McHenry County delays vote on horse racing rules
The McHenry County Board will continue its review next week on a host of new regulations, including restrictions on horse racing, storage of boats and recreational vehicles, and adult businesses in unincorporated areas.
After months of haggling, board members have proposed more than 60 amendments to the "unified development" ordinance that consolidates and streamlines existing regulations on zoning, subdivision and signage. The nearly 300-page ordinance took more than three years to draft.
The county board's planning and development committee will discuss the proposed rule changes Sept. 18. A special meeting is scheduled Sept. 23 for the entire county board to review each amendment, committee Chairman Joe Gottemoller said.
Among the more controversial issues addressed by the proposed rules is whether agritourism should be allowed to expand and what type of uses should be allowed in an agricultural district.
With the proposed regulations, horse racing would be allowed only as a conditional use in certain industrial zoning districts.
Several board members have suggested amending the proposed ordinance to allow horse racing in agricultural districts as either a temporary or conditional use. If defeated, it would essentially shut down two family-owned and operated racing operations in Union and Marengo, said Nick Chirikos, a member of the planning and development committee who has been trying to garner support for allowing existing horse racing businesses to keep running events.
"Neither family has the resources to relocate their entire operation to an industrial district," he said. "We have at least a half a dozen members or more that would not want to see these folks suffer as a result of passing an ordinance against it."
Horse racing had been banned in McHenry County for a year after neighbors of those venues complained about noise and traffic from the events.
Races were allowed again last year. Under the county's current zoning ordinance, horse racing is allowed as a temporary outdoor entertainment event in a number of zoning districts, including agricultural land.
Races attract a large number of Hispanic spectators, and many Hispanic businesses run the events, typically held on farms.
"We really need to consider the cultural aspects of this particular type of racing, and we can work out the matters of noise and the other complaints that a few of these neighbors have without having to deprive these folks of their activity," Chirikos said.
Proposed restrictions on parking boats, trailers and other recreational vehicles, and where adult businesses can locate also have been controversial.
Officials are considering making it even tougher for adult businesses to locate within the county, but cannot ban such uses entirely, Gottemoller said.
Such businesses are allowed only in industrial districts.
"There are none in the county today. We'd like to keep it that way," Gottemoller said. "The U.S. Supreme Court says you cannot simply prohibit adult uses. People have a right to adult uses whether we like it or not."
The Sept. 23 special meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the County Board Conference Room, 667 Ware Road, Administration Building, Woodstock.