Metra's Rick Mack and local attorney Joe Gottemoller appear before the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission.

The Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission gave preliminary approval to Metra’s proposed Ridgefield Train Station, but conditioned it on making multi-million dollar road improvements recommended by city engineering firm Patrick Engineering.

Patrick Engineering's Ryan Westrom and Chris DeRosia presented their traffic study.

The improvements, most overdue, according to Patrick engineers Ryan Westrom and Chris DeRosia, would include signals at Country Club and Hillside Road, plus Market and Ridgefield Road next to the Union Pacific railroad tracks. In addition, suggested improvements at McConnell Road and Country Club were requested. Finally, the motion asked that Metra make whatever improvements would be necessary for commuters to be able to get out of the parking lot on the 9,360 vehicle per day Country Club Road.

“If improvements are made, they will accommodate the traffic we projected,” Westrom told the commissioners.

Patrick Engineering predicts those using the Ridgefield Metra Station will live within the yellow outline.

The engineering firm, starting from scratch, projected that about 36% of the station’s commuters would come down Country Club Road from the north, 41% down Hillside Road and 22% from north of the site across the tracks through Downtown Ridgefield. Do the math and you see that 77% is predicted to come from the same side of the tracks where the 17.5 acre station will be located.

Click to enlarge and you may be able to see the road improvements that Patrick Engineering thinks are needed to move traffic in the area of the proposed Ridgefield Metra Commuter Station. While the bypass of Downtown Ridgefield was discussed, that option was not recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commissioners

Members expressed frustration that none of the roads were under city jurisdiction. The engineering report said current traffic volumes merited signals on both ends of Market Street in Downtown Ridgefield.  And, one at Tartan Drive and Ridgefield Road by 2015.

Consensus was expressed that commissioners wanted to protect Ridgefield residents and business owners, although none are located within Crystal Lake city limits.

Dave Goss and Don Bastastini confer during the meeting.

Motions to change the zoning from Estate Residential to Semi-Public and Public Use passed 5-0, as did a motion to approve how Metra proposed to meet the city’s Watershed Ordinance.

A motion from former City Councilman Dave Goss to approve a Preliminary Planned Unit Development, contingent on staff recommendations and road improvements suggested by Patrick Engineering passed 3-2.

Metra’s presentation suggested that property values around train stations generally increased with the prediction being that farmland north of the station site on Country Club Road would “have development pressure…(with) higher density development, higher land values.”

Goss voted against his own motion, based on his belief that the commuter station would lower property values in Ridgefield. He was joined by Commission Chairman Jeff Greenman.

Commissioners Don Batastini, Vince Esposito, Alan Skluzacek voted in the affirmative, although Esposito had said earlier, “I don’t think a train station that size needs to be out there.”

When the issue reaches city council on April 6th, a three-fifths approval vote will be needed, according to Metra’s local attorney Joe Gottemoller.

Earlier, Gottemoller had argued that the new traffic generated by Metra “is very small.” He noted that none of the improvements recommended by the traffic consulting firm, for example improving Market Street, were on McHenry County’s Five-Year Plan.

During the public comment period Chris Conway from Hillside road worried about increased garbage on the road and its taking more than the ten minutes it now takes her to get out of her driveway.

“We kind of feel there’s some insider trading going on on this property,” speaking for herself and neighbors.

The property is half owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.

Also speaking was Craig Steagall, land owner across the tracks from Koehler’s land.

Craig Steagall asks questions while Metra's Rick Mack (on the right) and attorney Joe Gottemoller look on.

He questioned the traffic experts traffic projections. Earlier he had hired his own traffic consultant and presented results to the city council.

“How did 84 Lumber get in there without making those improvements?” he asked.

Steagall also asked how the decades-old agriculture zoning for the former Flowerwood nursery property got changed to industrial through “a zoning map correction.” (Later Planning and Economic Development Director Michelle Rentzsch confirmed that what Stegall said was correct.)

“There’s been an allegation I’m on my high horse because of a sour land deal,” he continued, telling of how Metra approached him to buy 12 acres and how Alexandra Lumber was considering purchasing 20 acres prior to purchasing 84 Lumber’s abandoned yard. Steagall then pointed out that under the discussions he had had with Metra to buy land south of the tracks, he and his partner would have had to put in $500,000 to a million for infrastructure improvements, a cost burden he considered unreasonable.

Steagall compared Metra’s planned station to

• “Health Care—Start over,”
• “the Bridge to Nowhere” and
• “the Cornhusker Kickback.”

Speaking also of the Lily Pond Road station, which will be built on donated land, Stegall concluded,

“It’s Metra stations for all our friends.”

Another man asked if people, especially McHenry County College students and employees would have walking and biking access.

“Would it be good service to the college.”

No one from McHenry College offered public comment.

“What prevented Metra from putting the station on the south side of the tracks,” another person asked.

In rebuttal, a factoid came out that was interesting.

Over 60% of the people using the Pingree Road Station are from Lake in the Hills.

Replying to Steagall, Gottemoller said, “Sour grapes. That’s a political item that we don’t have anything to do with.”

Metra's Rick Mack addresses commissioners while attorney Joe Gottemoller observes.

Rick Mack, representing Metra, explained that 15 trains would come down the track each morning and that the Lily Pond Road Station (called East Woodstock) was put on the south side of the tracks so most cars using it wouldn’t have to cross the tracks.

He explained that capacity throughout McHenry County was being expanded, pointing to all the empty land between Woodstock and Harvard.

“This is an entire upgrade, not just to address today,” Mack continued. Earlier, it had been pointed out that train storage would be moved from Crystal Lake to north of Woodstock, that there was no room to store additional trains in Crystal Lake.

“All of these improvements are interconnected.”

Traffic concerns were widespread among the commissioners.

Greenman said,

Jeff Greenman

“We’re going to trust the county to do what it needs to do and trust the state to do what it needs to do.

“There are so many interdependencies, so many ‘what if’s’

“It’s a huge risk.”

At the end of the meeting, Goss thanked the city council “for standing up for the traffic study.”

Metra had asked to use its own traffic consultant, but that was rejected by the council in favor of one on the city’s approved list.

I disagreed with the NW Herald editorial writers’ willingness to allow those who are not paid, e.g., planning and zoning commissioners, to get away without revealing their local property ownerships. Clearly, there could be potential conflicts of interest.

The editorial also did not mention including employees and consultants.

These categories of people who financially benefit from county government should be included in any enhanced ethics ordinance, in my opinion.

Thinking things ethical brought to mind another real estate matter that needs sunshine.

Imagine for a moment that a local municipal official went into the real estate business. In the town where he/she is an elected official.

Imagine further that another local tax district decides to buy some property, but before that other tax district will buy it, it suggests it might be a good idea to designate the elected municipal official as the seller’s real estate agent.

Understand the land selection has already been determined; the tax district is just trying to make sure the elected municipal official gets a commission.

Had I heard of this at the time it happened, I would have been on the phone with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

It is that wrong.

Ridgefield Metra Station site with sign indicating real estate company with the listing.

This year, I noticed that Metra has figured out a way to protect themselves from similar charges.

It’s pretty simple really.

In the contract to buy land, for instance, the new Ridgefield commuter station, there is a section which says who will get the commission.

I believe that is a good example for local tax districts to follow.

McHenry County Board Map

Most attention was given to the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water’s conflict of interest questionnaire.  It is now under consideration by the county board. It has not been voted upon.

Nevertheless, most candidates on the ballot for county board have voluntarily completed it and sent it to ALAW for posting on its web site.

A couple of candidates own significant land in McHenry County and their filings make interesting reading.

One, Victor Narusis, proposes putting his real estate, except for his home “in a blind trust to be managed by an independent third party.”

I consider that a sincere attempt to deal with a problem that other land owners on the current board might follow. He would still know where the land he owned was located when he put  it in the trust, though, so it seems to me he shouldn’t vote on zoning matters concerning it. There may, of course, be other avenues for county board members to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, which I think is what the public expects.

Below are the candidates on the county primary ballot who have NOT voluntarily filled out the ALAW ethics form. Incumbents running for re-election are seen in bold face type.

McHenry County Sheriff

Sheriff Keith Nygren (R)

District 1 County Board Candidates

• Anna May Miller (R)
• Robert Nowak (R)

District 2 County Board Candidates

• McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler (R)

District 3 County Board Candidates

• None (all filed)

District 4 County Board Candidates

• Pete Merkel (R)

District 5 County Board Candidates

• Dave Frederick (R)
  Jim Kennedy (D)

District 6 County Board Candidates

• Dan Ryan (R)

Again, those named above did not volunteer to fill out ALAW’s conflict of interest form.

One, Ken Koehler, seems to tacitly admit his land ownership is an election issue by buying a half-page ad in the Northwest Herald on Sunday.

Ad McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler put in the Northwest Herald two days before the election. Koehler is the only candidate in District 2 to refuse to fill out the ALAW conflict of interest questionnaire. All of his female opponents did so.

There is, of course, significant question as to whether Metra has selected the correct side of the tracks for the Ridgefield station, although I have never suggested that Koehler used his position to influence Metra’s decision.

The raising of eyebrows about the purchase stimulated Metra to issue this information.

Craig Steagal is not running against Koehler in District 2, however.  Steagall lives north of the Crystal Lake Avenue township boundary line in District 3.

So far, one candidate in District 2 and three candidates in District 3, one candidate in District 5 and two candidates in District 6 have filled out the forms with ALAW, the consideration of which was sent to the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office for review last month when it was first considered at the committee level.

Here’s is Stegall’s press release:

STEAGALL ENDORSES MCHENRY COUNTY DISCLOSURE ORDINANCE
Completes Transparency Questionnaire, Challenges Other County Candidates and Officials to do the Same

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — Craig Steagall, candidate for McHenry County Board in District 3, today endorsed the enactment of the proposed Economic Interest and Conflict of Interest Disclosure ordinance put forth by the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water (ALAW).

Steagall also completed ALAW’s Disclosure of Economic Interest questionnaire, which can be found online by clicking here.

“I have decided that the lack of trust in the motives of our elected government officials is a severe impediment to the compact between those in power and their constituents,” said Steagall.  “I endorse this disclosure ordinance, I have completed ALAW’s disclosure questionnaire, and I challenge all candidates and elected officials in McHenry County to do the same.

A lifelong resident of McHenry County, Craig Steagall is running for McHenry County Board in District 3.  The owner of Crystal Lake-based Woolf Distributing, Craig is a proud husband, father and grandfather.  He resides in Crystal Lake with his wife, Cathy, and will bring integrity, independence and sound financial management skills to the McHenry County Board.

Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano and Joseph Gottemoller, attorney for Metra, appear before the Crystal Lake City Council seeking permission to proceed with annexation of the land for a Ridgefield commuter station.

Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano returned to his home town city council for a second time seeking permission to proceed with plans seeking approval for a new commuter train station in Ridgefield next to the old 84 and new Alexandra Lumber location.

The proposal debated by city council members basically said that if Metra met all the requirements set by the city council that it could gain annexation to the city.

Mayor Aaron Shepley framed the debate like this:

“The question is solely whether council wishes to assume control of development of this project.”

At the end of the debate, the council voted 5-2 to assume control. Jeff Thorsen and Ralph Dawson voted “No.”

Jeff Thorsen registered his complaint about what he saw as the one-sided nature of the agreement.

Thorsen thought the agreement too one-sided.

“The agreement does not even require they ever annex,” he said. “At the end of the day, we can’t say ‘No.’ You can say ‘No.’”

He worried that if money is needed to enforce Crystal Lake’s Watershed Ordinance that Metra would not have to pay its fair share.

Shepley wondered if Thorsen wanted county government to be the approving governmental entity, as it was for 84 Lumber, which property covers more of the watershed than would be allowed had it been annexed to Crystal Lake.

“If the county wants to be irresponsible about developing it, then it’s not on my shoulders,” Thorsen replied.

Later Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller pointed out that the proposed 2030 Plan for county land development does not recognize Crystal Lake’s Watershed Ordinance.

Ralph Dawson views a Ridgefield Metra Station in Crystal Lake as a way to stretch city police forces too thin.

Ralph Dawson worried about extending city police protection still farther, pointing out that the Pingree Road Station had had vandalism problems, which Crystal Lake Police had to handle.

“It’s a far stretch from the city limits,” Dawson said. “I cannot support the City of Crystal Lake annexing the station. I don’t think the city should be obligated to go that far out to give it service.”

Trying to pour water on the fire, Pagano affirmed, “Metra intends to work with the city on the watershed…and traffic.”

Still Dawson concluded,

“I don’t see my taxpayers to benefit on this project.”

Brady Mueller asked,

“Are we out there already?”

Police Chief David Lindner pointed out that his force already served nearby McHenry County College and

“If there is a request from the Sheriff and we’re closer, we go out there.”

Ellen Brady Mueller argued for city control of the Crystal Lake watershed on which the proposed Metra station would be located.

Brady Mueller wanted to know,

“Why in the world would we want to give up a piece of property in the watershed?”

“We want to have the control.”

Cathy Ferguson agreed:

“I want control. I have enormous traffic concerns.”

Both relative newcomers Brett Hopkins and Carolyn Schofield concurred.

“I’d absolutely like to see it under control of the city, rather than the county,” Schofield said.

Summing up, Shepley said,

"If we say, 'No', we're counting on somebody else to do our job," Mayor Aaron Shepley said.

“We have fought like wolverines to control what goes on in the watershed. It’s not just our right; it’s our obligation.

“There is no done deal. Mr. Hopkins said it. The only question is who should we be dealing with.

“The downside for them is if they don’t meet our standards, they still have to go to the county.

“As far as police enforcement goes, Mr. Dawson, I think that is a fair concern. If it should go to the county we’ll still be the first responders.

“The difference is that the benefits will not fall to the Crystal Lake side of the ledger.

“If we say ,’No,’ we’re counting on somebody else to do our job.”

Dawson suggested the county was “in a new era. They’re talking about water, at least they’re making waves in an election year.”

“If the county is good, we’re better,” Shepley stated. “We owe it to the people to protect their interest.”

Much has been said of Metra’s plans to buy land in Ridgefield for a new commuter train station. A parcel already is under contract, subject to contingencies. The City of Crystal Lake is weighing annexation and other matters.

There is, however, a much better location for the station: about three blocks to the south and east, at the intersection of Tartan Drive and Ridgefield Road. It’s the easterly entrance to McHenry County College.

Why is it better?

Because the public already owns fifty-seven acres of vacant land there!

Two years ago, MCC “land banked” this acreage in order to assure plenty of room for future growth.

So if the public owns considerable property in the vicinity already – why spend in excess of a million dollars for more?

Especially for land that’s roughly three blocks farther away from what’s likely to be the largest generator of passengers for the station — McHenry County College!

Let’s be clear:

MCC’s land is not contiguous to the train.

Ridgefield Road lies between the MCC entrance and the tracks. Land for the station proper needs to be purchased.

But parking? Place the requisite commuter parking on the presently unused MCC property. The College can lease (rather than sell) the land to the City of Crystal Lake, which would in turn manage the lots. In the event the land is required for campus expansion some decades hence, a lease would permit easy reversion to MCC.

By leasing out MCC’s vacant property, the Metra land acquisition funds can be freed up instead for station and traffic improvements, including a bike and walking trail covering the three or so blocks from the station site up to the campus proper.

Traffic issues – very difficult in Ridgefield, to be sure – would be mitigated through lot entrances and vehicle flows concentrated along Tartan Drive.

Let’s sketch out some of the other benefits of a train station at Ridgefield.

Access – or, more correctly, lack thereof – has been a chronic problem at the College ever since the facility was sited on Route 14 almost forty years ago.

Public transit options are severely limited: the Crystal Lake train station is almost four miles away, and PACE bus service is sporadic.

In other words – unless you can drive to MCC, you’re basically out of luck.

And given the ever-worsening countywide traffic congestion, and suboptimal roads, and winter and nighttime driving hazards, and gas prices, and climate change, well – driving is not exactly ideal in any event.

A public transportation option for the College grows more compelling every day.

A train stop three blocks away (as opposed to six blocks, under the present plan) would of course benefit the students and faculty and staff directly.

But it would benefit all of the county as well.

It would ease automobile traffic.

It would open up attendance opportunities at the College.

It would make the campus a county – indeed, a regional – focus for concerts and other cultural events.

There’s more.

A Ridgefield station would drive economic development in the vicinity.

The stretch of Route 14 between Crystal Lake and Woodstock already is slated for business and retail uses.

A commuter train station in the vicinity would be a boon to businesses, workers, retailers, and shoppers alike.

So let’s marry two of our very best public resources – Metra and MCC. And let’s use vacant public land for the purpose!

We all know that McHenry County is a great place to live. Let’s make it better.

“Take a train to college!” Our good fortune in this respect would be the envy of communities throughout the country.

This magnificent opportunity is ours for the taking. Let’s seize it!

= = = = =

Scott Summers was a trustee at McHenry County College between 2005 and 2009. Summers is also the Green Party candidate for State Treasurer.

I went to the Crystal Lake city web site this morning to see what was on the agenda Tuesday night.

As you can see below, the agenda was unavailable.

This is so, so like McHenry County College in times past.

Wait until the last minute to put up the agenda.

But, it is really worse, because MCC posts not only the agenda, but the board packet. That way people can take a look and see if there is anything interesting.

Crystal Lake has a newly-designed web site about which the council members waxed enthusiastically.

Perhaps because they get a hard copy of the council packet, none of the council folks seem to have noticed that the public could be better served by the new web site.  The board packet could be posted, as not only MCC has proven, but so have School District 158 and 300.

In any event, after Crystal Lake Kiwanis last Wednesday noon at Colonial Cafe, I ran into Mary Ann and Jack Schaffer. Mary Ann had to go, but Jack had time to talk.

After I finished what I wanted to talk about, he wanted to talk about the Ridgefield station.

He didn’t give me the early “party line” that the station had to be on the east side of the tracks so morning commuters wouldn’t get killed so that’s why the property half-owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler had to be selected.  (Schaffer was appointed to the Metra Board by Koehler.  He did not vote to purchase the land.)

He told me that a map with dots of current commuters addresses in the area had been shown at Metra’s presentation to the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission. He said the same presentation would be made to the city council on Tuesday.

The map was so interesting I filed a Freedom of Information request after I got home for the slides.

Thursday morning I got a reply to my request saying they needed to take another two weeks to send the data because ot the undue burden of the request.

I rolled my eyes when I read that and called Jack. He got the slides to me the next day…except for the map showing where current Metra commuters live in Bull Valley and north of Hillside Road.

The statistics below were included, but they consisted only of percentages. No numbers.

So, I’ll be off to city council to see if the map I think might be relevant to the decision shows up there.

I just checked back on the Crystal Lake city web site. The agenda for the November 3rd city council meeting is still not posted as I post this article.

But the agenda for the November 4th Planning and Zoning Commission is available for the public to view.

Maybe the city council agenda is posted on the front door of city hall the way it used to be when the station was on Main Street and the councilin second floor chambers.

Let me lay out chronologically what I found:

• March 31, 2009 – a soil borings report from Geo Services, Inc., a graphic of which you see above.
• April 15, 2009 – a geotechnical investigation report from Geo Services, Inc.
• April 21, 2009 – an engineer’s drainage report from SEC Group, Inc., of McHenry (which I assume is the new name of Smith Engineering)

• April 23, 2009 – Concept Plan IIA, Preliminary Grading
• June 10, 2009 – legal description of the property
• July 1, 2009 – memo from Darren Olsen, City Water Resources Section Head, and Scott Griffin, Water Resources Engineer, to Eric Morinmoto, Assistant City Engineer, and Steve Carruthers, Civil Engineer. (All are professional engineers.)

August 5th was the date us mere mortals found out about the plan.

That’s when McHenry County College found about it as well, even though during the Metra Board discussion MCC’s lack of a station was noted in the context that it was the only community college without a train station.

The July 1st report, if I read it correctly, indicates there are drainage problems with the parcel.

“…It appears that portions of the entrance drive and southern parking lot areas do not access first flush treatment prior to discharging to the wetland treatment basins…The treatment train methodology in the Crystal Lake Watershed Design Manual should be followed…

“…The proposed infiltration method utilizes dry wells and stone infiltration trenches.  This in not in accordance with the Crystal Lake Watershed Design Manual.  The infiltration method should be revised to include an infiltration basin that maximizes water quality and does not rely on dry wells. An infiltration basin with native vegetation and an engineered soil media will meet this requirement…

“There are offsite areas that are planned to be routed through the onsight BMPs.  The onsite BMPs need to be upsized in accordance with the Crystal Lake Design Manual…”

No follow-up information has been received from Metra.

“any communications or records…between Metra and the College concerning the Ridgefield train stop since January 1,2009.”

Perhaps you will not be surprised at the answer:

“With regard to your request, the College asserts that it is not in possession of any document responsive to your request.”

I’m not surprised.

Are you?

As reported last week, Metra officials are going to meeting with college officials.

That’s appropriate since in the discussion at the Metra board, it was pointed out that MCC is the only community college not served by Metra service.

What is still a surprise is that Metra made no attempt to communicate with MCC between January 5, 2009, when the preliminary concept plan, seen above, was completed.

The purchase document states,

although former McHenry County College President Walt Packard told the MCC Board on the night it paid $67,000 per acre for 57 acres across the road from the railroad tracks that

“the property was perfectly sited to take advantage of a future Ridgefield Metra station maybe 20 years away.”

So many questions.

So few answers.