Elgin Fear Factor 

For years, if you have lived in the area that long, you read about how Elgin was opening up their westward expansion. This was not a secret. Property owners, some farmers and
some land speculators saw with Elgin expansion their payday coming. Being in the City of Elgin, enabled the Property to be serviced by city water and sewer service.  This increased the value of the property by 2 to 3 times.

Therefore, instead of one home per acre, the density could be increased to several homes per acre or multi-family dwellings. Commercial or retail development would even be feasible if the population growth warranted it.

For those that lived along these Elgin borders fear set in. What will happen with, “my little slice of heaven.” A group formed to fight the annexation of property just North of Silver Glen Road, to what became known as Stony Creek East & Stony Creek West.  Some of the property was part of the Glenwood Home for Boys & Girls, the other abutted Homeward Glen subdivision. In 2003 the property owners requested annexation into Elgin
and the review process began. Out of this fear grew the supposed tenants of WHY Campton Township residents needed to form a new municipal corporation, soon to be called, The Village of Campton Hills, modeled after another new municipal corporation in the South suburbs, Homer Glen,IL.

To get at why, you must first look at the emotions of the events. Some residents were furious,. . . “How dare Elgin come to our back door, our paradise, and lay claim to what is rightfully ours.” “Zoning should be 1 unit per 4 acres, not 8 or 12 units per acre.”  Herein lays the problem. The proposed densities where about 2.5 units per acre. But it depends on whose definition of density per acre is used. The approved plan, when measured according to how Kane County measures density is closer to 1.33-1.31 density per acre. This density is similar to other large Kane county projects that have their own sewer and water facilities.

While no one can, nor should, attempt to say Elgin did nothing wrong. The outcome of the high emotions is what brought us this new municipal corporation. The issues of annexation and borders are a constant issue when there is growth. However, the fear that was generated by playing on peoples high emotions was counter to good decision making.  Why, because the Elgin annexation is done. The village can do nothing about it now. There are border agreements in place and the new municipal corporation that was  created will have no effect on what was done. Recommendations maybe made, but they are only recommendations. Recently, in fact in the last several months our new village president has stated publically several times, “Elgin isn't coming, this isn't about Elgin.” We have spoken to hundreds of people in our communities who have told us that they voted for the village because of the fear that Elgin was coming.  Some were told  Elgin was going to annex their existing subdivision, their children would have to go to U46 schools. This was never going to happen. Elgin has no interest in existing county subdivisions and a village has no control over school district boundaries (also the school district in the areas wasn't’t Elgin U46 but Burlington D301)

Guess what? It’s not about Elgin, because the village can’t do anything about what is done. In fact your Village has done nothing to deal with its border agreements in any direction. Our new village’s Northern border agreement doesn't exist.  Elgin has an agreement with South Elgin.

Please take a moment and review the disconnection map with the 26 pending disconnections. You will see that many, most areas in the North part of our village are shaded yellow. This is because these property owners have made their own self-determinations and are in the process of opting out. Why, they see no value in being part of Campton Hills.