Two properties to leave Campton Hills

Campton Hills officials were tight-lipped Thursday about a decision to allow two small clusters of property owners to detach from the village.

Trustees agreed late Tuesday to let the landowners disconnect nearly 100 acres total from the municipality, but they won't say why.

The move was a complete reversal of the village's see-you-in-court approach to about a dozen other petitions to disconnect hundreds of acres.

"Perhaps they're just trying to pick their fights, and this isn't one of them," speculated attorney Mark Schuster, who represents two landowners now able to revert their properties to unincorporated Kane County. "No one has offered any further explanation why this case and the other cases are being handled the way they are."

Schuster said the decision was not based on any negotiations involving himself, and he wasn't personally notified the board was even going to consider his case.

Village attorney Bill Braithwaite would only confirm the board voted after a private session to allow the detachments of 70 acres near the southeast corner of Dittman and McDonald Roads, and 25 acres on both sides of McDonald, east of Dittman. No action was taken on a third piece -- 97 acres north of McDonald Road -- also listed on a board agenda for consideration.

Braithwaite said he was "not at liberty" to comment further, citing closed-doors privilege for matters involving litigation.

Village President Patsy Smith also wouldn't explain, saying the board is taking a "no-comment policy" with the issue "because that's what was recommended by our attorney."

In most cases, landowners trying to disconnect from Campton Hills have said they simply do not want to be part of the village, which was established after a referendum last April. Village officials are fighting nearly all the attempts in court, claiming that shrinking the village in size would cripple its tax base and hurt the potential for growth.

Schuster pointed out that the properties granted disconnection requests are much smaller than many of the others, including a 670-acre swath whose owners he is also representing. "I don't think you can compare 20 acres to 600 acres," he said.

The village's next step is signing agreements with owners of the disconnecting properties. The agreements must be approved by the village board and will be made public, Braithwaite said.