Monday, October 3, 2011

Crystal Lake City Council Meets Tuesday Evening

7:30 p.m. – Crystal Lake City Council
Meeting in the Crystal Lake City Council Chambers, 100 West Woodstock Street.
A number of groups are making temporary liquor license requests for various benefits. Included are:
St. Thomas the Apostle Church seeking a Class 16 license to operate a cash bar during their Parish Social Event on October 29 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event is scheduled to take place at the Oak Street Church Community Center, 451 W. Terra Cotta Avenue.

The same type of license is being requested by the Justin Schroeder Memorial Foundation for the Seventh annual fundraiser event to fund two scholarship programs administered by the Foundation. One scholarship program is designated for a graduating senior at Crystal Lake South High School and is a four-year award totaling $10,000.

The second scholarship is available to any qualifying McHenry County student who attends Marquette University to study engineering and is a three-year award totaling $7,500.
The scholarships were established to honor the memory of Justin Schroder, son of Cathy and Kevin Schroeder. Justin was a student at South Crystal Lake South High School and Marquette University.
The Knights of Columbus Council #3880 is seeking a liquor license to sell beer and wine at their Parish Family Pasta Dinner scheduled to take place October 15 from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the St. Thomas the Apostle Church Oak Street Church Community Center, 451 West Terra Cotta Avenue.

A carnival license is being requested by the Lakeside Legacy Foundation for the annual Carnival taking place on the grounds of the Dole Mansion from October 14 to October 16. Windy City Amusements will be hosting two carnival rides during this festival, a Ferris wheel and some type of merry-go-round for kids.

The Council will consider a Manufacturer Building Improvement and Equipment Grant Agreement with Gary Thomas and Jill Petrykowski who are seeking a $10,000 grant through a Manufacturer Building Improvement and Equipment Program offered by the City.

The two individuals represent two different businesses that will be utilizing the building at 450 Congress Parkway which they intend to improve for manufacturing use. AptarGroup specializes in dispensing products, including beauty and home, food and beverage and pharmaceutical products. The company would bring seven full-time jobs to their Crystal Lake location and expand to 10 by 2012. They are seeking $10,000 in matching grant funds. The eligible improvement is for fire suppression system upgrades as required by City Code and Aptar’s insurance company.

John and Geri Whetham, 125 S. Williams Street are seeking approval of the Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation for a Special Use Permit and variation for a garage at 125 S. Williams Street.

The Mobil Station at 451 Virginia Street is seeking a Special Use Permit Amendment to reface an existing sign with an electronic pricing sign and to allow an illuminated canopy fascia for the gas station located here. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the request.

Robin and Ada Ahmed, 935 Hawthorne Drive desire to locate an above-ground pool in the corner side setback of their yard. It would be as close as 15 feet from the property line along Colony Drive. They also desire to place a six-foot high fence in the corner side yard along Colony Drive. The fence would be 12 feet from the property line instead of the required 30 feet.

The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of this request 7-1. As a result, a super-majority vote of the City Council is required to overturn the Commission’s recommended denial.

Fire Station #3-844 Virginia Road --  is to be remodeled. A consultant, Larson & Darby Group is being recommended for Council approval for architectural, engineering and project management services. The project was put out for bids with Larson & Darby Group submitting the lowest, responsive and responsible proposal.  The station was built in the 1970s and is an active fire rescue station.

Water Treatment Plant #2 Roof Retrofit—The Council is being requested to accept the $23,879 bid from G. E. Riddiford Company for the work. The existing roof was installed in two sections with the second section installed about 15 years after the first section. The older section of the roof has been leaking and needs to be replaced, while the newer section is still in good condition, for at least another 10 years.

Fall Sidewalk Rehabilitation—This consists of replacing the concrete and brick paver sidewalk areas on the south side of Brink Street from Grant Street to the parking lot entrance; and the northeast corner of Woodstock Street and Grant Street. The contractor will also be installing tree grates and bicycle racks in that area. The recommended lowest bidder was Landmark Construction, Inc. of Huntley for a bid of $39,250.20.

Fireworks for Independence Day—It appears that Independence Day fireworks may be Sunday, July 1, 2012. The same company that has provided fireworks this past year, Pyrotechnico, is being recommended to handle the presentation for next year. This was based on the many positive feedback remarks from the public regarding the display of this year. It has been agreed that the best time for the display would be Sunday, July 1, 2012. By not conducting the display on July 4, the City is able to save $4,000.

Also planning ahead, considering remarks from various groups involved, it was decided that the Independence Day display for 2013 would be scheduled for Sunday, July 14.

Pingree Road Improvements – The City Council is to consider an agreement for Metra’s Participation for the Pingree Road Segment 2 of improvements.

This project is the financial responsibility of both Metra and the City. Metra paid for the Phase II engineering. Minor design changes were necessary to reduce the number of lanes crossing the railroad tracks. This saved the City approximately $1.3 million; Metra is holding back $29,500 for the redesign work.

Metra is also donating the right-of-way and easements necessary for the construction of the project. Metra and the City agreed to this dedication beforehand.

Metra will fund 88 percent of the construction of the intersection improvements and 84 percent of the traffic signal improvements. Any improvements identified beyond this are to be responsibility of the City. The City has obtained $1.5 million in federal funds to offset the majority of the City’s financial responsibility. The City will use MFT funds for its local share.

We can expect to see Pingree Road widened to add dual left turn lanes, to match the existing four-lane section south of Congress Parkway and taper to a two-lane section at the railroad tracks. Also included are plans for a permanent traffic signal installation and a pedestrian crossing improvement across the Union Pacific Railroad at the north end of the project.

The improvement is scheduled for a November 18 IDOT letting.

Speed Limit Change For Pingree Road—On the other Pingree Road, the portion between US Route 14 and Rakow Road, a speed study was conducted. The current speed limit along Pingree Road is:
Rakow Road to Pointe Drive North Intersection – 55 mph
Ponte Drive North Intersection to US Route 14 – 35 mph (posted but no ordinance)
Following the study, it was determined that the 55 mph should be 40 mph and the 35 mph was considered appropriate and has received IDOT approval of the Phase I Engineering. 

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