McHenry County seeks input on new development regulations

McHenry County is seeking resident input on its proposed unified development ordinance that primarily consolidates and streamlines existing regulations on zoning, subdivision and signage in unincorporated areas.

For property owners and developers who want to know what they can do or not do with their land, "all those regulations will now be in one place," said Dennis Sandquist, McHenry County director of planning and development.

The UDO consolidates and amends the text of nine county ordinances and regulations, reducing them from 492 pages to 295 pages.

"We (will) have one set of definitions in all the ordinances ... one application process that's kind of customized," Sandquist said. "It's just a lot of efficiencies putting it all together in one place. A lot of our ordinances have been on the books for a while and haven't been reviewed. It was time to update them."

Public hearings before the county zoning board of appeals are set for: 6 p.m. Thursday in the McHenry Township Office conference room, 3703 N. Richmond Road, Johnsburg; 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Scot Room at McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14, Crystal Lake; and 6 p.m. Monday in the school board meeting room at Harvard Community Unit School District 50/Central Administration Center, 401 N. Division St.

Written comments can be mailed to Richard Kelly Jr., Chairman, McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals, 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, 60098, or emailed to PlanDev@co.mchenry.il.us. All written and emailed comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. April 11.

The zoning board will review all public comments at 1:30 p.m. April 23 and April 24 at the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The goal is to have the final version of the UDO adopted by the county board this fall, Sandquist said.

The ordinance is available for review at the McHenry County Department of Planning and Development Office or at co.mchenry.il.us.