HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 02/28/1989 - City CouncilSPECIAL MEETING
FEBRUARY 28, 1989 8:00 P.M.
The Special Meeting of the McHenry City Council was called to
order by Mayor Busse on February 28, 1989, at 8 P.M. at City Hall. At
roll call the following Aldermen were present: Bolger, Nolan,Teta,
Smith, McClatchey, Patterson, Serritella. Lieder arrived at 8:42 P.M.
Absent: None. Plan Commission members in attendance were Sheppard,
Uttich, Buhrman, Toole, Guiterrez, Osmon, Wilson. Absent: None. City
staff in attendance were Attorney Narusis, Clerk Gilpin, Director of
Development Greenwood. John Gann was absent due to illness.
Busse announced that the Special Meeting was for purpose of
discussing the Bull Valley Corridor and updating the Comprehensive Plan.
What he proposed to do at this meeting was to divide into two parts. The
first part would be to hear from any members of the public who wished to
make comments on the Bull Valley Road Corridor Plan. David Backhaus
indicated he would like to make a statement and Busse announced that a
letter had been received from Northern Illinois Medical Center which he
wanted to read into the record. During the second part of the meeting
discussion will take place between the Plan Commission and City Council
Members.
Busse explained the process for amending the Comprehensive Plan
because some people felt that the Comprehensive Plan could be changed at
any Special Meeting, which was not the case. Narusis explained that the
procedure for amendment for comprehensive plans is governed by State of
Illinois Statutes. A comprehensive plan amendment can be initiated by
either the City Council or the Plan Commission. In either case public
hearings must be conducted by the Plan Commission pursuant to a public
notice and a recommendation made to the City Council from the Plan
Commission. If the Council agrees to amend the Comprehensive Plan, an
ordinance must be passed to adopt the new comprehensive plan. These
meetings being held now are considered workshops and when a document is
produced from these workshops than a notice will be published in the
newspaper of a public hearing to be held before the Plan Commission.
Nothing is official until the Plan Commission submits it to the City
Council for adoption.
Busse summarized the February 13, 1989 as follows: "First item
was about the need and desire to plan for the eventual construction of
the western bypass in the City of McHenry. That would use the existing
Curran/Draper Road right-of-way as opposed to trying to establish a new
right-of-way. Second item was to plan for the eventual construction of a
southern arterial route in the general vicinity of Mason Hill Road
running in an easterly direction to Route 31. This would allow for some
deviation there due to any utility locations or location of individual
property lines, existing road alignments, things of that nature. Third
item where a consensus was reached on the location of a single dominant
retail commercial center in the vicinity of Route 31 and Bull Valley
Road. This would be an alternative to any strip commercial development
along that corridor. The fourth item is the plan for the eventual
location of automobile dealerships and specifically malls or car care
centers in the area north of Route 31 and Bull Valley Road along Route
31. The last item was the three concept plans that were presented by
Gann in his booklet."
Busse then read a letter which had been received from the
Northern Illinois Medical Center which is attached to these minutes.
A second letter was received from Irene Brachman and Fremont
Backhaus. The letter concerned some property that was annexed to the
City in 1979 and is know as the Winding Creek/Fox Ridge Subdivision.
David Backhaus addressed the Council and made the following comment: "I
am here as a spokesman for Fremont Backhaus and Irene Brachman who are
the landowners of the northwest corner of the intersection of Bull Valley
Road and Crystal Lake Road and also approximatley 170 acres on Curran
Road, all in the City of McHenry. Fremont Backhaus and Irene Drachman
formally filed an objection in writing yesterday with the City Clerk and
now verbally raise objection to the proposed rezoning or dcrnzoing of
their property as proposed in the Bull Valley Corridor development plan
being considered as a part of the new comprehensive plan �(,r the City of
McHenry's future development as prepared by Gann Associates."
Council Mtg
Spec. Mtg.
Attendance
Comprehens
Plan
Tuesday, February 28, 1989 Page 2
"Fremont Backhaus and Irene Brachman state that the property is
currently subject to an annexation agreement dated July 16, 1979 which
rezoned the property at that time and which prohibits subsequent change
in zoning for downzoning while the agreement is in force. Fremont
Backhaus and Irene Brachman asked that the City Council of the City of
McHenry acknowledge this objection and take this objection into the
City's consideration of it's proposed Bull Valley Road Corridor plan as
that plan pertains to the City's proposed revision of the City of
McHenry Comprehensive Plan, and that the City Council amend the Bull
Valley Corridor development plan to reflect the current zoning of their
property as set forth in the annexation agreement and related ordinances
adopted by the City of McHenry on July 16, 1979. Basically, that is a
re -statement of what is already in existence."
Bill Jepsen presented a map which showed the current existing
and proposed uses in the Bull Valley Road Corridor.
David Gelwicks of Essex -Costello said he felt there were many
good things in the proposed plan but objected to one thing which was
single-family residential of any kind along Bull Valley Road. He felt it
was a mistake to put single family housing between Crystal Lake Road and
Route 31. He felt that areas along the railroad tracks should be
reserved for industry that would want use of the rail. He has talked to
number of commercial users who feel the railroad is going to come back
and that having spurs along the tracks would be especially useful there.
If the Council does make it single-family, he feels there will be a lot
of people coming in to get it changed. Even though it has been said that
the Comprehensive Plan is not set in stone and people can petition to
change it, he feels that once the Council makes its decision it will not
easily make changes since so much time has been spent in preparing this
document.
Ronald Koehn said his family owns part of the land along Bull
Valley Road. He made the point that once the Bull Valley Bridge is
completed, Bull Valley Road will be heavily traveled. He didn't feel
people would want to live next to a heavily traveled roadway. He felt
that the corridor was already leaning toward industrial and business type
uses and should not be considered as single family.
General discussion was then held on the concept plan and Option
1, 2 and 3 as presented in the booklet prepared by John Gann. Discussion
on the various options were reviewed but no definite decision were made.
Each Alderman expressed his opinion on the various options and in some
cases suggested revisions. The text of Gann's book was also reviewed.
Alderman Smith left the meeting at 9:00 P.M.
Ted Johnson and Drew Patterson with the planning firm of
Thompson Dike, Inc., introduced themselves as the Hospital's planners.
They were hired to review the Bull Valley Corridor. They said they would
be back at the next meeting to present their comments on the Bull Valley
Corridor Plan.
Serritella requested that Gann submit a Bull Valley Corridor
plan at the next meeting showing existing uses on that map.
Motion by Patterson, seconded by Lieder, to recess the meeting
to Monday, March 13, 1989 at 7:30 P.M.
Voting Aye: Bolger, Nolan, Lieder, Teta,
McClatchey, Patterson, Serritella.
Voting Nay: None.
Absent: Smith.
Motion carried.
Meeting recessed at 9:45 P.M.
RSECEIVED
Northern Illinois 4201 Medical Center Drive
`24 Medical Center FEB 2 y 10 McHenry, Illinois
15 344 6�000
`` CITY OF McHENRY /
An affiliate of Northern Illinois Human Services Corpora an Route Jl and BulLVallry Goad
February 24, 1989
Mayor William Busse
1111 North Green Street
McHenry, Illinois 60050
RE: Bull Valley Development Plan
Dear Mayor Busse:
On behalf of the Medical Center I would like to request a two
week extension on the time period before the City Counsel
votes on the above.
I was made aware of the Bull Valley Development Plan on
February 14, while attending an Economic Develop Commission
meeting. Prior to that time, the Medical Center did not
have any knowledge of the pending plans development, nor the
status of completion or action the City would be taking
accordingly.
On February 20, this information was shared with the Northern
Illinois Human Service Board of Directors and subsequent to
that discussion the Medical Center has located and employed
a municipal planner, Thompson Dyke and Associates, Ltd., who
I believe the City has had some experience with in the past.
Therefore, in order for the hospital and planning consultant
to realistically analyze and develop a recommendation regarding
the Bull Valley Development Plan we would respectively ask that
this subject be deferred from any further City Counsel action.
If I can elaborate on any of the points previously mentioned,
please feel free to contact me, otherwise, we would appreciate
an extension of at least two weeks before any further action
transpires.
Sincerely,
o
`Paul E. Laudick
President
kad
cc: Barbara Gilpin
Northern Illinois Human Services Board
Jeffrey Ladd
Seredng your heaph care needs with pride. progress and aompasswm