Campton Hills annexation talks can go forward

Campton Hills is allowed to discuss an annexation deal at a special meeting today, even though it threatens to unravel a property owner's attempt to detach his farmland from the village, a Kane County judge ruled Friday.

At a hearing via teleconference, Judge Michael Colwell said Campton Hills can consider a request from Arthur Gustafson, owner of Algus Real Estate in DeKalb, to have his property annexed into the village.

Gustafson filed his petition Wednesday and Campton Hills announced the meeting Thursday on its Web site. The meeting is set for 11 a.m. today at village hall, 40W115 Campton Crossings Drive.

Gustafson's land is next to 77 acres of farmland owned by Leland Strom, one of several residents waging a contentious legal fight to have their property removed from Campton Hills' boundaries.

Strom, through his lawyer, filed court papers Friday seeking to prohibit the village from discussing Gustafson's annexation proposal, calling it a ploy to derail his own bid to disconnect from Campton Hills.

"The Village should not be allowed to play such games," attorney Tim Elliot wrote in a five-page motion.

Officials are allowed to discuss the annexation plan, in part because Gustafson filed the petition and the matter can be appealed later, Colwell ruled.

The village and Gustafson's attorneys argued against the emergency move to halt the annexation hearing, saying in part the deal has been in the works since fall.

If Gustafson's parcel is annexed, Strom's disconnection bid is compromised because his land no longer would sit on the edge of the village.

Campton Hills, which was incorporated less than a year ago, is fighting about a dozen disconnection attempts and argues it needs the lands to maintain revenue for services.

Colwell is set to hear arguments on Strom's disconnection request Feb. 13.