McHenry County Blog

Huntley District 158 School Board President Mike Skala held a fund raiser early this week at Crystal Woods in Lakewood.

There was golf.

Cathy Tryon and Mike Skala watch Mike Tryon sink a putt.

And people on the golf course without clubs.

County Board candidates Joe Gottemoller and Mike Skala pose with incumbent Tina Hill.

Lots of posing.

Andy Zinke, a candidate for the 2014 GOP nomination for Sheriff poses with District 5 County Board member Mike Skala.

Potential future colleagues on the County Board were in attendance.

Cathy Tryon and Mike Skala chat with McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.

State Rep. Mike Tryon was in attendance.

State Rep. Mike Tryon shakes hands with Mike Skala as Chuck Ruth looks on.

State Senator Pam Althoff was present, too.

Mike Skala poses with State Senator Pam Althoff.

Photos were provided by the Mike Skala campaign.

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If you are holding or promoting a political event, fee freel to send McHenry County Blog the details and photos. The email address is on the left hand side of the blog.

Land on both sides of Swanson Road will be annexed. Swanson Road dead ends into the north leg of Route 176 and is west of Route 47. The SportsPlex will be west of Swanson Road.

Owners of a couple of hundred acres of land are asking to be annexed to the Village of Lakewood on Tuesday.

The annexation is connected with the SportsPlex, which McHenry County’s Board has allocated millions of dollars in loan authority under the Federal Stimulus Program.

The zoning meeting starts at 6 at Red Tail Golf Course’s club house.

After the public hearing, a regular board meeting will be held.

This summary of the inducements to annex was provided by Village Administrator Catherine Peterson:

• Waiver of annexation fees
• Cash payment of $5,000 per parcel
• An abatement of the municipal portion of the property tax bill for a period of five or ten years

She said that the waiver is void when the property is sold, except for the homesteads on Ballard Road.

The $5,000 per property owner payments are “to help defray legal and other expenses they might have incurred,” Peterson wrote.

“The money will be borrowed from the Impact Fee Fund and repaid with the additional sales tax revenues from the new businesses that will be brought into the community:

• Crystal Woods Golf Course
• Craig Woods Golf Course
• The Gardens of Woodstock and
• Kolze’s Garden Center

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