Keeping Gravel Pits Out Of Residential Neighborhoods

When the Laurentide ice sheet of the last major ice age fully retreated about 16,000 years ago, large deposits of glacial gravel and sand were left behind throughout McHenry County. These deposits are so abundant that there is a good chance that much of the surface land that McHenry sits atop is this gravel-rich terrain. This is why it is particularly problematic that Super Aggregates is attempting to operate a gravel pit right next to an established residential neighborhood.

A guiding principle when making a decision that has serious implications on a residential neighborhood needs to be “would I want this next to my home?” The answer is a resounding “no” for a gravel pit. Gravel pits do not belong in existing residential neighborhoods. It is really that simple.

In 2023, Jack Pease’s Super Aggregates petitioned McHenry to annex 110 acres on the corner of IL-120 and East Chapel Hill Road between McHenry and the Village of Lakemoor for the purpose of operating a gravel pit. Supporting materials provided to the City by Super Aggregrates included a Fact Summary that stated the projected revenue from the proposed gravel pit was estimated at $2,200,000 over a 20-year term. For reference, McHenry’s FY22/23 had an operating budget of $31,833,601. The additional $110,000 annually from the gravel pit would represent a mere 0.35% increase. The City increasing its revenue by an additional slightly greater than one-third of one percent is an unacceptable trade-off to disrupt an entire neighborhood. Not having these additional funds should not be viewed as costing the City $110,000 annually over a 20-year period because the City never had this money to start off with.

Further included in the Fact Summary provided to the City by Super Aggregates was the statement that “temporary mining land use will have minimal effect on surrounding landowners.” In this statement, “temporary” means 10 years with an option to extend an additional five years. Representing the only Ward of the City with a gravel pit, I can state with authority that that is a ridiculous statement. Concerns from residents surrounding the existing gravel pit in Ward 4 range from increased noise to dust inside and outside of their homes to occasional shaking on their property. The existing gravel pit in Ward 4 is also further from homes than the Super Aggregates proposed location would be to established homes.

In addition to the disruption the surrounding homeowners would experience, their property values would see a decrease, with new gravel pits decreasing property values within a quarter mile (1,320 feet) of the site by approximately 20% to 30%. Per Super Aggregates, the processing plant for the proposed gravel site would be located less than a quarter mile away from existing homes (about 1,000 feet) and the excavation site perimeter even closer.

In anticipation of the August 7th, 2023 McHenry annexation vote, the Village of Lakemoor adopted a resolution opposing the annexation of the proposed land by McHenry on the basis that a portion of the land is under an existing annexation agreement with Lakemoor, the project lacks safe and sufficient access to IL-120, and questioning the legality of the annexation due to the property having less than 120 feet of contiguity to McHenry. In short, neighboring Lakemoor objected to this gravel pit so much and the negative effect it would have on their Village that a resolution essentially opposing McHenry for considering this annexation and zoning was adopted.

Fortunately, because of strong organization and consistent pressure of the neighboring homeowners, we were able to stop the proposal at the annexation stage, but not without first inflicting a considerable amount of undue stress on the residents due to the Mayor’s lack of strong, consistent opposition.    

I belabor these points because I anticipate Jack Pease’s Super Aggregates will return to McHenry and I anticipate City Council will be told that he will make concessions to allow additional regulations and conditions to appease the surrounding homeowners in order to work with the City. This is because annexation is necessary to have access to our sewer and water system, the reason why going through the county is not as desirable. An argument I’ve heard is that the project will most likely go through anyway so the City might as well benefit from the money it would bring in. But how much money would it take for you to be willing to sell out your neighbors? A gravel pit would significantly devalue this community and, with most people’s largest asset being their home, would have a harmful effect on their livelihood. Whether or not their property is in incorporated or unincorporated McHenry is irrelevant, these are still our neighbors.