The Huntley Farmside

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Thursday, July 9,1998
The Himtley Faonside
inno A Press Publications newspaper /ir serving the Huntlev connmunitv xr^i
Volume 37 Issue 65
Del Webb breaks ground
Groundbreaking ceremony for Sun City signals official beginning of historic project
Steve Brosinski
Press Publications
The long-awaited ground¬ breaking for the construction of the first 600 homes at Del Webb's Sun City was under way June 30.
Village President James Dhamer attended the ceremony and tried his hand at driving a tractor.
"I think it was great. It's a great company to work with," Dhamer said.
State Sen. Dick Klemm, State Rep. Mike Brown and McHenry County Board Chairman Diane Klemm were some of the other officials who attended Del Webb's historic first northem climate residential community.
Days before the ceremony, construction crews already began pouring concrete founda¬ tions for the model homes along Del Webb Boulevard. This fall, work will begin on the 87,000- square-foot recreation/sales center.
Of the nearly 4,700 homes slated to be built in the 1,800- acre subdivision north of the Illinois tollway, 1,200 homes will be within Kane County and the remainder in McHenry County. All of Sun City will be annexed to the village of Huntley.
The widening of Route 47 and the construction of a sewage treatment plant off of Main Street are two infrastructure projects Del Webb started months ago.
"Basically, all the mass grat¬ ing has been completed, founda¬ tion work and concrete is poured for the floor slabs," said Vice     President     of     Land
"I think it was
great. It's a great
company to work
with."
James Dhamer
Village President
Development Bob Eck about progress on the treatment plant.
Eck said the plant should be in operation on April 1, 1999.
"And that is no April Fools joke," he said.
Designed to conform with Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency standards, the plant's initial capacity will be for 650,000 gallons per day, Eck said. The plant is approved to handle a maximum of 2.5 million gallons.
Eck said the company is building a facility that will be equipped to treat 1.3 million gallons of waste, large enough so future subdivisions can tap into.
Road crews are continuing work on the widening of Route 47 from Del Webb Boulevard, across from Oak Creek Parkway, to Freeman Road, north of the tollway. The com¬ pleted roadway will have three southbound lanes and two northbound lanes. Eck said the Prime Group has asked the Illinois Department of Transportation for permission to build an additional northbound lane on Route 47..
Del Webb is footing the bill for these projects, and Eck said the company would not release
see Groundbreaking—page 2
Photos by Pat Kolle
Village President James Dhamer (above) and Del Webb General Manager Dave Schreiner try their hands on tractors during the ground¬ breaking ceremonies for Del Webb's Sun City on June 30. The first homes are expected to be delivered in late spring.
Officials study intersection upgrades
Steve Brosinski
Press Publications
As more housing developers decide to build in town, Huntley officials are requesting state and county authori¬ ties to speed up funding for needed road improve¬ ments to alleviate con¬ gestion.
The Illinois Department of Transportation was asked to expedite work on the Main Street and Route 47 intersection, a project that is already part of the state's five- year road plan.
"It's in the plan and we are trying to move it up," Village President James Dhamer said.
There may be alter¬ ations to two other inter¬ sections to handle increased traffic on the west side of town. Officials asked the state funding for the construc¬ tion of T-intersections at Hemmer Road and Main Street, and Harmony and Marengo roads.
Meanwhile, the vil¬ lage is also studying the possibility of extending Ruth Road to Kraetzer Road someday as part of a revised comprehensive plan.
Tricia Clancy-Hopp, a member of the Huntley Chamber of Commerce, said these projects are
see Upgrades—page 2""