Huntley prepares to grow
By AMBER KROSEL - akrosel@nwherald.com
HUNTLEY – Huntley took a big step toward its future Thursday night, as village trustees unanimously approved both potential transit site guidelines and a downtown revitalization plan.
Those nods – along with recent results from a special census – signify that Huntley is ready to keep growing. The village’s population today exceeds 25,000.
After dedicating about a year to a transit site study, village officials now have on file two options for a potential Metra or other transportation hub.
Both Kreutzer Road and Coyne Station Road locations lie along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks northwest of Algonquin Road and west of Route 47.
Although a possible mode of transit has yet to be determined, both sites will remain on the table. Should Metra come to town, the Elgin stop on the Milwaukee District West Line would likely extend to Huntley and Marengo.
Trustees also voted, 6-0, to hire a consultant to draft a downtown revitalization plan.
Houseal Lavigne Associates was chosen to prepare the draft, contractually at a cost not to exceed $50,000. The Naperville-based firm has worked with Marengo for the past year in drafting a transit-oriented development plan for that city’s potential transit station.
“We are excited to kick this project off and get moving,” village Manager Dave Johnson said Thursday night.
The new downtown plan will be the first comprehensive one in Huntley history, in Johnson’s memory. The project will include conceptual re-development plans for up to three sites, such as the old village hall on Coral Street.
However, the process for shaping downtown Huntley – much like rolling out the red carpet for a potential train or bus system – could take at least a decade.
Village officials said they plan to immediately put together a steering committee for the former, whereas the latter is ultimately up to the Regional Transportation Authority’s feasibility studies.
“We’d like the have a framework to build onto the future,” Johnson said of the plans. “We know we can’t wave a magic wand and have changes overnight.”
