McHenry County Blog

Between Ballard Road and Route 176, a lighted electronic sign has been proposed.

The Lakewood Village Board is holding a meeting tonight at 7 at Red Tail Golf Course at which the following is all that is on the agenda:

“To Consider and Take Action to Adopt an Ordinance to Annex the Territory Generally Located on the East Side of Illinois Route 47, South of Illinois Route 176 and North of Ballard Road”

The purpose is to stop construction of an electronic billboard with moving lights.

Here is the lot that the Lakewood Village Board is poised to annex against the wishes of its owner.

At the Cary Grade School District’s request, State Rep. Pam Althoff is attempting to gain permission to put an advisory referendum on the ballot that would include precincts outside the school district’s boundaries.

State Senator Pam Althoff is interviewed by Statehouse New Service.

Illinois Statehouse News has posted a short interview with Althoff in which the McHenry County State Senator explains the issue.

You can watch the three minute video here.

Althoff says she isn’t sure the topic of such a referendum, but that it might be “the possibility, perhaps, of annexation, and bringing in other areas within the school district that have to do with consolidation.  But what they’re looking for is a broader sense of the community and what the community is telling them of how they would like the school district to proceed.”

I can’t find the legislation, but Althoff reveals that it may end up in the omnibus Election Code bill that Democrats put together each year.

= = = = =
Senator Althoff points me to Mike Tryon’s House Bill 3096. As it left the House, it looked like this:

Amends the School Code. Provides that the school board may authorize an advisory question of public policy to be placed on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled election in the school district. Provides that the question must be submitted at an election in accordance with the Election Code, but may not be submitted at a consolidated primary election.

Don’t you wonder why the Illinois House decided not to allow such an advisory referendum on a primary day?

Here’s the latest missive delivered in the mail to Lakewood residents:

Erin Smith

From the President

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to wish you and your families a Happy New Year.

As a community, we face many of the same challenges confronting individual families and neighboring communities. The economy continues to be sluggish, especially as it relates to the downturn in the residential building sector. Delays in payments from the state of Illinois also present financial challenges. However, 2010 was a historic year for the Village of Lakewood, and we have many reasons to be thankful.

AAA Bond Rating – In May, the Village of Lakewood received its first bond rating from Standard & Poor’s. It was a AAA rating – the highest possible and remarkable for a community of our size with limited commercial development. It is a testament to the long standing conservative financial philosophy of our Board of Trustees and the implementation of that philosophy by our staff.

Annexation – In June, the Village of Lakewood annexed 565 acres of new territory. This action served two primary purposes – to secure a valuable intersection at Illinois Route 47 and 176 for future commercial development and to bring four (4) existing businesses into our community. This action was the culmination of nearly ten (10) years of strategic planning.

Sports Complex – In July, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a detailed Preliminary Plan for a 165 acre sports complex at the intersection of Illinois Route 47 and 176. This approval was predicated upon the developer securing financing and purchasing the land, which has not yet occurred. The Board of Trustees has always understood the uncertainty inherent in a large, private equity venture and has worked diligently and successfully throughout the process to insulate our community from any financial risk.

The Village Board remains strongly committed to commercial development along the Route 47 corridor and we are hopeful that the Sports Complex will be an integral part of our plan. We are also confident that other suitable projects will come forward as the intersection of two major State highways makes this one of the most desirable development locations in the County. Important technical information (i.e. wetland delineations, soil conditions, traffic counts, etc.) that was gained as we prepared for the Sports Complex will be invaluable as we engage in discussions with other developers who have expressed an interest in this area.

Fire Protection Services – Four (4) years ago, the Village of Lakewood made a strategic decision to create its own Fire Department and outsource the provision of these services to a private firm, American Emergency Services (AES), which has served our residents professionally and skillfully during this time. We owe AES a debt of gratitude for all of their efforts.

Lakewood Fire Station

As a part of our ongoing review of all of our services, however, the Board of Trustees has unanimously determined that these services can best be provided by the Woodstock Fire Rescue District (WFRD).

As a result of its greater size, the WFRD will be able to increase the level of service to Lakewood residents while significantly reducing our annual cost for fire service. They will provide an automatic back fill of our fire station on Haligus Road when the first unit responds.

They plan to increase the number of personnel at the Haligus Road station from three (3) to four (4) firefighters. Additionally, the capacity for water storage in tanker trucks that is required in areas without hydrants, such as the east side, will increase substantially.

We believe that this consolidation or sharing of services will become commonplace in the future as all units of local government seek ways in which to provide services to their constituents in the most cost effective manner possible.

New Water Tower – In May, we were able to take advantage of financing available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to refinance our wastewater treatment bonds and finance the construction of a new water tower for the west side.

This served two purposes -

• the increase in Lakewood Utilities fees that would have been passed on to existing residents on the west side as a result of the downturn in the housing market was avoided, and
• a necessary capital improvement was financed at a very low interest rate.

The new water tower was a necessary investment and was listed as a “critical need” in an independent engineering study, as our current water storage capacity is not compliant with recommended guidelines for fire flows.

Construction of the new water tower, located near Turnberry Country Club, has already begun and will serve all west side residents.

Lakewood Quilted Barn Program – Recently, you may have noticed a beautiful piece of art displayed on the side of the Village barn on Lakewood Road. This quilt was designed and painted by Heather Burton, Trustee Burton’s daughter, and is on display as part of the McHenry County’s Historical Society’s Quilted Barn Program. The Quilted Barn Program is well-publicized by the Historical Society and should bring visitors to Lakewood that may otherwise not have known about our beautiful town.

RedTail Golf Club – There have been a number of articles in the local press about RedTail Golf Club, and I want to take this opportunity to clarify its status.

Perhaps most importantly, I am confident that RedTail Golf Club will open as scheduled (as soon as the weather permits) and operate for the full season.

As with all golf courses, the sustained downturn in the economy has presented tremendous fiscal challenges.

The Red Tail Golf Course Clubhouse

While the number of rounds played at RedTail Golf Club has remained consistent at between 25,000 and 30,000 annually; the revenue per round has decreased as the price per round has been discounted to remain competitive.

The lack of a substantial clubhouse also limits the amount of revenue generated by food and beverage sales.

As with all of our operating enterprises, the elected officials and staff monitor financial trends very carefully.

RedTail Golf Club will finish this fiscal year with a small reserve, and the internal analysis was a proactive “call to action” to begin a strategic analysis about how to insure that RedTail Golf Club remains a viable entity that contributes to the overall quality of life in our community.

Pizza with the President – It’s time for my quarterly neighborhood meeting, but I do not yet have a meeting place. I would like to try to meet in a neighborhood I have not yet visited, such as Brighton Oaks or Loch Glen. I truly appreciate the opportunity to meet with neighbors in an informal environment. The meetings to date have provided a wonderful opportunity to discuss Village-wide and neighborhood-specific issues. Lou Malnati’s provides the pizza for the evening. Please contact me if you are interested in hosting an event.

I strongly encourage anyone to contact me, any of the Trustees, or the Village Manager with questions or concerns regarding any of the projects highlighted in the newsletter or that you might read about elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Erin (Smith)

Map of area being annexed to Lakewood.

Without a murmur of opposition, the Lakewood Village Board annexed 540 acres, including the proposed site for a SportsPlex.

No resident mentioned the attendant costs nor did village officials reveal them, but you can read them here.

Judge Michael Caldwell gave permission a month ago.

Lakewood attorneys Rich Flood and Michael Smoron confer during the meeting.

Tuesday night, with two attorneys present, the village board dotted its “i’s” and crossed its”t’s” during a Planning and Zoning Committee hearing and a village board meeting devoted to nothing else.

Village President Erin Smith admitted to having a script during both the Planning and Zoning Committee hearings and the village board meeting. She stuck to it, asking for public comment in each hearing.

Several soon to be new residents were present, one to ask about whether the family’s above ground swimming pool was in any trouble since they did not see a specific reference to it in the annexation agreement.

The answer was that it wasn’t, even though Lakewood does not allow above ground swimming pools. It’s OK for this family because all non-conforming uses were allowed to continue.

Another wanted to know if the home approved by the McHenry County Board could still be built.

Another “Yes.”

With over 100 items on the agenda, the village board completed what turned out to be completely routine work in about 35 minutes. The committee meeting, took about 40 minutes.

“Welcome to Lakewood,”

Trustee Carl Davis said after the annexation approvals.

Afrer the short meeting adjourned, Erin Smith explained the annexation map.

He pointed out that the staff had been working on “putting this together” for three years and that village leaders had been “looking at it for ten years.”

Davis also mentioned a letter from Chuck Turner about flooding in his area. Davis pointed out some progress had been made as a result of lining all of the Eastside sewers.

Village President Erin Smith announced that former Trustee Rick Clark had agreed to lead a task force about the flooding and deteriorating infrastructure in Country Club Additions.

She also said investigation is proceeding to find “a machine that comes by and sucks (leaves) up” from where residents have raked them to the edge of their properties. Lakewood had such a system in 1980, when all outside burning was banned by legislative action right after Earth Day.

The 540 acres that the Village of Lakewood plans to annex. (Click to enlarge.)

The Village of Lakewood asked permission to annex 540 acres running up to Dean Street Road and Route 176, where mail boxes have a Woodstock address.

This southwest intersection of Route 176 and Route 47 will be in Lakewood once annexation is completed.

They got permission to proceed from McHenry County Circuit Court Judge Michael Caldwell.

Kolze's Corner Gardens on the southeast corner of Route 176 and Dean Street Road will be the northwest corner of Lakewood once the proposed annexation is complete.

The area includes the proposed SportsPlex, plus two sales tax generating nurseries.

The 540 acres that the Village of Lakewood seeks to annex. (Click to enlarge.)

A big annexation of property is being sought by the Village of Lakewood in Circuit Court.

Of the voters living in the 540 acres, twelve favor the action; one, largest property owner Alan R. Swanson, does not.

The 540 acres will extend the village boundaries up Route 47 to the western leg of Route 176 where Kolze’s Garden Center and the Gardens of Woodstock are located.

Most of the parcels of property sought is being annexed voluntarily, including Crystal Woods Golf Course and Craig Woods.

But some property would be annexed forcibly.

Of the property being annexed, objectors own almost 269 acres—just under half the total:

• 7.26 acres – Delores M. Swanson
• 9.42 acres held in trust by Harris Bank in Woodstock
• 48.25 acres – Commonwealth Edison and
• 204 acres – Alan R. Swanson and Delores M. Swanson

The Village of Lakewood has issued the following press release:

President Erin Smith offered the following comments in response to the petition that was filed on April 6 to annex approximately five hundred and forty (540) acres of new territory into the Village of Lakewood.

“We are pleased that so many property owners have expressed an interest in annexing into the Village of Lakewood.

“The petition that has been submitted is consistent with both our long-standing boundary agreements with our neighboring communities and our Facilities Planning Area.

“Not only will this action allow us to continue our strategic, long-term planning efforts, but it will also allow us to partner with existing businesses (Crystal Woods Golf Course, Craig Woods, The Gardens of Woodstock, and Kolze’s Garden Center) to expand their efforts, as well as help to enhance the property values of the remaining property owners.”

The next step is a Public Hearing on said petition on Wednesday, May 5.

Erin Smith, President
Village of Lakewood

When I was posting about the 400th day of Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% city sales tax increase, I was fantasizing that Alexander Lumber was moving to the unincorporated Ridgefield location of the old 84 Lumber property in order to obtain a competitive advantage over Crystal Lake-based lumber yards like Menard’s and Home Depot.

That would be the result, but the reason for the relocation from its current 6.33 acre Virginia Street Road and Rakow Road location is more prosaic, even though economically based.

The firm is combining it McHenry and Crystal Lake locations, according to Alexander’s manager.

Then, I saw the Northwest Herald story about Metra’s wanting to build a Ridgefield commuter station.

It’s right next to the Alexandra Lumber site. You see it in the foreground here from Country Club Road.

Here’s a view from the tracks next to Seeger’s Grain elevators. As nearly as I can figure it, the station platform would be at the tip of the more or less pie-shaped property beyond the barbed wire fence of the Alexander Lumber Company property in the foreground.

Kevin Craver’s article says putting the commuter station on the property is contingent on its being annexed to Crystal Lake.

If that happened, there is no doubt that the city council would also annex Alexander Lumber, removing, of course, the 0.75% sales tax advantage the future unincorporated local bestows.

How would Crystal Lake annex property in the fiercely independent Ridgefield area?

Take a look at this map:

The Google map pointer is across the street from the proposed Metra station.

Crystal Lake’s city boundary is west of Route 14 just south of the northern section of Ridgefield Road. My understanding is that the property owner across Route 14 to the east, north of McHenry County College would not mind being annexed.

Somehow the city would have to annex a parcel at least 72 feet wide (remember how O’Hare Airport is annexed to Chicago by the Kennedy Expressway). Maybe it will be across the cornfield to the west of Ridgefield’s Regional Sports Center.

= = = = =
Correction noted by a reader:

” In the article you wrote ‘remember how O’Hare Airport is annexed to Chicago by the Kennedy Expressway.’ The expressway has nothing to do with how the airport property was annexed to Chicago. The connection between O’Hare and the rest of the city is about one half mile south of the expressway. There is a narrow corridor of city land along the north side of Foster Avenue sandwiched between Rosemont and Schiller Park.”
= = = = =

Looking at the map, it appears that the proposed station location will not be convenient for McHenry County College students, especially, if they had to walk a Country Club Road route to the campus. (My guess is they would just walk across the train tracks, taking the shortest route to their classrooms.)

But maybe there won’t be many of them taking the train.

Although the tracks are close to Ridgefield Road near the college’s eastern entrance, the land in that area is low and often covered with standing water.

If the college board wanted to kick in enough money, maybe the station could be built near where its Tartan Drive butts into Ridgefield Road. It could even donate part of the recently purchased 56 acres the land and ask Metra to use whatever it planned to use to buy land on Country Club Road to construct an over- or underpass to the nearby tracks.

It is worth noting that former Metra Board Chairman Jeff Ladd lives in the neighborhood and long sought a Ridgefield train station.

There’s one other observation that might be of interest. Realtor Mike Deacon’s name is on the sign at the Metra site. It’s probably just that he is a friend of McHenry County Board Chairman and former part owner of Flowerwood, whom the Northwest Herald reports is part of a trust owing the property.

Deacon was also the broker when the Crystal Lake Park District purchased Viking Dodge. Note that the Viking sign has been removed.

One of the tiniest ballot issues in Illinois concerns whether the Village of Bull Valley in McHenry County shall forcibly annex two farms totaling 200 acres.

It used to be that you needed to surround an unincorporated property to be able to force it into your municipality. Somehow that law got amended and now all you need is six contiguous properties to grab a much larger parcel.

To distribute the proceeds of a will, the Ann Kaiser Estate is trying to get 40 clustered homes on 1-acre lots surrounded by 80 acres of open space, complete with open to the public horse and hiking trails, zoned on her 120-acre family farm. The village allowed McAndrews Glen to put half-acre lots on 90 acres just down the road and around the corner from the farm. And Inland Real Estate has just been given straight 3-acre zoning.

Although surrounded by straight 3-acre zoning on the west and south (in the village itself) and across an agreed upon boundary—Ridge Road—with McHenry, where there is 1-acre zoning, the village officials are insisting on 5-acre zoning.

The village refuses to negotiate. It won’t even allow the petition to be re-considered by the village planning or zoning folks.

It just sends its lawyers to court to defend the indefensible.

The only recourse to the continuing lawsuit, which the Estate lawyer says will be taken to the Supreme Court, was to pass a petition to allow the voters to decide on the annexation in a referendum.

I passed the petition, getting about 50% more signatures than necessary.

Village officials refused to accept the petition. Attorney Bob Wagner, a former Crystal Lake mayor, had to go to court to force the village’s law firm to accept the paperwork.

were his words.

The issue is a tough sell, with the village mothers and fathers and their support group selling “Open Space.”

Politically-minded folks know that selling emotion is easier than selling logic.

Our literature featured a recommendation from the Village Engineer:

“The Engineer cannot recommend bringing into the Village an additional 1.6 miles of roadway without a source of revenue to maintain them.”

And you know the old adage that you can tell where a person spends his money what his priorities are?

Since 2001, Bull Valley has spent over $500,000 on legal fees and, according to its Licensed Professional Engineer, $47,000 was spent on repaving.

In 2006, the Village Engineer recommended spending $367,300 a year on a repaving program.

I researched monthly expenditure reports for a number of years and discovered that Bull Valley’s road maintenance program consisted of pot hole patching since 2001. Usually under $1,000 a year.

The village spends much, much more on salt each year–$15-20,000.

So you can imagine that the sign’s “B-b-bumpy road ahead” message you see on the sign stuck a nerve.

Caution!
B-b-bumpy
road ahead
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

The truth hurts.

Signs like the ones you see above (with

They were stolen and, just coincidentally, I am sure, most places white yard signs promoting “Open Spaces” showed up across the road and even right next to where the stolen sign had stood.

The three 4X4′s you see in this story were stolen, although evidence of the the theft of one at the edge of a lovely new subdivision in the neighboring City of Woodstock, posted with the owners permission, remains.

A lot of our little ones saying,

To Free up More $
for Roads!

Vote NO
on Annexation!
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

and

To Vote Less $
for Lawyers!

Vote No
on Annexation!
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

got stolen, too.

At a Country Club Road site, the Bull Valley thieves left the $3 steel-tipped, German-made plastic stakes bought at Blaine’s Farm and Fleet.

This is the first time I have utilized the internet in a campaign.

Our web site, Bull Valley – Roads or Lawyers, certainly was worth the effort.

Today, the villagers are voting, driving past signs saying,

Growth
does NOT
pay for itself
Vote NO
on annexation
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

Do I think my side will prevail?

Nope.

Emotion almost always trumps logic.

Reflecting on how much fun I have had on this referendum campaign, I’m wondering if I should change my mind on Con-con. After all, it might end proposing initiative and recall.
.
.
.
Nah.

One of the tiniest ballot issues in Illinois concerns whether the Village of Bull Valley in McHenry County shall forcibly annex two farms totaling 200 acres.

It used to be that you needed to surround an unincorporated property to be able to force it into your municipality. Somehow that law got amended and now all you need is six contiguous properties to grab a much larger parcel.

To distribute the proceeds of a will, the Ann Kaiser Estate is trying to get 40 clustered homes on 1-acre lots surrounded by 80 acres of open space, complete with open to the public horse and hiking trails, zoned on her 120-acre family farm. The village allowed McAndrews Glen to put half-acre lots on 90 acres just down the road and around the corner from the farm. And Inland Real Estate has just been given straight 3-acre zoning.

Although surrounded by straight 3-acre zoning on the west and south (in the village itself) and across an agreed upon boundary—Ridge Road—with McHenry, where there is 1-acre zoning, the village officials are insisting on 5-acre zoning.

The village refuses to negotiate. It won’t even allow the petition to be re-considered by the village planning or zoning folks.

It just sends its lawyers to court to defend the indefensible.

The only recourse to the continuing lawsuit, which the Estate lawyer says will be taken to the Supreme Court, was to pass a petition to allow the voters to decide on the annexation in a referendum.

I passed the petition, getting about 50% more signatures than necessary.

Village officials refused to accept the petition. Attorney Bob Wagner, a former Crystal Lake mayor, had to go to court to force the village’s law firm to accept the paperwork.

were his words.

The issue is a tough sell, with the village mothers and fathers and their support group selling “Open Space.”

Politically-minded folks know that selling emotion is easier than selling logic.

Our literature featured a recommendation from the Village Engineer:

“The Engineer cannot recommend bringing into the Village an additional 1.6 miles of roadway without a source of revenue to maintain them.”

And you know the old adage that you can tell where a person spends his money what his priorities are?

Since 2001, Bull Valley has spent over $500,000 on legal fees and, according to its Licensed Professional Engineer, $47,000 was spent on repaving.

In 2006, the Village Engineer recommended spending $367,300 a year on a repaving program.

I researched monthly expenditure reports for a number of years and discovered that Bull Valley’s road maintenance program consisted of pot hole patching since 2001. Usually under $1,000 a year.

The village spends much, much more on salt each year–$15-20,000.

So you can imagine that the sign’s “B-b-bumpy road ahead” message you see on the sign stuck a nerve.

Caution!
B-b-bumpy
road ahead
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

The truth hurts.

Signs like the ones you see above (with

They were stolen and, just coincidentally, I am sure, most places white yard signs promoting “Open Spaces” showed up across the road and even right next to where the stolen sign had stood.

The three 4X4′s you see in this story were stolen, although evidence of the the theft of one at the edge of a lovely new subdivision in the neighboring City of Woodstock, posted with the owners permission, remains.

A lot of our little ones saying,

To Free up More $
for Roads!

Vote NO
on Annexation!
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

and

To Vote Less $
for Lawyers!

Vote No
on Annexation!
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

got stolen, too.

At a Country Club Road site, the Bull Valley thieves left the $3 steel-tipped, German-made plastic stakes bought at Blaine’s Farm and Fleet.

This is the first time I have utilized the internet in a campaign.

Our web site, Bull Valley – Roads or Lawyers, certainly was worth the effort.

Today, the villagers are voting, driving past signs saying,

Growth
does NOT
pay for itself
Vote NO
on annexation
www.BullValley-RoadsorLawyers

Do I think my side will prevail?

Nope.

Emotion almost always trumps logic.

Reflecting on how much fun I have had on this referendum campaign, I’m wondering if I should change my mind on Con-con. After all, it might end proposing initiative and recall.
.
.
.
Nah.