Lake in the Hills village board candidates discuss development, parks

Candidates running for the Lake in the Hills village board say the village needs new development and businesses to boost revenues and protect and enhance its greatest asset - parks.

Five candidates are vying for three 4-year term seats on the board on April 2.

They are incumbents Raymond Bogdanowski and Suzette Bojarski and newcomers Jeffrey Jakubik, Diane Murphy and Alan Wilson.

A sixth candidate, Michael Schneider, told the Northwest Herald that he is dropping out of the race, though his name will appear on the ballot.

Attracting new development and businesses is key to bringing in needed tax revenue to support village programs and services, said Bojarski, product stewardship manager at Sherwin Williams Company, who was appointed to fill a board vacancy in October.

"Our challenge is to make sure that we're attracting the right types of businesses to the village ... that are going to allow us to continue the family-friendly quality of life that we all enjoy right now," she said.

Bojarski said she would welcome destination retailers such as At Home - a home décor superstore that opened last month in the long-vacant former Dominick's property at Algonquin and Randall roads - that draw regional customers to patronize other village businesses and restaurants.

Bojarski also supports having community events, such as movie nights, in the village's 32 parks to highlight their amenities, and perhaps partnering with Crystal Lake and Huntley park districts to expand residents' access to programs.

Murphy, a sales assistant at Guaranteed Rate, said filling a vacant medical building at Algonquin and Crystal Lake roads is a priority.

"It's not necessarily a dilapidated eyesore, but it would be great to get some tenants in there," she said.

Murphy said the village should continue to maintain the quality of its parks and solicit residents' input on improvements, such as new equipment based on each neighborhood's specific needs. She supports adding a 33rd park on the east side of town and reviving some park programs that were cut, such as lifeguards at the beach and dance programs.

Jakubik, a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker in Algonquin, said officials should focus on supporting existing businesses in town. "One simple thing that people can do is basically shop local when you can. Every dollar (of) sales tax we bring in is going to help the village," he said.

Jakubik said the challenge is village businesses like Costco Wholesale and Lowe's Home Improvement are losing customers to competitors Home Depot and Meijer just a little farther south along Randall Road in Algonquin.

Improving the parks and recreation programs will entice families to move into town, ultimately bringing in more sales tax revenue, he added.

Bogdanowski, a chief operations officer who has served on the board since 2001, said the village needs to address empty storefronts, such as the medical building along Algonquin and Crystal Lake roads and within strip malls in town.

"The future of Lake in the Hills, as far as sales tax dollars, is going to be Route 47," Bogdanowski said. "There is a mile and a half strip that belongs to the village that's all going to be commercial development. A lot of times these commercial companies are picking you, you're not picking them. So we have to present ourselves as a place where people want to be. We want to make sure that we have the tools and the amenities for them to strive, to help them grow their business."

Bogdanowski said parks and recreation programs should be focused on filling residents' needs based on a survey of what's popular.

Wilson, a retired engineer and a volunteer site steward of the Lake in the Hills Fen conservation area managed by the McHenry County Conservation District, didn't offer any ideas for development priorities. His campaign is focused on preserving the Fen nature preserve and the village's parks.

He supports having more nature walks and educational programs about the ecology of the region. "A lot more could be done and should be done."