Campton Hills approves annexation of nearly 1,000 acres for 900 homes

Campton Hills trustees approved the annexation of 962 acres for the LaFox of Campton Hills housing development in two split votes in front of a large crowd last Thursday.

The project calls for Shodeen Development in Geneva to build 900 homes and set aside 440 acres as open space.

The votes came after a sometimes raucous, three-hour special meeting held at Lord of Life Church, where about 150 people packed the room.

Trustees voted 5-1, with one absent and Village President Barbara Wojnicki also voting, to approve an annexation agreement, as a supermajority was required. Trustees then voted 4-1 to approve an ordinance to annex the land.

Twenty-two people spoke during the public hearing, most against the annexation and development. Others who supported the plan included Jerome Johnson, executive director of the Garfield Farm Museum.

“This opportunity that has come before us is unbelievable, because just a year ago, we were desperate to try to stop St. Charles from annexing the same acreage to put 2,000 (homes) combined from Pulte and Del Webb right here in our backyard,” Johnson said.

That proposal, called Charles Farm, was for a 970-acre housing development with a 967-unit senior living community, 846 single-family homes, 198 townhouses and 15 acres of commercial development.

Opposition eventually killed that proposal, as St. Charles withdrew its consideration.

“That is only one of several attempts over the last 25 years to add more people to this area,” Johnson said.

He noted the current proposal “is putting forward the opportunity to preserve, through acquisition by public or private agencies, over 430 acres of land. Plus, the open space that will be required by the development … that’s where you get up to almost 59% of the land being preserved in some way, shape or form.”

The first village president and one of the people who incorporated Campton Hills in 2007, Patsy Smith, also voiced her support, saying it was “the least dense subdivision proposed in the last 20-plus years with the most designated open space.”

“All of us who moved to Campton Hills desire to be the last person who lives here,” Smith said. “But that’s just not realistic.”

Smith warned that if the village does not annex the property, the petitioners will pivot to another governmental entity — and develop anyway.

Among those in opposition were Kathleen Coulter, who said an estimated 3,200 additional residents from the 900 homes would burden the village’s police department and the Elburn and Countryside Fire Protection District.

“My taxes for that alone in 2023 were $862,” Colton said. “Last year, it went up over $300 to $1,163. There has to be more firefighters. There has to be more police. Who’s going to pay for that?”

Officials, supporters and an attorney from the Geneva Public Library District also objected to being left out of the contract entirely.

While Geneva District 304 successfully negotiated a cash agreement with Shodeen, the library was left out of consideration for an impact fee.

“We’re here tonight because we want to be treated fairly,” said Geneva Library Executive Director Christine Lazaris. “As currently proposed, this annexation will place an unfair financial burden on our library. We asked for $95 per person — approximately $300,000 … yet no impact fee was incorporated into the annexation agreement. Don’t you think the library deserves this modest amount?”

Trustee Nicolas Boatner said later that none of their residents pay property taxes to a library or park district. And if they go to libraries or park districts, they pay an out-of-district fee.

“If we shut the door on this, it will be another Pulte,” Boatner said. “They’re going to talk to Geneva; they’re going to talk to St. Charles.”

Among the objectors was Daniel Whiston, attorney for the Mill Creek Water Reclamation District, who said the district did not have the financial resources to provide water and sewer infrastructure to the proposed development.

The village is seeking to create a tax increment financing district to assist with the infrastructure costs of water, sewer, stormwater and roads.

Attorney Kenneth Shepro said the Kane County Forest Preserve District Land Acquisition Committee voted last week to purchase the open space.