During a hearing before the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals, a neighbor made a public statement about a big new home supposedly being used as a bed and breakfast at 5809 E. Hillside Road.
The house is owned by Jaqueline and Micheal Nakamura.
They are petitioning for a conditional use permit to operate a bed and breakfast. The property is currently zoning A-1 Agriculture.
There are five bedrooms being rented out for a minimum of $750 a night with a two-night requirement.
A salt water pool, whirlpool and access to Sterns Woods hiking trails are advertised.
The web site is called
Haiku House – Zen Haven Prairie Home – Reunion, Retreat, Wellness Weekend
After the neighbor, a Vietnam Veteran, finished his complaint about the noise from patrons next door, he sat down and the next person began to talk.
Then the neighbor fell on the floor, apparently not breathing.
Former County Board Nick Chirikos, who was there observing ZBA proceedings, gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until the paramedics from the Woodstock Fire and Rescue Department arrived.
Poor man.
I hope he gets better.
The house is listed as a vacation rental on numerous rental websites.
The entire house is rented for $750/night- individual rooms aren’t offered, and if you want breakfast, you make it yourself in the kitchen of the house you rented.
It isn’t a bed & breakfast.
If anyone wants to read an accurate description of the hearing, the Herald has an article.
The couple was applying for a permit to operate as a bed & breakfast.
Good to hear that the City of Crystal Lake opposes a bed and breakfast in unincorporated Crystal Lake.
Who needs small businesses that offer high end lodging alernatives?
Strikingly ironic that the very people who are so stridently opposing it enjoy staying at bed& breakfasts, if I am to believe their Facebook posts.
I was there and saw the whole thing happen.
The man had just finished reading from a prepared statement, mentioning that he was a Vietnam vet.
He read the statement in a very loud voice and was very passionate about it.
Then he sat down.
While the next neighbor was testifying, I saw something out of the corner of my eye and looked around just in time to see him hit the floor with a sickening thud.
He did not appear to be breathing or moving.
Nick Chirikos was there and started to administer CPR and the man’s hands started to twitch and he seemed to resume breathing briefly.
It took about 15 minutes for the Woodstock Fire and Rescue to arrive.
We do not apparently have any EMT’s stationed in any of the county buildings although the Woodstock fire station is a very short distance away.
Two county employees did arrive with CPR kits but I don’t think they used them.
He did not look good as he was being wheeled out.
His face and head were cyanotic (purple) and he was not moving.
I hope he made it.
My heart goes out to his family.
The tyrannical goings on at the Taj Mahal, a/k/a (Mis)Government Ctr., is enough to send any normal person into seizures and apoplectic fits.
I pray the fellow recovers!
Its unfortunate this man was there to begin with.
Like many, he was riled up with the neighborhood mobbleader with falsehoods and lies.
He is not in good shape as verbalized by his wife at the hearing.
He should not have been there and shame on the one who coaxed them with their personal agenda and mis directed cause.
Also now due to one persons lack if anger management many Mchenry County vrbo operators will no doubt be shutdown and experience loss of incomes.
Another noble pursuit that will drive the ever increasing flight from the county even higher.
I understand that the man who collapsed lived next to the bed and breakfast and was tired of it.