CL Annexes Crystal Lake Rib House and Former Royal Oaks Antique Museum Site

The Crystal Lake City Council recently approved annexation agreements with property owners of the Crystal Lake Rib House and the former Royal Oaks Antique Museum.

At a city council meeting on March 19, councilmen approved an annexation agreement with the owner of land at 5116 E. Route 176. The site is home to the Crystal Lake Rib House and two adjacent vacant parcels, city documents show.

The land, located at the corner of Pingree Road, also has a billboard.

The property owner agreed to terms of the annexation as long as the existing uses were approved and permitted to remain. However, the owner did agree to have the billboard removed once its lease expires in 2019, city documents show.

In approving the annexation agreement, the city rezoned the land from Business-1 in McHenry County to Business-2 Commercial in Crystal Lake. The Crystal Lake Rib House was also granted a liquor license.

Former Royal Oaks Antique Museum Land

At the same meeting, the city council approved annexation of another parcel on the other side of town- the former Royal Oaks Antique Museum property at 7624 Route 14 (just north of Route 176 on the city's northwest side).

In 2000, the property owner requested rezoning through McHenry County. Recognizing the land, currently vacant, was in the Crystal Lake Watershed, Crystal Lake leaders moved to annex it.

The city and the owner entered into a pre-annexation agreement. In 2010, the property owner asked for an extension to the pre-annexation agreement, which was the city council granted, city documents show.

However, Crystal Lake officials recently learned that a permit for an electronic billboard was requested through the county for this property, prompting Crystal Lake officials to send a letter to the land owner reminding them of the requirement for annexation, according to city documents.

In approving the annexation of the land, city council members also approved rezoning it from commercial to Watershed Planned Unit Development. The rezoning allows uses for B-2 Businesses except for car washes, outdoor sales lot, parking lot/ commercial garage and oil service station.