Tuesday Crystal Lake Park Director Kirk Reimer send a letter asking the City of Crystal Lake to

“take no action on any pending matters relative to development in the Crystal Lake Watershed until such time, as the Design Manual is finally acted upon by the Crystal Lake City Council. The Park Board believes that the approval of a plan without firm design criteria will create issues in the future, which could negatively impact the Lake and the Crystal Lake Watershed.”

If the city agrees, approval of McHenry County College’s request to cover 50% of its watershed property with a baseball stadium proposal and future unidentified buildings and parking lots would be delayed.

“…the Park Board has definite concerns over future maintenance of any detention areas on private property, how compliance with the City’s requirements will be monitored, and how maintenance will be funded,” the letter says.

Reimer said the park district was in the process of hiring engineers and wetland consultants to review the Crystal Lake Watershed Stormwater Management Design Manual.

You can read the full letter here.

Many people have observed that once the city council approves McHenry County College’s request to cover 50% of its watershed property with roofs and parking lots, any developer in the watershed can expect the same treatment.

The irony is that MCC has no plans–and expects to have none for 20-30 year–to cover 50% of its land with impermeable structures. The current college plans would cover “only” 29% of the land which it owns and plans to buy.

But approval would pave the way, so to speak, for other land owners to put in commercial developments on Crystal Lake’s watershed between Route 176 and the college.