McHenry County Blog

I’m no cell phone expert, but, with the defeat of the T-Mobile cellular proposal to put a tower in Ken Bird Park, a proposal that has just surfaced to put one on Crystal Lake Country Club property may be to take up the slack the company perceives.

The following email was sent to Crystal Lake Country Club members yesterday:

June 17, 2009

Fellow Members,

As some of you know, or have heard before, we have been negotiating with T-Mobile to allow a cell phone tower to be erected on Club property. I’m pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with them and I share the basic facts with you below.

It was not an easy process — they kept dragging their feet or changing terms or specifics for most of the past year. We finally got a signed agreement which covers the following basic points:

• The agreement is a 10-year lease with the right to extend for two more 10-year periods.
• T-Mobile has the option to exercise the lease for one year for $2500 and they have the right to extend the option for a second year for another $2500.
• The property being leased is a small parcel (about 4600 square feet) bounded by the maintenance shed, Barlina Rd and the fence behind the 3rd tee. The tower will be about 80` high.
• T-Mobile has the sole responsibility to obtain appropriate approval from the City of Crystal Lake for the tower and has sole responsibility for the costs and the building of the tower. CLCC has nothing to do with and no expense for these aspects.
• T-Mobile will pay rent at $1900 per month, escalating at 4% per year for the duration of the lease.
• T-Mobile will pay us reasonable attorney fees for executing the agreement.
• T-Mobile cannot sublet space on the tower without CLCC executing an agreement with the sublessor.

T-Mobile has already paid us the initial option fee and attorney fees. As noted, T-Mobile has the responsibility to get city approval. We have no responsibility in this regard and will wait to hear what happens.

I will keep you updated on further developments.

Thank you,

Chuck Ebann
President
Crystal Lake Country Club

The Crystal Lake Park District was going to get $2,000 a month. I wonder why the country club is getting less. Maybe it’s because of the 4% annual increase in the $1,900 a month rent.

There was this vibrant park board meeting where Ken Bird Park neighbors expressed their concerns.

As stated in the email, Crystal Lake City Council permission is required. I wonder if Four Colonies residents will take offense similar to that of Ken Bird Park area residents.

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The top photo was seen at the park board meeting. The bottom one is of the maintenance building from Barlina Road. I would assume the third tee is to the west.

The lawsuit of former zoning Czarina Sue Ehardt seeking reinstatement in the job from which she was dismissed by the McHenry County Board has been dismissed by Circuit Judge Maureen McIntyre.

Ehardt came to my negative attention when she and her employees raided a trailer park in the Marengo area .

The owner called to tell me a zoning department contingent had descended upon his property to search the trailers for kids.

It seems kids were not allowed; might attend school, don’t you know?

The owner told me that two grandparents were caring for a child (maybe children), the grandfather got sick and couldn’t move the trailer south in time for school.

So the kids were in school.

This was a BIG deal.

From the owner’s reaction, I’d say mercy was not a large component of the Planning and Zoning Department at the time.

He told me their jackets worn reminded him of an FBI raid. Written on the back was

Then, I started getting phone calls from people seeing cellular phone towers going up in rural areas.

I asked that the county at least notify the surrounding property owners, even if the tower could not be stopped.

I knew from personal experience in Fox River Grove that it was possible to convince at least AT&T to be reasonable about their placement, if anyone local knew anything about the proposed erection before construction began and if there were an alternative location.

How obstinate Zoning Czarina Ehardt was when I asked that surrounding property owners be notified of future cell phone tower zoning applications in unincorporated areas.

My pitch was that such a notice to Fox River Grove in the instance that I mentioned above would have probably short-circuited the original contract and saved a lot of trouble.

State Rep. Jack Franks and I set up a meeting at the government center with Ehardt and the Zoning Committee chairwoman.

Ehardt came up with the loony alternative of sending notices to each legislator representing the area where a cellular tower was planned. If they wished, then the legislators could notify surrounding residents.

Let’s see.

County government has the lists of who lives where. They’re called voter registration lists and property tax records.

But the czarina wanted legislators to do the work that county government was better equipped to do.

It’s amazing she lasted as long as she did.

As all the neighborhood folks know, there is no need to attend the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning meeting tonight to fight T-Mobile’s attempt to put a huge tower in the middle of Ken Bird Park.

At Tuesday’s Crystal Lake City Council meeting, Mayor Aaron Shepley said that his conversations with company representatives had mollified them.

And, no, that was not the word he used.

I would assume that Shepley outlined locations where towers would be more likely to be approved.

I wonder if this is what he had in mind.

As you can see from the ground under the yard sign, the fight went on for a long time.

My hope is that the people involved will not be what my government professor Aaron Wildavsky called “meteors”–shine brightly on one issue and then burn out.

As all the neighborhood folks know, there is no need to attend the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning meeting tonight to fight T-Mobile’s attempt to put a huge tower in the middle of Ken Bird Park.

At Tuesday’s Crystal Lake City Council meeting, Mayor Aaron Shepley said that his conversations with company representatives had mollified them.

And, no, that was not the word he used.

I would assume that Shepley outlined locations where towers would be more likely to be approved.

I wonder if this is what he had in mind.

As you can see from the ground under the yard sign, the fight went on for a long time.

My hope is that the people involved will not be what my government professor Aaron Wildavsky called “meteors”–shine brightly on one issue and then burn out.

This photograph is now two months out of date.

Tonight was expected to be the time for the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission to hear the aroused neighbors of Ken Bird Park express their displeasure at the Crystal Lake Park Board’s decision to sign a lease with T-Mobile to put a cellular phone tower in the middle of their part.

Here’s the notice of the public hearing, which was originally scheduled for December.

This photo was taken before the date was postponed until January 7th.

Now it’s been postponed until the first Wednesday in February.

This photograph is now two months out of date.

Tonight was expected to be the time for the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission to hear the aroused neighbors of Ken Bird Park express their displeasure at the Crystal Lake Park Board’s decision to sign a lease with T-Mobile to put a cellular phone tower in the middle of their part.

Here’s the notice of the public hearing, which was originally scheduled for December.

This photo was taken before the date was postponed until January 7th.

Now it’s been postponed until the first Wednesday in February.

Some natural questions arise once one knows the McHenry County Conservation District has a cell tower by the Prairie Path in Algonquin.

Are there more of them?

How much does the district get?

When were the deals cut with the cell phone antenna companies?

MCCD Executive Director Elizabeth Kessler provided the answers.

There is one other cellular phone tower found on MCCD property. It is in the Cary area at the Fel-Pro/RRR.

This Rawson Bridge Road property was given to the District by the Nature Conservancy. It consists of 220 acres, 75 of which contain recreational facilities, while the other 145 are dedicated as a wilderness area.

The cell tower lease came with the property. The district receives $13,392 a year.

The Algonquin cell tower company pays MCCD $22,203.72 per year. The tower is about 100 feet from the bike and hiking trail.

Some natural questions arise once one knows the McHenry County Conservation District has a cell tower by the Prairie Path in Algonquin.

Are there more of them?

How much does the district get?

When were the deals cut with the cell phone antenna companies?

MCCD Executive Director Elizabeth Kessler provided the answers.

There is one other cellular phone tower found on MCCD property. It is in the Cary area at the Fel-Pro/RRR.

This Rawson Bridge Road property was given to the District by the Nature Conservancy. It consists of 220 acres, 75 of which contain recreational facilities, while the other 145 are dedicated as a wilderness area.

The cell tower lease came with the property. The district receives $13,392 a year.

The Algonquin cell tower company pays MCCD $22,203.72 per year. The tower is about 100 feet from the bike and hiking trail.

Word on the street is the T-Mobile is retreating from its proposal to put a so-called “stealth” cellular phone tower next to the tennis courts at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Ken Birk Park.

Putting the proposal on “hold” was the phrase used.

You see, they want to investigate other options.

Where else might T-Mobile be looking?

Near the Crystal Lake Country Club’s maintenance facility near Barlina and Golf Course Roads is one location that may be under consideration.

My guess is that would require a special use permit, too, which would bring an entirely new neighborhood into the local political arena.

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Taken during the high water in August, 2007, I think I pointed the camera in the direction of the Crystal Lake Country Club’s maintenance building. If so, the tower would presumably be visible above the trees.

Word on the street is the T-Mobile is retreating from its proposal to put a so-called “stealth” cellular phone tower next to the tennis courts at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Ken Birk Park.

Putting the proposal on “hold” was the phrase used.

You see, they want to investigate other options.

Where else might T-Mobile be looking?

Near the Crystal Lake Country Club’s maintenance facility near Barlina and Golf Course Roads is one location that may be under consideration.

My guess is that would require a special use permit, too, which would bring an entirely new neighborhood into the local political arena.

= = = = =
Taken during the high water in August, 2007, I think I pointed the camera in the direction of the Crystal Lake Country Club’s maintenance building. If so, the tower would presumably be visible above the trees.