Lake in the Hills residents to be quizzed on where they shop and eat

Lake in the Hills village officials are asking residents next month where they like to shop, eat, buy groceries and purchase cars.

The goal of the focus groups is to gauge what types of services people want in their community, which will help officials recruit more retailers, restaurants and auto businesses to town, said George Hahne, village economic development coordinator.

"Instead of guessing what people want, that way you will know better," said Hahne, adding that such information gives businesses the reassurance that residents want them there.

Hahne's primary role is retail business recruitment and retention and marketing the town to developers. The Cary businessman, who owned an advertising agency for 21 years, said he has conducted more than 60 focus groups.

Residents will be asked about quality-of-life issues, such as their preferred grocery, retail, and auto dealership choices in and near the village.

"We're going to have two sessions of Lake in the Hills people and one session of people who live outside of Lake in the Hills," he said.

Officials say the village's portion of the Route 31 corridor is ripe for development and has the potential for a variety of uses, including auto/truck dealerships, general merchandise retailers, supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants, furniture stores, and drugstores.

The village recently conducted a retail market feasibility study identifying three potential sites for development along the southwest corner of Route 31 and Rakow Road.

The properties - two of 22 acres each and one of 77 acres - primarily are vacant and zoned for commercial development with good visibility for potential businesses.

Officials have been promoting the study to property owners and interested developers, and also reaching out to retailers.