Residents seek to preserve peace near Elburn road

Check Jan Jorstad's smartphone, and you'll find many, many recordings of life along Pouley Road near Elburn.

She's captured the sounds of grackles as they take flight, as well as katydids and frogs — even a tree falling. She knows about the badgers that live nearby and marvels at the sandhill cranes that visit.

“This is a very special place here,” she said of the roughly 1-mile stretch between Keslinger and Hughes roads.

Last week, a two-decade fight to preserve the peace on Pouley took a step forward when the Kane County Historic Preservation Commission recommended that segment be designated a Rustic Road. If the county board approves, Pouley would be the fourth Rustic Road in the county.

The county's community development and transportation departments oversee the program. It was established in 2000, and is the only such program in the state. Corridor management plans cover what can be done in the public rights of way along the road, and also can include parts of adjacent properties, The plans regulate access points, construction of buildings, removal or planting of trees, speed limits and more.

Pouley is a two-lane gravel road, with trees forming arch-like canopies overhead. There are two Kane County landmarks along it: The Pouley Estate and Blackberry Creek Farm. The owners of the farm believe that gangster Al Capone may have produced and stored illegal liquor in the basement of its barn, according to Julia Thavong, the county's preservation planner.

The road also boasts a great view of Johnson's Mound, the largest kame in Kane County, and of the Blackberry Creek watershed.

Process not easy

Jorstad co-founded the Pouley Road Preservation Society in the mid-1990s. Pouley residents applied to the Rustic Roads Program in 2006. The commission determined it met the county's criteria and directed staff members to come up with the management plan by working with land owners, the Blackberry Township highway commissioner, the Kane County Forest Preserve District and Elburn officials.

“It took a little time to get the village interested and completely on board with us,” Thavong said.

The Blackberry Creek subdivision is just west of the Pouley Road properties.

“It got so layered and so darn complicated,” Jorstad said.

“We've lived it a long time; it will be nice to see it happen,” Commissioner Tim Vetang of Geneva said.

The county's transportation and development committees will review the recommendation in October, and the county board could vote on it in November.

The effort to keep the area from being turned into more houses was helped in 2005 by the sale of the 170-acre Compton Farm to the forest preserve district. It has the support of the county board member who represents the area, Drew Frasz, who lives on Brundige Road, which is also a Rustic Road. Frasz recalled working with the late owner of Compton Farm, David Compton.

“Mr. Compton was into sustainability and those kinds of things before anybody ever used those terms,” Frasz said.

Not there yet

Jorstad is afraid something could still muck up the plan — namely, that terms reached almost 15 years ago by the previous owners of the Blackberry Creek subdivision, regarding preserving Pouley Road, have been forgotten; the original developers went out of business, a bank took over the remaining land, and there now are several new owners.

The commission last week agreed to research whether Elburn ever disconnected a 25-foot-wide strip of land on the west side, as was called for in the annexation agreement for Blackberry Creek.

According to the agreement, the subdivision would not have any access to Pouley Road, which neighbors think is key.

Jorstad also has battled with ComEd over trimming of the trees, and is livid over ATV riders that trespass and people hunting illegally in the forest preserve.

“We're trying to educate people and work with people to save the little bit we've got left,” Jorstad said. “Save some beauty before it's gone.”

Rustic Roads

If the Kane County Board approves, Pouley Road would become the county's fourth Rustic Road. The program started in July 2000.

• Residents of Thurnau Road were the first to apply for the designation. The Rutland Township road is near the intersection of Routes 47, 20 and 72.

• Brundige Road, from Route 38 to Keslinger Road in Blackberry Township, was next.

• The third is KeDeKa Road near Sugar Grove.

In 2002, the county suggested other roads it thinks might qualify. Property owners on those roads have not applied for the designation. They are:

• Dietrich Road in Hampshire Township

• McDonald and Crawford roads in Plato Township

• Beith and Garfield roads in Campton Township

• Seavey Road in Blackberry Township

• Nelson Lake Road in Batavia Township

• Scott and Jeter roads in Big Rock Township

• Prairie Street in Sugar Grove Township

SOURCE: Kane County