McHenry County Blog

Traffic will be a major sticking point on Metra’s proposed Ridgefield commuter station the same was it was for the baseball stadium proposed for McHenry County College.

The Crystal Lake City Council unanimously approved Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller’s motion to reject SEC, which used to be called Smith Engineering, as the firm to provide the traffic study for the Ridgefield station which Metra wants annexed into the city.

Council members decided they would rather have one of their already authorized consultants do the study.

Metra preferred SEC because it had been contracted to do a study for a future Lily Pond Road site called East Woodstock, as well as for Ridgefield.

Questions about traffic arose from all quarters.

Carolyn Schofield: “My main concerns will be traffic and the watershed.”

Brett Hopkins: “I’m concerned about traffic”

Jeff Thorsen concurred, “You’re engineer hasn’t addressed the western development we know is going to come…I’d rather go with our pool of traffic consultants. I’m already looking at two studies that are pretty opposite.”

Thorsen also made the same pitch he made in the baseball stadium traffic discussion–that Briarwood and Route 176 be included.  He pointed out that there had been another accident there earlier in the day.

Kathy Ferguson:  “I have some concerns about traffic. You’re going to change the whole tone and tenor of that area.”

Ferguson also told of driving to the courthouse on Country Club Road for jury duty. She commented negatively on the current danger at the curve.

“The line of sight when you’re coming around those corners has to be addressed.”

During extended public comment by Craig Steagall, the owner of land Metra considered buying across the tracks from that which is half-owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler, he bent his arms to demonstrate the intersection problem in Downtown Ridgefield.

Mueller talking about traffic: “I don’t know how to make it work without moving the houses that are out there…I myself cannot support having a traffic consultant not going through the normal process.”

Mayor Aaron Shepley empathized with Metra: “It would be awfully difficult to change (horses in midstream).”

Ralph Dawson took a different approach: “What are we going to get out of it? How long will (it take for) my police cars have to be dispatched out there? Why do we want to annex it? We’re already stretched out. I have a county police department that is more than adequate to police that station.”

Metra attorney Joe Gottemoller explained that he thought Crystal Lake wanted to annex the entire watershed of Crystal Lake. The station is within that watershed.

Mayor Shepley summed up the reason for annexing the property: “With an annexation into Crystal Lake you have a greater control on what the project will look like,” adding the city would have more influence over the traffic problems.”

His conclusion: “The deal breaker here—it’s all about the traffic.”

Shepley specifically mentioned the inadequate Ridgefield railroad crossing.

Both Mueller and Steagall are candidates for a Republican nomination for the McHenry County Board, Mueller in District 2 and Steagall in District 3.

During the Crystal Lake City Council’s send off of the Crystal Lake Park District’s proposal to purchase Viking Dodge, this little thought entered my mind.  For the article about the council meeting, see

Crystal Lake City Council Lights Park District Viking Funeral Pyre

Since no purchase of property was being contemplated, I could probably obtain the appraisals of the sites being considered besides Viking Dodge.

I filed my little Freedom of Information form (literally half the size of every other governmental entity) and was provided with appraisals for the following locations:

• Oak Manufacturing (at least that’s what I’ll always call it), the old manufacturing building at the southeast corner of East Crystal Lake Avenue and Main Street
• Parts of the Immanuel Lutheran Church property between Crystal Lake Central High School and the shopping center with the Jewel grocery store
• Viking Dodge

For the life of me, I don’t know why the three locations could have not been made public from the day Viking Dodge was selected.

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Graphics by Alan Showalter, creator of One Heck of a Guy blog.

It was a “Not in My Back Yard” kind of night at Crystal Lake City Hall last night.

Not only was the Crystal Lake Park District Viking Dodge site nixed by a 6-0 vote, but a private recreational activity, miniature stock car racing run by HobbyTown, USA, did, too. (Cathy Ferguson did not attend the meeting.)

Traffic ended up being the downfall of the Crystal Lake Park District’s attempt to put offices and recreational facilities where Viking Dodge used to be.

From the beginning, when McHenry County Blog broke the story on February 12, 2009, I couldn’t see how people living down Route 14 would be able to make a left turn from Route 176 onto 14 safely.  If you click to enlarge the map above, you can seen how IDOT wants to bring Ridgefield Road into Route 14 at a “T” and how residents of Andrea and The Breakers Chinese restaurant would have a somewhat better (but not much better) shot at getting out onto Route 14.  The park district proposed making the current Viking Dodge parking lot a right in and right out only entrance and exit.

Even though the park district

• backed off from sending any traffic east through residential streets after being rejected by the city council last month, 
• sought to have most traffic enter at the eastern edge of the property on Route 176, and 
• proposed moving traffic onto Route 14 near the funeral home, 
• with eventual plans for an exit on Ridgefield Road,

its proposal did not pass muster.

Mayor Aaron Shepley took the lead in both zoning discussions.  In both, the goals of the petitioners were lauded, but the location criticized.

Noise KO’ed  HobbyTown.  The site selected was next to JA Frate.  There is a berm behind the trucking company.  There was room for one behind the proposed outdoor track as well, but the council was unwilling to take the chance that it would diminish the noise from the race cars enough to satisfy neighbors.

Cardiff Drive residents even presented a video with the buzzing noise of the cars being tested in back of what used to by Crystal Auto Body.  It’s a deep lot, but needing to get all but one vote provided impossible.  After all, the Republican precinct committeeman for the neighborhood, Ellen Brady-Mueller, sits on the city council.  The mother with two autistic sons whom she home schools certainly tugged at hearts.

Even though the park board is back to square one with the council’s “Do Not Pass Go” decision, others are talking of expanding the Crystal Lake YMCA facility with a much upgraded pool.  Whether such a facility would be totally privately financed or a combination of private-public financing remains to be seen.

This is the important part of the Crystal Lake Park Board meeting tonight.

After discussing the Crystal Lake City Council’s rejection of the park district’s proposed community center site, they came back into open session and adjourned.

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The picture is what spectators could see through the glass walls of the closed door meeting.

Joining former City Councilman Thomas Hayden on the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission is former City Councilman Dave Goss.

Goss seemed to have been left out of the “incumbent slate” during last spring’s election.

At least if sign placement is any indication.

Jeff Thorsen’s, Ralph Dawson’s and Carolyn Schofield’s signs regularly appeared together.

Goss seemed like the odd man out.

But Mayor Aaron Shepley, who had a Goss sign on his front year along with Thorsen’s and Dawson’s, has appointed him to the city Planning and Zoning Commission.

I don’t know whether he actually replaced Schofield on the commission, but that ’s what it looks like.

One thing is for sure.

Goss will do his homework. I can’t remember a time he didn’t do so when I attended council meetings.

The Cook County Board voted to cut the Cook County sales tax by 50%.

The suggestion in this article in today’s Chicago Sun-Times proved correct.

The Cook County sales tax hike took effect the same day that Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% city sales tax was imposed.

July 1, 2008.

Both tax hikes have been in effect just over a year.

No one on the Crystal Lake city council has proposed cutting back on the local version, to the best of my knowledge.

Jeff Thorsen was the only council member to vote against the tax hike.

Crystal Lake shoppers apparently don’t care.

While I’m in Woodstock tomorrow, I’ll stop in the Super Walmart and save myself some sales tax.

Two years ago a Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commissioner ousted Howie Christensen from his city council seat.

Yesterday another Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commissioner defeated incumbent Dave Goss.

When swearing in time comes, Carolyn Schofield will join her former commissioner colleague Brett Hopkins in the council chambers.

This is the second time for this engineer’s name has been on the council ballot.

She ran two years ago and placed sixth out of six candidates.

Schofield ran first, undoubtedly aided by her being first on the ballot and her being a woman.

Second place went to incumbent Jeff Thorsen, while incumbent Ralph Dawson took third.

Goss, who placed fourth, was partially responsible for his loss in that he chose to file in the middle of the week, rather than at the beginning or at the end of filing.

That resulted in a less than ideal ballot position of fifth out of eight for Goss.

He got only 55% of Dawson’s votes.

The top three candidates on the ballot won. I’ve been calling them, perhaps incorrectly, the anti-McHenry County College baseball stadium slate.

Of course, part of Goss’ loss might be attributed to his having voted for the 75% city sales tax increase. But, so did Dawson.

The other five candidates received the indicated votes:

• Kay Stanish – 647
• Mike Shorten – 474
• Sal DiBenedetto – 414
• David Bradford – 399

Now, to the losers, I would suggest you take heart. Re-read the paragraph that says the top vote getter in 2009 was the lowest vote getter two years ago.

If you are a man, you can’t change your gender and get the five percentage point advantage that I am sure exists in this area, but you could get lucky and obtain first ballot position like Schofield did.

And you could be as determined to win as she was.

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The winners appear from highest vote on down. Carolyn Schofield is on top, Jeff Thorsen second and Ralph Dawson third.

When legislators run for re-election, opponents search the record for votes they consider “bad.”

As far as I can figure out, none of the five challengers to the Crystal Lake City Council incumbents has cited any votes of the incumbent councilmen running for re-election. You see, from left to right, Councilman Ralph Dawson, Councilman Dave Goss and Councilman Jeff Thorsen.

When I wrote the Crystal Lake part of my Algonquin Township, Precinct 7 letter, I decided to include votes from the three issues I think were most significant in the last two years.

Below is what I wrote and distributed to the homes in my precinct on Saturday. About 125 are in Crystal Lake; the other 100 in Lakewood.

Let’s talk about the incumbent CL councilmen first. In the last two years, three issues have attracted the most attention—the 23-year Tax Increment Financing tax hikes, Mayor Shepley’s 75% city sales tax hike and building a baseball stadium on the lake’s watershed.

Here’s what the incumbents and a challenger who had a vote did:

Vulcan Lakes and Main Street TIF Districts, passage of which will cause every tax district to raise our tax rates to make up for the lost revenue taken for city-directed purposes:

Voting Yes – Ralph Dawson, Dave Goss and Jeff Thorsen

Hiking the city sales tax by 75%:

Voting Yes – Ralph Dawson and Dave Goss;

Voting No – Jeff Thorsen

Approving the poorly thought out McHenry County College minor league baseball stadium:

Voting Yes – Dave Goss;

Voting No – Ralph Dawson, Jeff Thorsen and Carolyn Schofield (on the CL Planning and Zoning Commission)

I then wrote some things about the challengers and made no recommendations.

I just tried to provide enough information for voters to make up their own minds.

As I was walking around my precinct (Algonquin 7) today, I noticed a couple of Crystal Lake City Council challenger Mike Shorten’s handouts.

They were in plastic bags and I took one that had not been picked up by the homeowner since he or one of his volunteers left it.

I publish it today because I like to encourage candidates to campaign in this precinct. The more people encouraging people to vote, the higher the turnout percentage.

Before I was defeated in 2000 for precinct committeeman and state representative—both by a concerted effort by the pro-abortion Personal PAC—regularly over 50% of the precinct voted. That was after 36 years of my father’s and my writing letters and contacting voters urging them to vote.

My replacement did zilch and turnout declined. No big surprise there.

In any event, here is Shorten’s literature (click to enlarge):

Last weekend I went to the Crystal Lake Expo to scope out the political/ governmental booths.

The only candidates I found were Republican township trustee candidates from Algonquin and Nunda Townships and Kay Stanish, who is running for Crystal Lake City Council.

(For those of you who don’t know much about townships, they perform three basic functions:

• assessing property,
• road maintenance in unincorporated areas and
• hand out local welfare, called General Assistance.

Crystal Lake is in four townships. The two major ones are Algonquin and Nunda. The horizontal dividing line is Crystal Lake Avenue.)
I captured some of what Stanish said at the McHenry County League of Voters candidates forum.

You can find more by clicking on the images of what she was handing out at the Expo or going to her web site.

She has an interesting endorsement from Richard Kolbusz, the Commander of the American Legion Post 482:

“I have known Kay Stanish for a number of years now and have never met a more honest, caring, loyal and enthusiastic person. Her positive attitude is contagious and her concerns for the Crystal Lake community, both for the private community and the business sector are admirable. She will bring a much needed fresh way of thinking and excitement to the city council.”

In her platform, which is contained in the image below (remember, click to enlarge the image so you can read it), she says,

“I would like to evaluate the need for the recent tax increase and return a more financially conservative point of view to the City Council,”

among other things.
Below is the information enlarged:

Why should you elect me

I feel that I am the best person for The City Council based on the fact that I will provide a unique vision. I have a vision that is cemented in the belief that Crystal Lake has not reached its potential and that a new wave of energy, determination and cognitive ability are required to get us there. This is my mission to be a part of the engine that maintains Crystal Lake and works in conjunction with its prized residents to realize our true potential. I truly believe in representative democracy and I am excited to have the opportunity to represent Crystal Lake!

What others are saying

I have had the opportunity to know Kay Stanish since 1999. She is a rare person in the sense of someone from a time in our past in which a person truly worked to embody the optimal balance of family, friends and work. Her very presence in your life provides a sense of direction, stability and calm. Mrs. Stanish definitely knows what she wants in life and what she desires to accomplish. It is indeed a blessing to be inclusive in her circle as she provisions a breath of fresh air and direct dialogue in all interactions. Any relationship with her is a partnership that evolves into a continuous growth cycle for all involved. – Tyrone Humes, Colleague

I have known Kay Stanish for a number of years now and have never met a more honest, caring, loyal and enthusiastic person. Her positive attitude is contagious and her concerns for the Crystal Lake community, both for the private community and the business sector are admirable. She will bring a much needed fresh way of thinking and excitement to the city council. — Richard Kolbusz, long time resident of Crystal Lake and Commander of the American Legion Post 482

Biography

• Married with two sons

• Graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana with Distinction. B.A. in Political Science and Latin American Studies and two minors in Economics and Spanish

• Career in International Business Development, particularly Latin America and Asia aids in understanding cultural diversity

• Bilingual in English and Spanish, an asset in working with the Spanish-speaking community

• Currently Marketing Manager with Intermatic, Inc., Spring Grove, IL

• On a personal level, enjoys sports (Volleyball, Tae Kwon Do and Bowling), volunteers as bowling coach at Crystal Bowl, and likes to read and garden.

Platform

Below are some of the issues I hope to focus on if I should be elected

• I would like to evaluate the need for the recent tax increase and return a more financially conservative view point to the City Council.

• I support the concept of developing the Vulcan Lakes. I think it is overdue and find it valuable that we can finally turn a liability into an asset.

Businesses

• I would study the reasons local businesses depart and investigate strategies to keep businesses in Crystal Lake. It’s essential to form a solid strategy that creates an atmosphere of value and opportunities for local businesses.

• I would promote “green” initiatives ensuring Crystal Lake remains a great place to live and work.