McHenry County Works on New Rules for Property Owners

McHenry County’s vision, as described in the 2030 plan is to steer future development near municipalities and areas where development has already occurred, thereby preserving the rural character of the undeveloped areas of the county.

The county defined that goal last April when the 2030 Comprehensive Plan was adopted. Now, the county is working to create rules and regulations into a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that will help implement that vision, said Dennis Sandquist, McHenry County director of planning.

McHenry County held its first public workshop on the UDO, April 6, at the county’s administrative offices in Woodstock.

“The UDO is an update and consolidation of the major land use regulations in unincorporated areas of the county,” said Sandquist. The main areas the ordinance will address are zoning, subdivisions and signs.

“The UDO is bringing together all the different land use regulations the county has in place that tell you what you can do with your property,” said Arista Strungys, project manager of Camiros. Ltd., the consulting firm hired to prepare the UDO.

The project began in December and is expected to take 22 months. It is as the very beginning stage and the public will have more opportunities for public comment throughout the process.

As the comprehensive plan is true its name – comprehensive – and provides a detailed vision of the county’s future, the ordinance will also be comprehensive.

McHenry County is also diverse and the ordinance will need to address the varied uses of the land. It will consider how to preserve the natural resources, and how to protect agri-business and the horse culture.

Strungys said the ordinance will consider where agri-tourism and agri-business should be permitted.

“We’ll look at how to handle the crowds, noise, and parking so as to be a good neighbor,” she said.

The ordinance will also address how to encourage alternate modes of transportation, such as bicycle and pedestrian.

Comments from the audience after the second session of the workshop included a resident of unincorporated Crystal Lake who was in favor of more interconnected bike paths and trails. He noted that he’s never seen a trail that doesn’t get used.

 Debra Kuehmle Bleeker of unincorporated Cary expressed a concern about preserving the waterfront cottage communities.

One resident expressed a concern that his right to store items, such as boats, on his property might be taken away.

Sandquist said the UDO will address property maintenance. He said regulations will have to strike a balance between the property owner who wants to use his property for storage and the neighbor who doesn’t like it.

Gene Rosner pointed out that the problems in unincorporated areas in populated parts of McHenry County are quite different from those in rural McHenry.

Strungys said the ordinance will reflect the 2030 plan of sustainable growth.

“There will be a range of zoning districts for agriculture, estate or tighter lots. The regulations will address the different ranges in the county,” she said.

David Lague, a farmer in Marengo Township, was concerned about the rights of farmers.

“Agriculture is not as romantic as people think. It is often noisy, odiferous and operates sometimes 24 hours a day,” said Lague.

Tina Hill, chair of the McHenry County planning, told the attendees from western McHenry County, that their county board representatives are watching out for their interests

“Your representatives from District 6 are passionate about your issues and they represent you very well,” Hill said.

The UDO workshop was presented twice on Wednesday, with a larger crowd attending for the first session, including many from the McHenry County equestrian community.

Attendees were encouraged to stay involved throughout the process and contact Sandquist and Strungys with concerns. They were also encouraged to keep up with the UDO’s progress by visiting the UDO website.