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Apartment proposal hits setback Cary officials: Pedcor must file variance request for lot coverage to proceed with project By ALLISON GOODRICH agoodrich@shawmedia.com CARY – After a contentious consideration process, a post-approval issue has surfaced for the Pedcor apartment project, village officials said Tuesday. The village recently learned of some troubling calculations regarding intended lot coverage for the affordable, 60-unit Garden Place Apartments. The
project was brought to the village by Pedcor Investments and approved in June 2015 despite public opposition that continued after the board’s OK. Village Administrator Chris Clark gave an update on the situation during Tuesday’s board meeting, from which Trustees Kim Covelli and Jeffery Kraus were absent. The issue is the current site plan includes more lot coverage than what is allowed per the village code, and
Pedcor will have to go through certain procedural steps in order to proceed, Clark said. “There was an issue raised, it’s been identified ... and we’ve told them [Tuesday] in writing what the process would have to be,” Clark said. “Essentially, [they would have to] file for a variance and, as is normal procedure for a variance, get approval from the Zoning, Planning and Appeals Board, then the Village Board.”
In a letter from Community Development Director Brian Simmons to a Pedcor-contracted engineer, Simmons wrote the current site plan includes 108,885 square feet of lot coverage, which is 54.8 percent of the 4.56-acre parcel. The code requirement is a maximum 45 percent lot coverage, he added. Clark said the calculation from the engineer came Monday at the request of the village. He added the inquiry for
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the information was made by Trustee Jim Cosler after discussions with residents. Before being elected in April, Cosler was involved in efforts against the apartment project last summer. Clark said with the received calculation came a proposal to ameliorate the issue from Pedcor representatives, which has since been reviewed by village staff.
See PEDCOR, page A6
Ill. Senate OKs plan for social services $4.8B would be used to fund programs By SARA BURNETT The Associated Press
Photos by Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
Huntley police officer Megan Racila (left), Chief John Perkins and Sgt. Amy Williams head back to the dugout during a softball game against the Huntley Fire Department at Tuesday’s annual National Night Out event at Eakin Field in Huntley. The nationwide event provides an opportunity for the community and local law enforcement to come together to promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. See more photos in a gallery at NWHerald.com.
Local communities participate in nationwide campaign “I think we are a little bit more competitive in nature, so this was nice to go out and play a genuine softball game. It was outstanding getting the participation that we got on both sides.”
By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com HUNTLEY – Police officer Megan Racila cringed a little every time she hit the ball. The sprints around the bases at Sun City’s Eakin Field for the community’s National Night Out event were a lot different than the distance runs Racila was used to. The game, a showdown between the Huntley Police Department and the Huntley Fire Protection District, was a close one with the police department ending the first inning trailing the fire department before ultimately taking home the game ball as its trophy at the end of the afternoon. “It ended up 7-6. You can’t beat that,” said Fred Dryden, a Sun City resident and the volunteer who oversaw the game. It was Dryden’s idea to change up the softball game, making it a competition between the two departments instead of a combined fire and police team against the Del Webb community’s neighborhood watch volunteers. The number of volunteers from the departments more than doubled,
Megan Racila Huntley police officer this year. “We’ll kid each other for a while, but once the bell goes off tomorrow, we’ll all go back to doing our jobs.” The game was a part of National Night Out, a nationwide campaign Huntley Fire Chief Ken Caudle watches his team bat during a softball game against to build police-community partnerthe Huntley Police Department at Tuesday’s annual National Night Out event at Eakin ships and neighborhood solidarity in Field in Huntley. an effort to combat crime. The day getting enough players from each de- softball game,” Racila said. “It was also featured 400 free hot dogs that partment to round out a team, Dryden outstanding getting the participation disappeared in about 45 minutes, the 18-piece Sun City band playing trasaid, adding he hadn’t expected that. that we got on both sides.” “I think we are a little bit more “We have a great working rela- ditional big band standards and the competitive in nature, so this was tionship,” said Huntley Fire Chief nice to go out and play a genuine Ken Caudle, who played third base See NIGHT OUT, page A6
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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers approved a plan Tuesday to direct almost $5 billion in federal funds to social service agencies after one advocate described the state’s long-running budget problems as a “death march” for the organizations and the people they serve. The $4.8 billion would be used to fund programs that provide nutrition to women and children, help low-income residents pay their utility bills and offer cancer screenings to people who cannot afford them, among others. Mike Schrimpf, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Bruce Rauner, said the Republican supports the plan, which the Senate approved unanimously. It now moves to the House. The federal dollars – mostly “passthrough” money that doesn’t require matching state funds – have been caught up in the budget impasse between Rauner and Democrats Bruce Rauner who run the Legislature. The governor vetoed most of the budget Democrats sent to his desk for the fiscal year that began July 1, noting it was almost $4 billion short of revenue. Because lawmakers haven’t approved spending the funds, social service agencies that rely on the money have had to cut services or tap cash reserves. Some, already struggling after years of state funding cuts, have closed their doors. Agency representatives said their organizations and clients have been some of the hardest hit by the budget stalemate. Because of court orders and state law, state workers still are being paid, pension payments are being made and even Illinois’ two state fairs are slated to be held this month as scheduled. “Perhaps it’s time to change our state motto from ‘Land of Lincoln’ to ‘We don’t care,’ ” said Al Riddley, a board member Illinois Partners for Human Service, which represents more than 800 human service agencies statewide. He said the agencies were in a “death march,” struggling to survive.
See PLAN, page A6
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