Packard’s Plan to Build the Baseball Stadium Grinds Forward

Doing some filing this past weekend, I found McHenry County College President Walt Packard’s October 25, 2007 “Information Report” entitled,

“Next Steps
with Health, Wellness, Athletic Complex (HWAC)
and Land Purchase”

He offered four options, the first and third of which seems to be the one being followed.

The first option suggests proceeding with the zoning, continuing to request 50% coverage and accepting the Best Management Practices language…”with or without Gilger.”

This option—with Gilger—is expected to be accomplished at Tuesday night’s Crystal Lake City Council meeting.

The second option suggests proceeding with the HWAC without the stadium.

Certainly, there is no indication this course of action is being followed.

The third option on Packard’s list is headed,

“Proceed with HWAC and stadium (with or without Gilger)”

either in Crystal Lake or “another location.”

What I find instructive are the subheads beneath:
  1. require updated feasibility study
  2. require updated third party review
  3. review of study/third party review by Board
  4. release of both documents to public (if studies demonstrate this continues to be a worthwhile project)
  5. would allow Crystal Lake City Council to adopt revised Watershed Ordinance
The second and third points have been accomplished. Economics Research Associates have prepared a so-called third party review. That it does not include any market analysis beyond that of EquityOne’s Mark Houser will probably be considered irrelevant by the MCC board majority of George Lowe, Barbara Walters, Carol Larson and Mary Miller.

I would assume that there is an updated feasibility study by Equity One that ERA reviewed, but I haven’t examined it.

The ERA “analysis” is posted on the college web site and due to be discussed by ERA’s David Stone with the board on Tuesday, March 25th.

There is no indication that the public will be able to participate as more note takers.

And, of course, the Crystal Lake City Council has adopted the Watershed Ordinance.

So, how long after ERA makes its presentation do you think it will take to approve submitting the minor league baseball stadium to the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission?

Will that action be approved on March 27th?

If it is, it would surprise me not at all.

= = = = =
After I wrote this story, the Northwest Herald posted a story Monday with no byline which is headlined,

New: No comeback foreseen for baseball stadium

It quotes MCC Board President George Lowe thusly:

“I’m not sure where the baseball thing is going. I think it’s pretty much a dead issue.”

That quote fights a bit with my story above, doesn’t it?

The story also favorable mentions the feeble feasibilty study, a do-over, by Economics Research Associates which I wrote the first of many articles on Friday. It is entitled,

MCC’s Version of Fantasy Baseball

No mention has been made yet by the NW Herald of my discover that MCC is being secretly approached by a company about locating FM radio and TV tower(s) on its property.

The project would require a reported 38 acres, I have been told.

= = = = =
MCC President Walt Packard is seen in the top picture and the middle one. Behind Packard in the second photo is MCC Board President George Lowe. Economics Research Associates David Stone in the bottom shot.


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