First the Crystal Lake Park District objects to passage of McHenry County College’s minor league baseball stadium before the city council revises the three decade old Watershed Ordinance, which the city staff has not followed.
That’s after the Planning and Zoning Commission hear the college’s pitch and delay matters until this Wednesday.
Then there’s a secret meeting between Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley and Crystal Lake Park Board President Mike Zellman.
The same night the park board asks the city to ban wakes on Crystal Lake because the lake level is so high. This is before the maximum flooding. Here’s what Crystal Lake looked like that Tuesday.
Next, the park board sends a letter to the City of Crystal Lake asking it to delay consideration of the MCC baseball stadium until a park district consultant different from the one hired by the city to re-write the ordinance can review that consultant’s work. (That consultant, Gary Schaefer, also words for the park district on watershed matters.)
Now, look at the agenda below of the Crystal Lake City Council for Tuesday, September 4th.
Way, way down at the bottom is the following:
“26. Consideration of the Crystal Lake Storm Water Management Design Manual”
It’s right above
“25. Moratorium on new development petitions for the northwest area of the city.”
Maybe that’s because the sewer still isn’t working.
If you want to hear and/or participate in the discussion of this most important item on the agenda, be prepared to stay for a long, long time.
No wonder city management is delaying in providing me copies of the aerial photographs of the flooding in Crystal Lake mentioned at the August 21st meeting. You know, the ones that Councilman Jeff Thorsen requested copies of.
The illustration for today is from west of the intersection of Route 14 and Woodstock Street.
The pictures of the flooding on this Route 14 property, which is right north of the site being developed as the new animal control facility for McHenry County, go from the view of the “FOR SALE” to the back of the property.
I believe this is the property which city attorney John Cowlin mentioned had beaten the 20% limitation for development within Crystal Lake’s watershed.
The bottom photograph, taken Labor Day evening at Haligus Road, shows the uncompleted re-installation of the sewer line along Route 176.
Click the agenda and you should be able to read it. The pictures can be enlarged the same way.