The Huntley Farmside

              Inside Committee of the Whole agenda • Grafton hoard minutes
35 cents
Thursday, January 21,1999
The Himtley Farmside
..Ol 1000 A Press Publications newspaper/ir serving the Huntlev communitv t/-,».
Volume 38 Issue 41
Board may discuss request to build new subdivision
Steve Brosinski
Press Publications
Members of the Village Board are expected to discuss the merits of a Naperville devel¬ oper's request to build a 1,040- home subdivision on the former Rosewinkle Farm, across from Sun City.
Neumann Home Vice President Dave Johnson said he plans to meet with the Village Board's Committee of the Whole on Thursday. Earlier this month, company officials pre¬ sented to the Plan Commission a revised plan to build 183 fewer homes than when the builder was turned down for a larger project ill July.
Neumann has an option to buy 413 acres north of Main Street, between Coyne Station Road and downtown Huntley.
The builder has offered to donate a 9-acre parcel for a future municipal building and post office. Johnson said por¬ tions of 74 acres, set aside for green space and water detention, includes land that would be
"We need bigger pieces of tract so we can have more room
for people to play soccer and softball.
All I am asking is please let's slow this
down, so we don't
make the mistakes that have been
made in the past."
Charles Becker
Village trustee
deeded to the Huntley Park District for future park facilities.
Village President James Dhamer said that he favors the donation of this land.
"Part of that was done because I asked them to consid¬ er it.," Dhamer said. "They need to hold more water detention on the property."
Trustee Charles Becker, who is a Plan Commission member, said he would like to see a larg¬ er portion of the land left green for public use.
"This 413 acres is the most flattest piece of land within dozens of miles. I believe that a good percentage of that land should be community land," Becker said. "We've got to work with the Park District and the village to save this flat land. If we're going to be a village of 40,000 to 45,000 people, then we are going to have a need for more open space."
Dhamer said he agreed with Becker to a point.
"Everybody does," Dhamer sasid about the need for more open space. "But they are show¬ ing a lot of open space out there. Their first set of plans was real¬ ly bad..They;ve come back with a better one."
"I think they went out of their way to do what the village wants them to do with 10,000-square- feet lots, and they are going to give some nice features to the village."
Photos by Joyce Liput
Remember When?
Here's a reminder of liow the village gazebo loolced on New Year's Eve—just 2 days before the "Blizzard of '99."
Becker, who is also a member of the McHenry County Board's Stormwater Commission, insists that Huntley will have to have larger parks in a few years.
"We need bigger pieces of tract so we can have more room for people to play soccer and
softball. All 1 am asking is please let's slow this down, so we don't make the mistakes that have been made in the past," Becker said.
Neumann is proposing an average   lot   size   of   10,000 see Subdivision—page 2
Village trustee offers assistance to family in need
Steve Brosinski
Press Publications
A Huntley official and a local businessman combined together to extend a helping hand to a family that had fallen on hard times.
Diane Weiner, whose son and family were evicted from a sub¬ urban Chicago apartment, con¬ tacted the Huntley Farmside after Village Trustee Charles Becker went out of his way to help the family.
The 28-year-old man, his wife and three children, ages 4 through 11, stayed at Weiner's home for a few weeks before moving to temporary housing in Crystal Lake.
"Mr. Becker was almost like a father to my son," said Weiner, adding that Becker gave the family checks totaling $1,000 to help them get through the crisis.
"He gave them a $500 check and then he helped them out again at Christmas time with
"Mr. Becker was almost hke a father to my son."
Diane Weiner
Huntley resident
another check," Weiner said.
Becker said he was glad to help out, even though the money was donated through an anony-
mous source.
"I didn't give the money, per¬ sonally," Becker said. "The money was given through a large business person, a very caring gentleman who wants to remain nameless."
The family of four moved to Huntley when the father lost his job as a cook, and then were evicted from their Cicero apart¬ ment. Weiner said her son recently held a part-time job and made extra money shoveling
snow.
Weiner said she is grateful for Becker befriending her son's family in their time of need.
"Mr. Becker has just been so good to them. Ever since they lost their self confidence, he is helping them get back on their feet and encouraging them."
Becker said he is trying to find the family a vacant home in Huntley, where the family could live permanently.