  (She plans “End of Construction” specials now.)

Andresky said he though four business had gone out of business during the traffic snarls.

A commenter names Mark added the following information in a previous post entitled,

“Message of the Day – Waste“

VIRGINIA STREET CORRIDOR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND PROGRAM City of Crystal Lake, Illinois, February 2005

http://www.crystallake.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=519

A 50 page document stating:

Total Estimated Project Costs: $9,291,000

TIF Cost Estimates for Virginia Street Coridor.

2003 Equalized Assessed Valuations: $9,845,120

It is estimated that the incremental increase in property taxes over the term of the TIF District in 2003 dollars will be $12,085,875.

Upon the completion of anticipated redevelopment projects it is estimated that the equalized assessed valuation of real property within the Project Area will be in excess of $26,080,000.

This represents an approximate 165% increase in the total equalized assessed valuation.

The following taxing districts cover the proposed Project Area:

Algonquin Township, Algonquin Township Road and Bridge, City of Crystal Lake Fire, Crystal Lake Park District, City of Crystal Lake, College District #528, Crystal Lake Library, McHenry County, McHenry County Conservation District, School District #47, and School District #155.

= = = = =
The way TIF districts work is that everyone outside of the area pays the bill.

The properties included in the Virginia Street TIF District.

That’s because tax districts are deprived of any increase in assessed valuation. The municipality gets all the money from increase assessments to spend in the TIF area. Besides the new lights, sidewalks, signs, brick-like decorations along the sidewalks, planters, etc., the City Council has provided money to various property owners for new signs, new lights, landscaping, and probably other improvements to private business property.

Unless those deprived tax districts bump into their tax ceiling, which hasn’t happened yet since the Tax Cap took effect, they will just raise their tax rates to make up the difference.

Keely Cat can continue relaxing after Andy Andresky reassured those big people who feed him.

After attending “Under the Streetlamp,” a concert by the stars of “Jersey Boys,” at Huntley High school, the Skinners went to eat at 1776 in Crystal Lake.

Proprietor Andy Andresky, as usual, came around to greet us and, after catching up on family affairs, I asked about the Cat Tax.

Andresky, who is now President of the McHenry County Board of Health, told me that it wouldn’t come up this year.

So, it seems Keely Cat can relax for another year.

No need to keep watch for the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collector.

In the governor’s race, here are the figures offered up by Adrian G. Uribarri in Chicago Current:

• Pat Quinn: $3.15 million in receipts, $2.36 million in expenditures and $1.5 million in available funds at the close of the period
• Dan Hynes: $2.32 million, $2.75 million, $3.1 million
• Andy McKenna: $2.23 million, $2.17 million, $63,500
• Kirk Dillard: $1.4 million, $1 million, $369,000
• Adam Andrzejewski, Republican: $752,000, $775,00, $334,000
• Bob Schillerstrom, Republican: $661,000, $674,000, $120,000
• Bill Brady, Republican: $443,000, $662,000, $192,000
• Jim Ryan: $313,000, $123,000, $190,000
• Dan Proft: $169,000, $135,000, $51,300
• Rich Whitney, Green: $6,120, $6,260, $2,570

He has an analysis in his article.

I took my camera into Crystal Lake’s 1776 Thursday night and the colors on the sign outside prompted me to take this photo.

Looks like the place is open Sunday’s this month.

I wanted a photo of Andy Andresky for a future story, but his wife Teri said he took Thursdays off.

It was an adult meal; our son was occupied elsewhere with a friend’s new video game.

Since our son arrived, we haven’t been in as often as before. But, every time, we enjoy it.

The restaurant is located where the old Kentucky Fried Chicken was. Before that, back in the 1950′s when I attended Crystal Lake Community High School, in an another building there was a bait and tackle shop.

For the year after it opened, I didn’t enter its doors. Then Forrest Hare invited me out for lunch and I discovered 1776′s white pizza.

When I read the dinner menu later, it had a price for steak. There was a different, higher price for Republicans.

I figured the owner must have a sense of humor.

Andy Andresky certainly does.

He delighted in telling people his chef graduated from the C.I.A.

Didn’t know they trained chefs, did you?

It’s the Culinary Institute of America.

This is the restaurant where we held all of our $100 a plate fundraising dinners during the 1990′s.

What can I say?

We enjoy the food, the patriotic ambiance and the proprietors.

In a bow to the economy, 1776 now has $3 hamburgers and serves up half a trout with vegetables to $10. And, not just for lunch.

I was hungry Thursday night, so I bought a whole trout for $20. Two orders of the $10 version would have yielded more veggies, I noticed.

Others were taking advantage of Thursday’s nine-course tapas tasting with wine to fit each dish.

Reservations are useful Friday and Saturday nights, but, otherwise, just stop in.

You won’t be disappointed.

1776 is on Route 14 between McHenry and Dole Avenues at 397 Virginia Avenue. The phone number is 815-356-1776. You can’t miss the sign at night.

I took my camera into Crystal Lake’s 1776 Thursday night and the colors on the sign outside prompted me to take this photo.

Looks like the place is open Sunday’s this month.

I wanted a photo of Andy Andresky for a future story, but his wife Teri said he took Thursdays off.

It was an adult meal; our son was occupied elsewhere with a friend’s new video game.

Since our son arrived, we haven’t been in as often as before. But, every time, we enjoy it.

The restaurant is located where the old Kentucky Fried Chicken was. Before that, back in the 1950′s when I attended Crystal Lake Community High School, in an another building there was a bait and tackle shop.

For the year after it opened, I didn’t enter its doors. Then Forrest Hare invited me out for lunch and I discovered 1776′s white pizza.

When I read the dinner menu later, it had a price for steak. There was a different, higher price for Republicans.

I figured the owner must have a sense of humor.

Andy Andresky certainly does.

He delighted in telling people his chef graduated from the C.I.A.

Didn’t know they trained chefs, did you?

It’s the Culinary Institute of America.

This is the restaurant where we held all of our $100 a plate fundraising dinners during the 1990′s.

What can I say?

We enjoy the food, the patriotic ambiance and the proprietors.

In a bow to the economy, 1776 now has $3 hamburgers and serves up half a trout with vegetables to $10. And, not just for lunch.

I was hungry Thursday night, so I bought a whole trout for $20. Two orders of the $10 version would have yielded more veggies, I noticed.

Others were taking advantage of Thursday’s nine-course tapas tasting with wine to fit each dish.

Reservations are useful Friday and Saturday nights, but, otherwise, just stop in.

You won’t be disappointed.

1776 is on Route 14 between McHenry and Dole Avenues at 397 Virginia Avenue. The phone number is 815-356-1776. You can’t miss the sign at night.

Democratic Party candidates for McHenry County State’s Attorney, Tom and Auditor will be holding a fund raiser at Stage Left, 125 Van Buren Street in Woodstock from 7:30-9:30 on Tuesday, September 23rd.

No word as to the cost.

Draw your own conclusions about the location’s name.

Personally, I had my fund raisers at Crystal Lake’s 1776, whose first menu, lest you think its owner Andy Andresky does not have a sense of humor, charged Republicans more for steak than Democrats.

= = = = =
Tom Cynor is on the left; Kerry Julian on the right.

Democratic Party candidates for McHenry County State’s Attorney, Tom and Auditor will be holding a fund raiser at Stage Left, 125 Van Buren Street in Woodstock from 7:30-9:30 on Tuesday, September 23rd.

No word as to the cost.

Draw your own conclusions about the location’s name.

Personally, I had my fund raisers at Crystal Lake’s 1776, whose first menu, lest you think its owner Andy Andresky does not have a sense of humor, charged Republicans more for steak than Democrats.

= = = = =
Tom Cynor is on the left; Kerry Julian on the right.

Elgin’s Daily Courier-News devoted the entire front page of its July 2nd Living section and more to Andy Andresky’s celebration of the “culinary loves,” as Mike Danahey’s article puts it, of Thomas Jefferson.

1776 is our favorite restaurant.

It’s right on Route 14 east of the water tower in the middle of a park.

The “Jefferson’s favorites,” prepared by Chef Santiago Suarez, will be served on July 4th and 5th in honor of the man who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence.

It’s billed as

And, Jefferson had a huge wine cellar, just like Andresky.

$18, for the 3-course “commoner” dinner or the $44 for 6-course “land gentry” offering.

I say, “Splurge!”

You’ll never have mac and cheese at a better restaurant.

(Yes, thank Thomas Jefferson for that dish. It’s one of my son’s favorites. I’ll have to pass than along.)

And, if you are looking for a book with a heavy Jefferson overlay, read Brad Thor’s latest—“The Last Patriot.”

You do remember that Jefferson is the first American president who took on the Islamic fundamentalists, don’t you?

“Shores of Tripoli” and all that.

Elgin’s Daily Courier-News devoted the entire front page of its July 2nd Living section and more to Andy Andresky’s celebration of the “culinary loves,” as Mike Danahey’s article puts it, of Thomas Jefferson.

1776 is our favorite restaurant.

It’s right on Route 14 east of the water tower in the middle of a park.

The “Jefferson’s favorites,” prepared by Chef Santiago Suarez, will be served on July 4th and 5th in honor of the man who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence.

It’s billed as

And, Jefferson had a huge wine cellar, just like Andresky.

$18, for the 3-course “commoner” dinner or the $44 for 6-course “land gentry” offering.

I say, “Splurge!”

You’ll never have mac and cheese at a better restaurant.

(Yes, thank Thomas Jefferson for that dish. It’s one of my son’s favorites. I’ll have to pass than along.)

And, if you are looking for a book with a heavy Jefferson overlay, read Brad Thor’s latest—“The Last Patriot.”

You do remember that Jefferson is the first American president who took on the Islamic fundamentalists, don’t you?

“Shores of Tripoli” and all that.