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.

Upsetting the District 2 Republican apple-cart is McHenry County College Board member Donna Kurtz’ announcement that she is seeking one of two party nominations for the county board.

She is contesting the re-nomination of McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler and member Lynn Orphal.

So far, no Democrats have surfaced to provide a fall contest.

An opponent to having slot machines in bars and restaurants, the Kurtz candidacy could provide impetus for at least one District 2 county board member, Orphal, to vote to ban the machines in order to neutralize the issue or to at least support allowing citizens to offer input in a February advisory referendum.

The county board’s License and Liquor Committee is holding a public hearing next Wednesday, October 7th, starting at 6 PM to take input from the public.  Kurtz told McHenry County Blog she intends to attend.

The last time Kurtz provided public testimony at a governmental body was when the Crystal Lake City Council was considering whether or not to allow a baseball stadium at McHenry County College.  She and trustee Scott Summers testified against the plan.

For that action, their MCC Board colleagues censured them. Read the linked article and you will see that Kurtz and Summers achieved near folk hero status.

Among other issues that are almost sure to come up are the Metra purchase of 17 acres of land half-owned by County Board Chairman Koehler.

Although Metra board members argued that a Ridgefield train stop was needed near McHenry County College, the board selected the least convenient location possible.  While no one has suggested Koehler did anything wrong in agreeing to sell the land to Metra, it certainly could become an issue, considering Kurtz is on the MCC board and not happy with the location.  And, especially since no one from Metra consulted with community college personnel prior to the inconvenient-to-students site’s selection.

Issues on Kurtz’ handout include

• Make honesty & integrity the #1 priority in gov’t.
• Fight corruption, self-interest, and “roads to nowhere,” i.e., Alden Road.
• Work for real road and transportation solutions.
• Demand fiscal responsibility.
• Champion a McHenry County that remains beautify, productive, and economically vibrant.

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The head shot is of Lynn Orhpal.

Handing Donna Kurtz an American Flag and a flowers is former Crystal Lake Park Board member Leona Nelson.  This was done after her and Scott Summers’ censure by fellow McHenry County College Board members.

Look what just popped into my email inbox:

You will notice that no mention is made of McHenry County College in the FAQ’s below:

I am in receipt of your correspondence sent to the Metra Board recently in which you raise questions about Metra’s procurement of land in unincorporated McHenry County near Ridgefield. Because the questions you raised were asked by others, Metra staff has created a “Frequently Asked Question” information sheet that will likely answer them and provide you with additional information.

I hope this will answer the questions you raised.

Sincerely,

Metra Board

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING RIDGEFIELD

Q: Why is Metra buying property near Ridgefield?

A: Planning studies have shown that there will be a need to address additional commuter rail service options between Woodstock and Crystal Lake in McHenry County. Population in the area is projected to grow 73% by 2030. McHenry is one of the fastest growing counties in Illinois and Metra needs to stay ahead of this growth by being prepared to provide this population viable, commuter rail transportation opportunities.

Q: Why is Metra buying property from the McHenry County Chairman?

A: Metra has been interested in acquiring property on the north side of the tracks in this area for a number of years. McHenry County Chairman, Ken Koehler, through a trust, is a part owner of property located on the north side of the tracts that is about 3.2 miles North West of the current Crystal Lake station. Metra’s Board of Directors, comprised of 11 directors representing all six counties and the city of Chicago, are aware of this transaction and voted 9-0 in favor of this acquisition.

Q: Did Metra’s McHenry County Director vote for this project?

A: Director Jack Schaffer’s advertising company has a small billboard located on the Ridgefield property that will be removed if Metra actually closes on the real estate transaction. While Director Schaffer stated in the public session in August 2009 that he was very much in favor of the purchase and had a legal right to vote on the transaction, after consulting with Metra’s General Counsel, however, he decided to abstain from actually voting so that there would not be even an appearance of a conflict of interest.

Q: Why is Metra not building a station on the south side of the tracks near Ridgefield?

A: Metra recognizes that there are issues that need to be addressed with locating a station at this location, but Metra’s primary desire and experience has been to keep our morning commuters on the same side of the inbound tracks as much as possible, which happen to be the north tracks on this line.

If you look at the location of stations on all three Union Pacific lines operating Metra service, almost all of them are located on the north or east side. In addition, a south side location would necessitate purchasing some property on the north side to build a depot or significant waiting areas for in-bound morning commuters. Also, with a south side parking location in Ridgefield, a north side Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department access road from the existing public street to the depot site would be required.

Q: Will Metra build a station on the north side of the tracks after the purchase?

A: While it is our desire to build a station on the north side of the tracks, we are realistic. We acknowledge that there are many factors at play wherever a station is considered, including cost, traffic, safety, environmental, and many others.

Q: What will prevent Metra from purchasing the Ridgefield property?

A: There is some confusion here. Metra’s Board of Directors voted to give the Executive Director the authority to purchase the property; however, the contract has various pre-conditions before Metra actually goes forward and closes on the purchase and sale agreement. For instance, Metra requires that the City of Crystal Lake and Metra enter into an acceptable annexation agreement, an operation and maintenance agreement, and, if applicable, a recapture agreement for any direct improvements Metra installs that would benefit future developers.

Q: How can I express my concerns, opposition, or support for a Ridgefield station?

A: Contrary to what some citizens may say, Metra is not short circuiting the normal development process relating to the construction of a station. Local citizens can always express their opinion when Metra approaches the City of Crystal Lake during the annexation process.

If there are other units of government, such as McHenry County, that have jurisdiction over road access or environmental requirements, citizens can bring their concerns or comments to them as well.

This is a process that Metra has been through dozens of times over the past 25 years, and we encourage citizen participation.

Q: Why isn’t Metra building a station near my hometown instead of Ridgefield?

A: Just because Metra is purchasing land at Ridgefield it doesn’t mean that Metra is precluded from pursuing other station developments.

The selection of station sites is a dynamic process. Many different factors are considered as part of station selection, including: the proximity of the station to the communities that would be served, the proximity to residential developments (existing and future), as well as the proximity to employment and/or recreational destinations and major highways or access roads. Any environmental conditions including wetlands, floodplains, heavily wooded areas, or other sensitive locations, should be minimally or not impacted by the station development. Another significant factor that is considered when selecting station locations is the availability of property needed for station and parking facilities. From an operational perspective there are other factors too, including the amount of improvements needed to add to or upgrade the railroad tracks and any signaling.

In 2007, Metra completed an Alternatives Analysis (AA) for the Union Pacific Northwest (UP-NW) Line Upgrade project. The Locally Preferred Alternative that was selected during this process includes extending the UP-NW Line to Johnsburg, constructing new modernized coach yards in Johnsburg and Woodstock, building three new stations on the line at

• Johnsburg,
• Prairie Grove, and
• Ridgefield,

adding rolling stock and improving signaling, track infrastructure, and stations along the line.

All of these improvements will enable Metra to decrease travel times for existing customers, extend additional service to outlying areas in McHenry County, and add capacity to accommodate projected ridership growth throughout the line. Metra is currently undertaking an Environmental Assessment on the project, and is awaiting approval from the Federal Transit Administration to begin Preliminary Engineering. In addition to the UP-NW Line, Metra completed an AA on the Union Pacific West Line Upgrade in 2007, and AA’s for the STAR Line and SouthEast Service are on-going, with anticipated completion in fall 2009. These four projects comprise the Metra Connects program, and are Metra’s priority projects. Additional system expansion beyond these four projects will be contemplated once these projects have sufficiently advanced through the planning and environmental phases of project development.

Q: Was Metra pressured into buying the Ridgefield property?

A: No. While many sellers are often anxious to sell their properties, especially in the current real estate market, Metra’s determination of when and where to buy property is now, and has always been, determined by an evaluation of what is in the best interest of our regional commuter rail system. The same holds true for where a station is ultimately built. Metra is considered by many in the industry to be the premier commuter rail system in the country.

A large part of our success is our ability to work cooperatively with local communities, while always keeping in perspective the regional needs of the system.

Metra recognizes there will be some neighbors who have legitimate concerns about how improvements might affect their community, property values, and daily lives. As always, we look forward to working with constructive community leaders in maintaining a good working relationship that will benefit our commuters.

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The top map from Google shows approximately where on Country Club Road, the Ridgefield commuter parking lot will be.

Next is the 17.3 acre site with the “For Sale” sign. Alexander Lumber’s new site is in the background where 84 Lumber used to be.

Next is an aerial look at Downtown Ridgefield. It shows the narrow roads through which much of the traffic to the 757-vehicle parking lot would travel. (Can you see a Walgreen or CVS on the north side of the intersection where the antique shops now sit? A traffic critique is here.)

The site can be seen from the other side of the tracks in the photo with Seeger’s grain elevators in the foreground.

Below is the site (circled in yellow) offered on the Route 14 side of the tracks by Craig Steagall. It could have a pretty straight shot to McHenry County College. More of Steagall’s critique here and here.

Next is the 575-vehicle parking lot. Click to enlarge and you will see there is no station, but there are drainage ponds on this portion of the Crystal Lake watershed.

Below outlined in blue is the 57-acre McHenry County College Gilger property that was bought last year by McHenry County College for $67,000 per acre. (Metra is paying $81,789 an acre for 17.3 acres.) Note that MCC’s land is right across Ridgefield Road from the train tracks. If Metra were interested in best serving McHenry County College perhaps an arrangement could be worked out where MCC would provide a 737-space parking lot and Metra could use the money it would spend on the parking lot to build an elevated walkway over Ridgefield Road and the Union Pacific tracks with commuter stops and shelters on both sides of the tracks. Metra made no contact with MCC from January 5, 2009, when the site was preliminarily selected and August 14th, when the Metra board authorized its purchase. A meeting will occur now that the decision has been made.

Another view of Metra’s Ridgefield commuter site is seen next to the barb wire fence of soon-to-be Alexander Lumber.

An aerial view of the area from McHenry County College to McConnell Road on the edge of Bull Valley is show in the bottom picture from Google. The real estate on Country Club Road from Ridgefield to McConnell Road will be under extraordinary pressure for development once Crystal Lake annexes the Koehler-Gary Seigmeier Estate property next to it.

When I discovered that the Metra board had approved the purchase of a $1.5 million 17 acre piece of land on the wrong side of the tracks and/or the little early settlement of Ridgefield, I filed a Freedom of Information request with McHenry County College asking for

“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.

I emailed a Freedom of Information request to Metra yesterday, asking for

“the memo that led to the elimination of the site nearest to Lily Pond Road.”

Pretty specific, wouldn’t you say?

Here’s the reply:

“On August 18, 2009, we received a written request for access to Metra records. Metra hereby notifies you that it will need additional time to respond to your request. We anticipate providing you a response by September 8, 2009.

“The reason for this extension is as follows:

“The request for records cannot be complied with by the public body within the time limits prescribed by paragraph (c) of this Section without unduly burdening or interfereing with the operations of the public body.”

Must be a really, really busy time for Metra, if its employees can’t find such a memo.

And, if none exists, all Metra has to do is tell me it does not exist.

The following are some observations on the traffic problems brought up by Metra’s proposal to purchase 17.3 acres on Country Club Road in Ridgefield for a new stop.

As a long-time resident of Crystal Lake, I am very familiar with the streets and intersections in question.

When I visit McHenry County College, I take Ridgefield Road to Tartan Drive, and have had many occasions to drive on Country Club and Hillside Roads.

It certainly would be nice to have a Metra station in Ridgefield.

There are a lot of people living between easy access to the downtown stations in Crystal Lake and Woodstock, and, with some paved walkways and ingenuity, students from the towns along the rail line could commute to MCC. It would be a good, green complement to the bicycle path from Oak Street to the College, currently under construction.

However, I am in complete agreement with Craig Steagall that locating the station on the north side of the tracks behind the 84/Alexander property would lead to a traffic fiasco.

The problem is that none of the roads in question, with the possible exception of Ridgefield Road, is the kind of artery that can handle the bursts of traffic following the arrival of a commuter train.

In recent years, I have observed a considerable increase in traffic, presumably to and from Bull Valley and the northeast part of Woodstock, taking Ridgefield Road to the rail crossing, then continuing on Country Club.

It appears that it can be a challenge even to make a right turn, toward Crystal Lake, out of Tartan Drive, let alone a left.

Because of the traffic coming from Woodstock headed for the Ridgefield rail crossing, I also have found it difficult to make a left turn off westbound Hillside onto Country Club.

In my opinion, the installation of a traffic light at the southern intersection of Rt. 14 and Ridgefield Rd. has facilitated this pattern. This would be especially true of southbound traffic, because before the light, it was risking one’s life to turn left from Ridgefield to 14.

I can’t imagine these already-overtaxed roads being able to handle the additional load of a Metra station.

I’m not even sure that siting the station in the “yellow circle” in Mr. Steagall’s diagram or elsewhere on the south side of the tracks would work.

In that case, yes, people could use both legs of Ridgefield Rd. to get to the station.

I presume there would be a traffic light at the northern junction of 14 and Ridgefield, by the Lutheran church. This would work fine for people coming from the southeast and west.

The problem of eastern access would remain, however.

There are a lot of people from Bull Valley and McHenry who would have to take the old, skinny Bull Valley roads and cross at the awkward Ridgefield crossing. Unless there is to be a terrific amount of restructuring of the eastern Ridgefield intersections (which, as Mr. Steagall has pointed out, would require tearing buildings down), I don’t see that problem going away.

But the south-side location would be better than the north-side one.

There’s a more fundamental issue here, though.

There is no way to get directly from northwest Crystal Lake to McHenry, as I have learned over many years. One can be excused for thinking its affluent residents want it to be hard to get through Bull Valley.

You can either go all the way over to Walkup or wind your way along roads like Cherry Valley and Bull Valley Roads, all posted with whimsically varying speed limits designed to generate speeding tickets. (They haven’t nailed me yet.)

The residents are inconvenienced too, of course, but so are the many people who might like to be able to drive to and from, say, MCC, to McHenry.

So it’s more than just a problem of the Metra station. To be sure, the station would make this a lot worse.

One last point:

A couple of years ago, I watched the sad unraveling of MCC’s Health, Wellness, Athletic Complex project, the one that was supposed to be financed through a minor league baseball team.

Putting aside the merits and demerits of that project for now, I find it curious that the two issues that killed it

• traffic and
• the Crystal Lake watershed

do not seem to have entered into this current discussion in any significant way.

Did those involved learn nothing from the attempt by the College to sneak something through without real planning and public scrutiny?

With the MCC experience in mind, I would be astounded if Crystal Lake cooperates with the north-of-the-tracks Metra station, unless the fix truly is in.

I hope that this issue stirs up some public concern.

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Anyone else have thoughts they would like to share? My email is way down to the right on this page.

Other articles that might be of interest (listed in reverse order of publication):

Saturday, 8-15-9 The Ridgefield Metra Deal

Friday, 8-14-9 Metra Votes to Purchase Ridgefield Station Site

Friday, 8-14-9 Craig Steagall Unleashes Broadside Against McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Metra State Land Purchase

Friday, 8-14-9 Metra Scheduled to Approve Former Flowerwood Land for Station in Ridgefield This Morning

Thursday, 8-13-9 $1.5 Million Being Paid for Ridgefield Metra Site Half-Owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler

Thursday, 8-13-9 Metra Transparency Worse than McHenry County College’s

Wednesday, 8-12-9 Ridgefield Businessman Takes on McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Proposed Metra Station

Friday, 8-7-9 Musings on the Proposed Ridgefield Metra Station

Wednesday, 8-5-9 Alexander Lumber’s Move to Ridgefield, Proposed Metra Station Implications

There’s nothing wrong with Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver’s front page article about Metra’s board voting to purchase McHenry County Board Chairman’s property in Ridgefield.

It contains much of the same information in these McHenry County Blog articles (listed in reverse order of publication):

Friday, 8-14-9 Metra Votes to Purchase Ridgefield Station Site

Friday, 8-14-9 Craig Steagall Unleashes Broadside Against McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Metra State Land Purchase

Friday, 8-14-9 Metra Scheduled to Approve Former Flowerwood Land for Station in Ridgefield This Morning

Thursday, 8-13-9 $1.5 Million Being Paid for Ridgefield Metra Site Half-Owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler

Thursday, 8-13-9 Metra Transparency Worse than McHenry County College’s

Wednesday, 8-12-9 Ridgefield Businessman Takes on McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Proposed Metra Station

Friday, 8-7-9 Musings on the Proposed Ridgefield Metra Station

Wednesday, 8-5-9 Alexander Lumber’s Move to Ridgefield, Proposed Metra Station Implications

But the headline writer might make people think that Metra is “tentative” about the deal.

That appointed board is not.

If the City of Crystal Lake annexes the land and agrees to manage the parking lot, it’s a done deal.

There may be a real fight on the Crystal Lake Zoning and Planning Board and the Crystal Lake City Council, but that will probably be over whether the site makes sense from a regional planning perspective.

That is a very real question, in my opinion.

Is this the first step into turning Country Club Road north toward McConnell Road into a commercial and industrial strip?

Will Crystal Lake annex all of Downtown Ridgefield?

Will the city council decide that there is more sales tax revenue in a Walgreens or CVS than the antique shops on the triangular shaped land on the north side of the narrow part of Country Club Road that runs through Ridgefield?

Hey, the road has to be widened anyway,

That means the antique shops have to be demolished anyway, right?

Will the city use condemnation powers to take the land, as Cicero, Chicago and other cities have done in the name of economic development, or will a retail establishment agree to pay enough for the land that the present owners will willingly sell and, in return for appropriate zoning, “donate” sufficient right-of-way for a widened road?

Think massive development of that area isn’t being contemplated?

Then, consider this viewpoint, found in Marna Pyke’s Daily Herald article, by former Lake County Board Chairman, now a Metra board member, at Friday’s meeting:

“Metra Director Jim LaBelle, who represents Lake County, said he regretted there were no plans for housing next to the train station.

“‘It looks like a parking lot in the middle of the country,’ he said.”

As with the McHenry County College stadium fight, residents near the proposed Metra stop won’t carry much weight in City of Crystal Lake deliberations because they live outside the city limits. And considering the city’s unwillingness to annex the Crystal Lake Manor, which it complete surrounds, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for city officials to become interested in making current Ridgefield residents taxpaying citizens. (And, there wouldn’t be any advantage to the Ridgefield residents anyway, because there is no water and/or sewer required by the commuter parking lot.)

One argument those living outside of Crystal Lake might be able to develop is the same one used by stadium opponents–the covering of Crystal Lake’s watershed with a big asphalt parking lot.

757 parking spaces covered with an impermeable surface might move those interested in the health of the lake to action again.

And, since the biggest potential beneficiary is McHenry County College, a coalition might be built that contains both supporters and opponents of the college’s minor league baseball stadium.

Surely a station on the college’s (west) side of the railroad tracks would be more convenient and safer for students who might use the train to get to classes.

No one really knows how much use college students might make of such service. But planning for future growth at the college campus, which now is right across Ridgefield Road from the train tracks should receive serious consideration.

College officials I talked to knew of no contact about the suitability of the location from Metra since the parking lot site was selected January 5, 2009.

One told me she first learned of Metra’s selection “from reading the paper.”

The NW Herald article is posted as going up on its web site Tuesday, August 4th. I think it was printed on Wednesday, however.

So, a major question exists about why Metra kept it a secret from the public for seven months.

Why were there no public hearings on such a growth generator?

Why was this deal rushed through?

Why does the contract have a clause saying,

How complete absurd, unless there is more than meets the eye.

Why is Metra paying so much more than the $67,000 an acre McHenry County College paid just last year for 57 acres down the road?

MCC negotiated its contract on the Gilger property at the top of the real estate boom.

Now McHenry County is in the canyon of the market.

Metra will not win the transparency award for 2009.

The paperwork given Metra board members indicates that Crystal Lake officials were in the know earlier than the public.

No change of policy there.

Remember the college stadium time line?

No knowledge of it appeared in the NW Herald until the day after McHenry County Blog broke the story. Then, Mayor Aaron Shepley filled the paper’s front page with its praise.

There will also have to be vote of the McHenry County Board, but it’s about money spent for roads when 84 Lumber was built after approval by the county board.

Without a favorable vote, the deal, as approved by Metra’s board, will not go through.
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You see Devil’s Mound above on the left.

The canyon is in Idaho near Balanced Rock.

At the bottom is Balanced Rock. You can see a boy who has climbed up to it. This story reminds me of the apprehension that some might have that the rock might fall on them…or on us taxpayers.

By a vote of 9-0-1 with one board member out of the room, the Metra Board agreed to purchase a little over 17 acres from a trust half-owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehloer for about $1.5 million.

No meetings were held in McHenry County where the members of the public could express their opinions of the site selected prior to the vote.

McHenry County College officials with whom I have talked knew of no contact that had been made with the college by Metra officials prior to the vote.

The first chance the public has to comment on this regional planning question will be in front of the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission, because among the pre-conditions of the purchase is annexation to the city and the city’s agreeing to take charge of the facility.

McHenry County Metra Board member Jack Schaffer, whose company has a sign on the property, voted “Present.”

Calling the proposed Metra station purchase McHenry County Board Chairman “Ken Koehler’s boondoggle,” Craig Steagall took the Dave Letterman approach in a Northwest Herald ad yesterday. Steagall has property across the tracks that was under consideration by Metra for a Ridgefield Metra commuter station. The contents of an earlier ad appear here.

He says the deal is

Steagall throws out all sorts of nuggets including a company named “Lily Pond Stone L” having purchased land to the northwest which was the third site considered for $12,165 an acre. Lily Pond Road, of course, is the southern boundary of the site Woodstock zoned for a minor league baseball stadium. Both the price and the hint that the purchaser wants to mine gravel are interesting.

In addition, mention is made of the McHenry County Ethics Committee. I wonder what that is.

Here is the text,

1-It is on the wrong side of the tracks. Legal counsel says I am too wordy – this is concession to their counsel.

2-Take the time to find the right location!! Go northwest, so southwest, but go on the south side of the tracks. The City of Crystal Lake has held informational meeting touting the grand expansion of Highway 14 with a grass medium strip and expanding to 4 lanes between Crystal Lake and Woodstock. It is logical to tie a new Metra station into road infrastructure designed for the traffic volume associated with a 650 to 750 car Metra parking lot. It is not logical to buy property then study what needs to be done to make a pig’s ear work. Metra will destroy downtown Ridgefield and turn county roads into major traffic arteries that are ill-suited for handling Metra station traffic.

3-Metra, you have stated you have studied 3 locations. The third location, near Lily Pond Road recently sold for a price of $12,165 per acre. The Hana Family Ltd sold to Lily Pond Stone L, on April 9th, 2009. With land prices this low and continuing to drop, Metra’s opportunity to find a straight approach off of Highway 14 is excellent. Metra, perform more due diligence before you cave to the political pressure.

4-Save me, Craig Steagall, from this bold and reckless offer. Metra, if you are buying Ken Koehler’s property for appraised value and it is $12,165 per acre, I will purchase the property from Metra for $13,000 per acre. Metra makes $835 per acre and we save Metra, Ridgefield businesses and countless homeowners who will be negatively impacted from this illogical and dangerous (because of the roads) Ken Koehler boondoggle. The feedback I have received lumps the current situation into the typical Blagojevich style government that has made Illinois fodder on the Dave Letterman show.

5-Prudence and legal counsel dictated I omit Number 5. My apologies. However if I do run another ad, which I hope I don’t, I will share the sad saga of a developer who bought property across the street from Ken Koehler’s 84 Lumber sale. The delevoper’s property was also purchased from Ken Koehler. It is a woeful tale. Having just met with the developer who bought the adjacent property, I believe new information has come to light that calls for an investigation of the travesty committed in the construction of 84 Lumber, Country Club road construction issues and the subsequent flooding that occurs on the developer’s property.

6-Metra, this is a quagmire that will only get more legs if you purchase this property. It is tainted with Chicago-style politics and Blago stench. And the citizens of McHenry County know barnyard smells.

7-Save Metra spokesman Michael Gillis from himself. Michael Gillis stated to the Northwest Herald that road improvements would be decided by a traffic study. BUY PROPERTY AND THEN DO TRAFFIC STUDY. McDonald’s would not put a golden arch in a corn field and then perform a traffic study to determine how to get traffic to their site. Some rudimentary level of competence must be applied to a site location, oft times described as common sense. The only reason this site makes sense is that a politician wants to sell his property during an ugly economic period. If he doesn’t get it sold now, he may not be on the County Board when it will sell. Fixing the roads to make this pig’s ear work is a waste of taxpayers money and destroys much of what citizens find attractive about rural McHenry County. IT’S ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS.

8-The McHenry County Ethics Committee has not had a chance to review this land sale by the county board chairman. Give the committee a chance to weigh in before making a decision. This might require the time necessary for a committee chairperson to be appointed by the county board chairman – aka Ken Koehler and an actual ethics committee to be established by the county.

9-DEBATE – save me the potential embarrassment of mispronouncing words during a debate. I propose that we prevail upon the City of Crystal Lake for use of their auditorium and City Council chambers for the purpose of a TOWN HALL FORUM DEBATE. Ken Koehler/Craig Steagall/Metra spokesperson, moderated by Mayor Aaron Shepley. Let’s show government at its best – a rousing public debate on the pros and cons of the Metra station. Ken, fill in the blanks; METRA DEBATE – TOWN HALL MEETING
DATE______ TIME______ WHERE_______. (This debate may require renting a local school gymnasium, the outrage is building.)

10-IT’S WRONG – the Metra site selection has been compromised by a county board chairman with a litany of questionable self-serving actions during his term as county board chairman.

In very small type, the following appears below:

Thank you to all of the individuals who have shared their comments and support for putting a stop to this ill-suited Metra location. It is a sad commentary on our county government that the ads I have run highlighting this malfeasance were even necessary. The Metra site selection should have benefited from sunshine on the topic and not decided in back room political havens.

There are other elements of this story that should be aired, but I am growing weary of earning mileage points on my Northwest Herald ad purchases.

Updates will be posted on WWW.METRAQUESTIONS.COM in the future. Please type in full address and not simply Google metraquestions.

Want to post comments? Send comments to metraquestions@gmail.com.

Future Topics will include:

1. How a county official approached me years ago to build a cost effective McHenry County Animal Shelter on rural, cheap property that permitted steel construction.

2. The dismissal of Sue Ehardt as Department head for Planning and Development.

3. The discussion of why a wetland study is being undertaken by Metra and no wetland study was required for 84 Lumber.

4. More information on the road requirements for 84 Lumber and how a different standard may have been applied for expediency reasons.

5. Other Topics floating to the top of the septic tank of McHenry County politics.

6. A YouTube posting featuring a bike rider with a mini cam biking down Oak to Hillside to Country Club to the proposed Metra site. If Metra Board members have not taken the time to visit this third proposed Metra site, they can get a firsthand look at the destruction of rural roads and the danger of the rail crossing at Ridgefield and Country Club.

And finally, the Web site will soon feature an apology to Phil Pagano-Executive Director of Metra and Orest Chryniwsky, Senior Real Estate and Development Specialist Law Department. I regret they were thrown on the tracks. I believe both of these individuals are decent hard working civil servants who were working towards a land acquisition with the public’s best interest in mind. Political influences pushed them down a path that necessitated their falling in line and doing what benefited a politician rather than what was right for the Metra rider and the citizens of McHenry County. That pressure was not exerted by a singular Ken Koehler effort. Ken is powerful, but not that powerful he could swing this albatross without help.

*Note: To those readers who I have confused on the reference to Alden Road.
Explanation: The County has proposed expanding Alden Road-sometimes called Charles Road with 30 foot easements on each side of the road. The comparison I was making is if this road called for this type of expansion, then imagine what Country Club Road, Hillside, Oak Street look like after the County expands those roads with 30 foot easements. A forest of trees will be cut down, roads will be on residents front porch and the space available in downtown Ridgefield would require bulldozing of buildings to accommodate expanding the roads for proper width and easements.

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The top photo is of the gravel mining just north of Lily Pond Road.

The map from Google shows about where the train station would be located on Country Club Road.

Next there is a photo of the Route 14 Crystal Lake McHenry County Animal Control Shelter.

The picture below is of the property in question. Metra plans to buy 17.5 acres.

Other articles that might be of interest:

Alexander Lumber’s Move to Ridgefield, Proposed Metra Station Implications

Musings on the Proposed Ridgefield Metra Station

Ridgefield Businessman Takes on McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Proposed Metra Station

Metra Transparency Worse than McHenry County College’s

Metra Scheduled to Approve Former Flowerwood Land for Station in Ridgefield This Morning

After having been public in a Northwest Herald story on August 5th–a mere nine days ago–Metra’s board is scheduled to purchase 17 acres in Ridgefield for $1.5 million from a trust half-owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler today.

The preliminary concept plan, however, was completed on January 5, 2009.

No public hearings about the suitability of this major traffic generator have been or will be held by Metra, according to an aide to Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano.

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.”

There will be 757 parking spots on the Crystal Lake watershed property.

The purchase is contingent on

• funding availability
• an annexation agreement with Crystal Lake
• approval of various permits and
• Crystal Lake’s agreement to operate and maintain the facilities.

Among other conditions are that

• Crystal Lake will not require Metra to “extend the City’s water and sewer systems to the Property”
• an “authorized and executed intergovernmental recapture agreement by and among the Purchaser, the City of Crystal Lake and McHenry County which may be expended by the Purchaser for improvements which benefit other properties, whether they develop in the City of Crystal Lake or within the jurisdiction of McHenry County, which is in form and substance acceptable to Purchaser in its sole discretion”

According to the documents being considered,

“Metra board member and former State Senator Jack Schaffer informed Metra personnel that Liberty Outdoor Advertising, a company Director Schaffer has an interest in, has a small sign structure on the property through a long standing Agreement. Subsequent to any closing, however, Meta will require the sign to be removed promptly, usually within 30 days depending upon weather conditions.”

Metra wants the deal closed in 120 days, but is willing to wait longer.

The seller and buyer “represents and warrants to Purchaser that the only real estate broker utilized by the Seller and Beneficiaries is Mike Deacon in connection with the purchase and sale of the Property to whom Seller and Beneficiaries have agreed to pay a commission.” The layout seen above is contained on an earlier page.

Among the attached exhibits is a blank page for “Preliminary Concept Plan.”

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If the train station is built, it would be visible across the tracks next to the barbed wire fence. Click to enlarge the image.