Virgil development newsVirgil development newsDaily Herald
November 16, 2005
By Mark Foster
Daily Herald Correspondent
Virgil residents took a close look Tuesday at a comprehensive land-use plan under which the village would grow from the current 300 residents to about 5,700 by 2020.
Proponents believe the plan will capitalize on the community's rural atmosphere, while others see it as a blueprint for transforming Virgil into just another suburb.
Nearly 100 residents gathered in the gymnasium of Ss. Peter and Paul Community Parish to see a presentation on the plan and ask questions.
"The plan is really a guide for what you want to see your future village look like," said Paul Bednar, an Elgin planning consultant and landscape architect who has been working with the village on the land plan.
Bednar sought to persuade the residents, many seemingly skeptical, that a mix of housing on small lots surrounding a walkable, compact town center would serve to preserve open space throughout the village.
Moreover, this type of design minimizes the length of streets and utility lines, meaning maintenance costs would be lower than those of sprawling subdivisions on large lots.
Some residents were not sold on the idea.
"I don't like the (housing) density," Julius Hansen said. "I think the lots should be large. We don't want a dense population."
Hansen has mixed emotions about the proposal.
"I think it's a sound comprehensive plan, but we should delay it as long as possible. I like Virgil the way it is."
Others believe development is inevitable, and the plan represents a tool for controlling growth.
"I think it is a positive for the village to grab a hold of its destiny," said Peter Orum, owner of Midwest Groundcovers, a plant nursery on the edge of the village. "If you can't stop development, it's better to get a handle on it before some developer does."
Centered at the convergence of Route 64, Meredith Road and the Great Western Trail in western Kane County, Virgil has changed little since its incorporation in 1992. The village board commissioned a task force to develop the land plan.
"I think it shows that they worked hard at preserving the historic central part of town," Teri DeBates said. "I look forward to seeing neighborhoods and not a lot of strip malls."
Keys to the plan include two large park sites, zones for agri-business and manufacturing on the west side of the village, a mixed-use town center and traditional neighborhoods that have easy connections to the rest of the community.
"It's too large, it's too aggressive and it's too much too fast," said Roxanne Stover, leader of the group Preserve Virgil. "As soon as the new residents outnumber the old residents, they will have the power to pass referendums to increase taxes for the services they want," Stover said.
The village will take written comments from residents for 14 days, leading up to a plan commission meeting Nov. 29 during which the proposal will be discussed, said village board member Colette Petit, who led the task force that drafted the plan. Eventually, the commission is expected to make a recommendation to the village board.
Aside from a proposal for a large development by B&B Enterprises, six or eight other developers have expressed interest in Virgil, village President Mark Marion said.
Marion told the developers the village was not interested in entertaining development proposals while working on its comprehensive plan.
"I'm sure they will be back," he said.