McHenry County Seeks Residents' Input on Zoning, Development Rules

McHenry County will hold a public workshop, April 6, to discuss the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), which will regulate all aspects of future development in unincorporated areas of the county.

The UDO will combine zoning, subdivision, sign and development regulations into one. The updated ordinance will help implement the McHenry County 2030 Plan, which was approved in April 2010, according to the McHenry County UDO Web site.

The 2030 Plan establishes a vision for the county, which provides guidelines to establish a balance between development and preservation. The plan provides detailed guidelines for housing and community character, agricultural resources, natural resources and open space, water resources, economic development, infrastructure and land use. The plan was developed with the cooperation of the counties’ 17 townships and 30 municipalities,

The county hired a project consultant, Camiros Ltd., to help develop the UDO. The consultant has been conducting interviews with community groups including farmers and agricultural experts, natural resource agencies, real estate experts, engineers and developers, township and highway commissioners, fire chiefs, representatives from municipalities, water resource experts and environmental experts.

The public workshop is an opportunity for McHenry County residents to hear a presentation that describes the project and a summary of land use issues. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments.

The workshop will be held from 6 to 8:45 p.m., April 6, at the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Rd., Woodstock.

The presentation is at 6 p.m. and again at 7:20 p.m.