Hotel news welcome in Fox Lake, but ...

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This is in response to a recent article about a hotel coming to Fox Lake. For over a decade, elected officials and citizens have actively pursued a hotel developer that will work as a partner to geta good quality hotel in Fox Lake.

Many questions remain to be answered after the mayor's announcement of a "letter of intent," from a real estate company looking for property for a "banquet hall, two restaurants and a kitchen." While the concept drawing shows land allocation for a hotel, this is about a 12,000-square-foot banquet facility on the lakefront currently being used as the Lakefront Park. Even if a hotel were part of this project as the concept drawing shows, it is irresponsible to state a start by April of 2013

Illinois statutes require public hearings, listings and postings in order to lease taxpayer-owned property. The park property that almost every organization in Fox Lake utilizes was purchased from developer impact fees for the sole purpose of being a park — not for private enterprise.

How do you resolve this promise of already dedicated funds from developers to the residents?

Currently if my hot water heater should break on a Thursday, I wouldn't be able to get a permit to replace it for five days. Yes, Tuesday when the part time inspector comes in to review and issue a permit. How do you ever think this sketch can advance to the shovel stage in 90 days?

There isn't an elected official past or present that wouldn't welcome a quality hotel project in town, but let's not prostitute the town or its resources in order to fill a campaign dream in the last four months of the mayor's term that has the potential to again leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

Samantha Weeks

Fox Lake