County settles lawsuit over proposed bypass, land deal
By KEVIN P. CRAVER - kcraver@nwherald.com
WOODSTOCK -- The McHenry County Board settled a lawsuit with a Harvard family who alleged that a proposed Route 14 bypass plan cost them a development deal.
The settlement approved Tuesday by the board ends its involvement in the lawsuit over an agreement between the county and the city of Harvard, filed last year against both governments by Dolores Christy and her son, John.
The plaintiffs accused the county and the city of routing the proposed bypass straight through their 80-acre farm south of Airport Road and west of Marengo Road. This in turn scared off a developer willing to pay $2 million for the land to build homes, family attorney William Caldwell said.
“It literally ruined the property,” Caldwell said Tuesday before the board’s vote. “It’s a good idea, but they put it in the wrong spot.”
Caldwell said the move came as a surprise to his clients, who he said received no notice.
The settlement will not cost the county any money, but Harvard must pay the family’s costs and legal fees.
The Harvard City Council will vote on the settlement next Tuesday , City Administrator Dave Nelson said. But while the family will get its legal fees recouped, Caldwell said they were out several million from the aborted deal.
“John Christy is happy with [the settlement],” Caldwell said. “Mrs. Christy really needed the money, and she was devastated when they didn’t get it.”
Nelson said the settlement killed the proposed bypass, which would have looped west around town, from near Route 23 to near Oak Grove Road. While congestion is not a problem now, Nelson said Wednesday, the city wanted to have another alternative route to handle future development.
“There’s still the need in town in the future to have a north-south access other than Route 14,” Nelson said.
