SSA Questions & Answers

Ongoing Discussion on the proposed dredging of Wonder Lake

• MPOA SPECIAL REPORT TO OWNERS 4/2008

SSA Cost Table. READ MORE > >

• MPOA SPECIAL REPORT TO OWNERS 4/2008

On March 18, 2008, the McHenry County Board,, by a 16 to 7 margin, passed a critical resolution supporting the creation of a Wonder Lake Special Service Area (SSA) through the Village of Wonder Lake (VWL).  Special thanks go out to all County Board members, including Sandra Fay Salgado and Sue Draffkorn (District 4), and Randy Donley, Mary McCann, and Daniel Ryan (District 6), who recognized the urgent need to pursue lake restoration, and voted in support of this action.

The next step is for the Village to pass an ordinance establishing a SSA hearing date and notifying all owners of its date, time, and location.   Once the SSA hearing has been adjourned, there will be a 60 day period in which anyone opposed to the SSA can gather signatures on a petition.  If, within those 60 days, properly executed petitions containing the signatures of 51% of property owners and 51% of registered voters within the proposed SSA are submitted to the VWL and verified, the SSA process is stopped, and can only be restarted after two years have passed.  If the opposition petitions fail, then the VWL can pass an ordinance establishing the SSA.
READ MORE > >

• MARCH 21st 2008 UPDATE

“Wonder Lake is the most polluted lake in the State of Illinois”
Testimony of Hickory Falls Unit 3 Subdivision Director to the McHenry County Board Meeting, March 18th, 2008

This comment is an example of an on-going effort by those opposed to the restoration of Wonder Lake to raise fears of polluted sediment, without having any facts, peer reviewed data, or reports to back up their statements. Whenever these allegations have been raised in the past, the MPOA has encouraged those parties to provide them with a copy of their information so that it could be reviewed, but to our knowledge, no such information has ever been provided to the MPOA. READ MORE > > >

• MARCH 19TH 2008 UPDATE

For more up-to date information read the The SSA Fact Summary 03/19/08. LINK > > >
The SSA Fact Summary 03/19/08 is also available for downloaf if you wish to share the information with your neighbors without internet access. PDF LINK

• DECEMBER 17TH 2007 UPDATE

SSA Rumor # 6: The Neumann Homes bankruptcy at the Meadows of West Bay (MOWB) is going to increase the cost of lake restoration to the rest of us.

SSA Fact # 6: All calculations for the proposed SSA are based upon the current (2007) land use / Equalized Assessed Value of the Meadows of West Bay, and not the “built–out” or projected Equalized Assessed Value (EAV). To date, only 38 out of 581 proposed Meadows of West Bay residences have been completed. At the time it filed bankruptcy in Fall 2007, Neumann Homes apparently owned only 104 of the platted lots in the Meadows of West Bay. 

Neumann Homes Parcels - Meadows of West Bay

Of the 104 Neumann owned lots, 24 lots are improved (houses completed or under construction, but not yet sold by Neumann).  The 24 improved properties have a 2007 Equalized Assessed Value of $1,822,811.  The 80 undeveloped lots owned by Neumann Homes have a 2007 EAV of $ 924,384.  

READ MORE > >

• DECEMBER 15TH 2007 UPDATE

SSA Rumor # 5: There are many other ways to pay for dredging Wonder Lake.  All that needs to be done is to open Wonder Lake to the public.

SSA Fact # 5: All feasible alternatives to funding the SSA have been explored and ruled out. 

Opposition to the SSA

Many of those opposed to the SSA have stated publicly that they are in favor of dredging our Lake, but that the SSA is not the way to fund the project.   Their alternative is to either open our lake to the public (in hopes that public funds will pay for the restoration), or to fund a $ 5.9 million dollar project through fund raising ventures, such as band concerts, bake sales, etc. $100 or $ 200 at a time.

READ MORE > >

• DECEMBER 14TH 2007 UPDATE

SSA Rumor # 4: All properties in Wonder Lake and the surrounding area will have to help pay to get our Lake dredged.

SSA Fact # 4: Only those properties with deeds granting lake access, and those that border our lakefront, are included in the boundary for the proposed SSA. 

In addition to those subdivisions / properties that are members of the MPOA, these properties would also be included within the SSA boundary:

  • the Wonderview, Sunny Oaks and Greenhill Shores subdivisions that have access through membership in their Wonderview Parks Association park and boat ramp facility on Lake Shore Drive in South Bay.

READ MORE > >

• DECEMBER 14TH 2007 UPDATE

SSA Rumor # 3: Imposing a $ 5.9 million dollar SSA without having a vote is unfair.  It should be decided by a referendum.

SSA Fact # 3: The subdivision delegate / director voting process, and the procedures built into the SSA process, provide the fairest means of representation for all involved.

Representation by the MPOA & Purpose of the Organization

The MPOA is a property owners association. This is a corporation, not a government body, so one person; one vote does not apply here.

READ MORE > >

• DECEMBER 9TH 2007 UPDATE

SSA Rumor # 2: Sunrise Ridge Estates cannot get access to Wonder Lake.

SSA Fact # 2: The current lack of lake access is the direct result of the Sunrise Ridge Estates subdivision board failing to take advantage of numerous overtures made to them over the past 15 years.

As part of the creation of the Sunrise Ridge Estates (SRE) subdivision, SRE owns “lake access” property that fronts Nippersink Creek, immediately upstream of where it enters Wonder Lake. 

READ MORE > >

• DECEMBER 5TH 2007 UPDATE

Woodstock Independent Editorial 11/29/07

Our View
Dredging is beneficial to all

Members of the Wonder Lake Master Property Owners Association took the appropriate action when they voted in favor of plans to proceed with the dredging of Wonder Lake.

READ MORE > >

• NOVEMBER 29TH 2007 UPDATE

SSA Rumor # 1    The dredging project has already been privately bid and that no performance bond was required

SSA Fact # 1:   The dredging project has not been bid, and will not be until the final project plans have been completed.  A performance bond will be required.

Question Received by the MPOA November 26, 2007

My understanding is that our subdivision voted this specific SSA down on October 28, 2007 at our Annual Meeting.  I want to go on record "why" I specifically voted against this initiative.

READ MORE > >

• SEPTEMBER 29TH 2007 & OCTOBER 6TH 2007

Two informational meetings sponsored by the MPOA were held at Harrison School and Greenwood School.

At each meeting, invited speakers made brief presentations on:
• the status of efforts to restore Wonder Lake,
• how dredging would take place
• how the project would be funded

This Question and Answer (Q&A) document was generated to document:
• all of the questions raised by the Wonder Lake Community at the two informational meetings.
• the responses of the MPOA to those questions.

READ MORE > >