Lake in the Hills, Illinois
Lake in the Hills (often abbreviated L.I.T.H. or LITH) is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,152 at the 2000 census. A 2006 special census put the village's population at 29,175.The village is most known for its rampant residential growth which occurred most heavily in the 1990s. Once a sleepy lakeside village of cottages and small ranches, its population skyrocketed as developers flocked to the area in the 1990s. Its population increased by 17,000 people (a nearly 400% increase) over this period, making it one of the most rapidly growing suburbs of Chicago and in the United States at that time. At the height of its building boom, the village issued over 1,000 residential building permits in 1995.In the late 1990s, the village faced the challenge of providing adequate services and infrastructure as well as establishing an identity and community unity, since many community services (Libraries, Schools, Fire Districts) were pre-delegated to neighboring communities like Huntley, Algonquin and Crystal Lake. However, the village continues to expand its resources and community offerings and is also endeavoring to diversify its tax base and provide more commercial and industrial businesses.Lake in the Hills Airport, convenient shopping and entertainment along Randall Road, low crime, well-kept neighborhoods, abundant community activities, and an excellent parks system helps the village continue to maintain an excellent reputation and a place that people want to continue to live in or visit.
Geography
Lake in the Hills is located at 42°11′12″N 88°20′51″W / 42.18667°N 88.3475°W / 42.18667; -88.3475Coordinates: 42°11′12″N 88°20′51″W / 42.18667°N 88.3475°W / 42.18667; -88.3475 (42.186729, -88.347429).According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 9.6 square miles (25.0 km²), of which, 9.4 square miles (24.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (2.39%) is water.
History
Lake in the Hills was started in 1923 by Federal Judge Walter J. La Buy around Woods Creek Lake, which is the main lake in Lake in the Hills. By the year 1926, La Buy bought 472 acres (1.91 km2) of land which is currently Indian Trail. On this land, he built five stucco homes; only one stands in its original state, which is currently owned by the Village of Lake in the Hills. The other four original stucco homes have been altered in some way, but all still stand in the original spot by Woods Creek Lake.The early days of Lake in the Hills saw vacationers from the Chicago area, who wanted to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. By 1950, some of the vacationers became year round residents of Lake in the Hills. On November 29, 1952, the Village of Lake in the Hills was formed and the original mayor was Raymond Platt.The village of Lake in the Hills remained a small, close-knit lakeside residential community for much of the 20th Century, relying on nearby towns like Algonquin and Crystal Lake for services. In 1987, the Village's first shopping center was constructed; it was built at the intersection of Algonquin Road and Crystal Lake Road. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Village made a series of large annexations extending west of Randall Road, all the way west to Illinois Route 47. Numerous subdivisions were constructed in this area throughout the 1990s and 2000s and retail development blossomed along Randall Road during this time period as well. By the mid 2000s, development had slowed down and as the Village became landlocked by other municipalities, it worked to appropriately develop its remaining parcels.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,152 people, 7,652 households, and 6,297 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,461.9 people per square mile (951.0/km²). There were 7,866 housing units at an average density of 836.5/sq mi (323.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.59% White, 1.50% African American, 0.14% Native American, 3.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.86% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.31% of the population.There were 7,652 households out of which 51.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.4% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.35.In the village the population was spread out with 33.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 44.5% from 25 to 44, 13.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.The median income for a household in the village was $80,992, and the median income for a family was $84,761 as of 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $51,598 versus $34,449 for females. The per capita income for the village was $26,239. About 1.6% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 0.9% of those age 65 or over.
Neighborhoods
Aside from the village's older section, the village has developed several neighborhoods, especially due to the rise of subdivisions in the village over the past 15 years.Princeton Crossing, located along Ackman and Lakewood Road, is the area's most pristine townhome community. This neighborhood consists of 67 townhomes and plush landscaping.
Cunat Court is a neighborhood on the village's eastern side, just west of Pyott Road. It included 3-story condominium buildings and a neighborhood recreational center and pool.
Boulder Ridge is agated communityin the central section of town, north of Algonquin Road, south of Miller Road and east of Frank Road. It features homes worth between $400,000 and $1,000,000. It also includes the village's only 18 hole golf course, and an immaculate country club which is a popular spot for banquets. On the west side of Frank Road, is the child development 'The Lakes of Boulder Ridge', which offers a 9-hole golf course, scenic setting, and expensive duplex homes.
Big Sky and Harvest Gate are neighborhoods just west ofRandall Roadand south of Miller Road, just east of Boulder Ridge. They are some of the village's first actual subdvisions and were built by the same developer,Town and Country Homes. Woods Creek divides them. Big Sky Park, the new Lake in the Hills Village Hall, and Lincoln Prairie Elementary School are all located within these neighborhoods.
Spring Lake Farm (north) is a subdivision south of Miller Road, west of Frank Road. It was also among the village's first subdivisions, built circa early 1990s, bySundance Homesand Americana Homes. It includes both single-family and multi-family homes.
Spring Lake Farm (south) is a single-family home subdivision built by Sundance Homes on Algonquin Road, west of Lakewood and immediately east ofTom's Farm Marketin Huntley. It was the village's first subdivision west of Lakewood Road. Homes in this neighborhood are valued generally in the $200K range.
Bellchase is a neighborhood built by Sundance Homes on the village's only parcel south of Algonquin Road. This neighborhood features Bellchase Commons, LeRoy Guy Park, and a full range of homes, from 2- and 3-bedroomduplexesand smaller 2-story 'freedom' homes to large 4- and 5-bedroom homes. Duplexes in this neighborhood are valued from the high $100s, single-family homes are priced from the mid $200s to the mid $300s.
Sumner Glen and Provence are neighborhoods built by Town and Country Homes. They are located along the western side of Lakewood Road from Algonquin Road to Miller Road. Normandy Park and Exner Marsh Nature Preserve along Reed Road serve as this area's centerpiece. Provence features slightly smaller homes, including both ranches and two-stories, valued generally in the $200K range. Sumner Glen features more expensive homes, some with 5-6 bedrooms, valued generally in the $300K range.
Heron Bay is a small neighborhood featuring slightly upscale homes starting in the low $300s. It backs up to the Exner Marsh and features a very large pond with multiple fountains.
Meadowbrook is the village's most expansive neighborhood. Located in the northwest part of the village, along Miller, Lakewood, and Haligus Roads, it is anchored by Sunset Park and features several smaller neighborhoods within. Impressions is a duplex-style home community, Summit Ridge is a small neighborhood of exclusive McMansion-style homes, Sunrise and Drake Park are moderately priced neighborhoods featuring one and two story homes, and Regatta is a neighborhood featuring smaller one-story and two-story homes. Concord Hills, however, was the first community and is located just east of Lakewood Road, north of Miller Road.
At the southeast corner of Lakewood and Ackman Roads is the Cheswick Place subdivision, which is currently under construction. The neighborhood will consist of over 100 single family homes, fronted by retail and small office buildings. An assisted-living facility may also front the development.
Fox Ridge Farm, a planned subdivision of potentially 200-300 homes located on the village's western fringe alongIllinois Route 47, is currently under development review. Once constructed, it will likely be the lastmajorsubdivision developed in the village, as Lake in the Hills has become landlocked by other municipalities.
The old neighborhoods are primarily in the original section of the town. This consists of all homes residing in the original development of the town. This is usually considered, by locals, to include all homes built within an area of close to the actual lake. It is widely recognized that if a home is within a short walking distance of the lake, the police station, or the fire department, that said home is one of the original homes in the town.
Education
The village is served by four school districts. Consolidated School District 158 serves a majority of the village, covering its densely populated western half. School District 300 serves the older sections of town on the eastern side, and Elementary School District 47 and Community High School District 155 serve the a small portion of the central sections of the village.Elementary Schools serving Lake in the Hills include:Lake in the Hills Elementary School serves students residing on the eastern side of town
Lincoln Prairie Elementary School serves students residing in District 300 boundaries in the central sections of town nearRandall Road.
Glacier Ridge Elementary SchoolandIndian Prairie Elementary School(inCrystal Lake,Illinois) serves students residing in District 47 boundaries in the central sections of town along Miller Road.
May ChesakandHannah Martin Elementary Schoolsserve students residing in District 158 boundaries on the western side of town, along the Lakewood Road corridor. They are located in the Reed Road Campus.
MackebenandMarion Conley Elementary Schoolsserve students residing in District 158 boundaries on the southwest side of town (generally the Bellchase neighborhood). They are located on the Square Barn Road Campus inAlgonquin, IL
Middle Schools serving Lake in the Hills include:Westfield Community SchoolinAlgonquin, ILserves students residing in District 300 boundaries.
Richard F. Bernotas Middle SchoolandLeon J. Lundahl Middle SchoolinCrystal Lake, ILserves students residing in District 47 boundaries.
Henry Marlowe Middle Schoolin Lake in the Hills serves students residing in District 158 boundaries north of Algonquin Road and west of Lakewood Road.
Bernice Heinemann Middle SchoolinAlgonquin, ILserves students residing in District 158 boundaries south of Algonquin Road and east of Lakewood Road.
High Schools serving Lake in the Hills include:Huntley High SchoolinHuntley, ILserves students residing in District 158 boundaries
Harry D. Jacobs High SchoolinAlgonquin, ILserves students residing in District 300 boundaries
Crystal Lake South High SchoolinCrystal Lake, ILserves students residing in District 155 boundaries
All three high schools are in the Fox Valley Conference and are major rivals of each other.Huntley Public Library serves residents in the western sections of the village while Algonquin Public Library serves residents in the eastern sections of the village.McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL and Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL are the community colleges that serve the village.
Achievements
Lincoln Prairie Elementary School was Illinois School District 300's highest-scoring elementary school in the 2006 Iowa Test of Basic Skills (school evaluation tests).
Recreation
Even though Huntley Park District serves the village's western parts, Lake in the Hills maintains its own park and recreation department within village limits and provides immense programs and diverse types of parks and recreational areas. Significant recreational areas include:Sunset Park, one of the village's largest parks located on Miller Road on the western side of the village. The park features several baseball and softball fields, soccer fields, playground equipment, picnic shelters, tennis courts, a basketball court, a gazebo, a splash pad and a skate park. This is also the site of one of the village's famous summer activities, theSummer Sunset Festheld over Labor Day weekend.
Bark Park, located just west of Sunset, is one of the area's only dog parks and serves registered users in the village as a place for their dogs to run and interact with each other.
Leroy Guy Park, located in the Bellchase neighborhood on the village's southwest side on Lakewood Road, features several ballfields, playground equipment, tennis and basketball courts, and a picnic shelter.
Exner Marshis a recreational area operated by the McHenry County Conservation District on the village's western side which has a decent trail system, public washrooms, tallgrass prairies, lakes and swampland, and significant stands of trees. It features one of the state ofIllinois' few groups of Blanding's turtles.
Boulder Ridge Golf Course and Country Clubis a private golf course located in the village's most expensive neighborhood in the central part of town.
Big Sky Park is a park located between two neighborhoods, just west ofRandall Road.
The Lake in the Hills Fenis a 260-acre (1.1 km2) natural prairie and recreational area on the village's northeast side of town off Pyott Road. It features immense tallgrass prairie and hundreds of species of wildlife, many of them considered to be rare or endangered.
Woods Creek Lake is the village's lake located in the eastern part of town. It includes several beaches, boat launches, and adjacent recreational areas. The village's oldest homes, several of them cottages, are grouped around this lake.
The Woods Creek is the creek which flows into the Lake in the Hills. It flows through areas just west ofRandall Roadand its valley and adjacent shrubbery provides scenic views of the village's neighborhoods, even from a distance.
Lynn Dillow Is part of the sub-division Spring Lake Farms and is the home to 2 jungle gyms, a gazebo, basketball court, and a bike obstacle course.
Ken Carpenter Park
Ryder Park
Morningside Park
Barbara Key Park
Shopping
The village is located along the northern fringe of the Randall Road corridor, one of the most sought-after retail corridors in the Chicago metropolitan area.[citation needed] As a result, the village has a good portion of its retail in this section. The village's other major retail area is along Algonquin Road.The Centre is a shopping center located at the northeast corner of Randall and Algonquin. It featuresDominick's Finer Foods, Kerasotes Lake in the Hills 12 Movie Theater,Bank of America, Tommy's Red Hots, Steak and Shake,Taco Bell,White Castle,Applebee's, GameCrazy,Noodles and Company, Funky Munky, WineStyles,Starbucks,Einstein Bros. Bagels,GNC,H & R Block,Coldstone Creamery, Chen King Wok, Reese's Restaurant, Home State Bank, a daycare center, and several smaller shops.
Acorn Plaza includesAce Hardware, Thescooter store, Fast Frame, and Papa Saverio's Pizza.
Randall Plaza is a shopping center located at the northwest corner of Randall and Algonquin. It is anchored byWalgreensandBlockbuster Video.Sears Hardwarerecently vacated the site, but was recently converted into a multi-tenant building featuringSherwin Williams, Loves Liquor, and Murray Auto Parts. Other stores include Nancy's Pizza, Let's Travel, Hair Cuttery, Cigarettes Cheaper, Currency Exchange, and RadioShackBellchase Commons, located on the village's west-side, is just one of many shopping centers serving the Lake in the Hills community.
An unnamed center located just north of Randall Plaza includes Moretti's Ristorante,Costco,Lowe's, Athletico, a coffee house,LaSalle Bank,Bakers Square,Chase Bank, andArby's.
An older shopping center located just north of Algonquin Road features the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce, Nationwide Insurance, aCitgogas station, Lily Garden restaurant, Castle Bank,Pizza Hutexpress, Tacos El Norte, and smaller stores.
Bellchase Commons, located at the southeast corner of Algonquin Road and Lakewood Road is a neighborhood center serving the village's western residents. It includes a7-Eleven/Citgo, Castle Bank, La Petite Children's Academy, Alfredo's Pizza,H & R Block, Bistro Wasabi,Dairy Queen, Butcher on the Block, a dental office, Hometown Eyecare, aState Farm Insuranceagent, and other smaller stores.
Community Activities and Traditions
The Lake in the Hills Air Expo is a festival held on a Saturday in the middle of June. It includes a variety of aircraft, utilizingLake in the Hills Airportand flying over the village, giving spectators and residents alike a taste of aircraft over the past century, especially including World War II–era aircraft.
Rockin' Rotary Ribfestis a village event showcasing food, live music, and more, held at the village's Sunset Park in early July.
Summer Sunset Festivalis the village's main festival. Held at Sunset Park on the village's west side, it features live music, food, a carnival, and a fireworks display. It is usually held on Labor Day weekend.
The village has always been a main participant inNational Night Outand uses this as an opportunity for positive resident-police interaction, community block parties, and other activities to encourage community and prevent crime
Summer Sunset Idol, a spinoff ofAmerican Idol, which allows aspiring amateur performers to showcase their talents. There are three rounds, spread out over the summer at the village's main summer events.
Community Oriented Police Programs
A number of concerts held throughout the year at a small amphitheater near Village Hall.
Youth athletic programs such as theLake In the Hills/Algonquin Falcons youth football and cheerleading program,Golden Eagles Wrestling club,Algonquin/Lake In The Hills youth soccer league, theLake In The Hills Youth Baseball League,Lake In The Hills Eagles Travelingbaseball team andLake In the Hills Pirates travel baseball team.
Transportation
The village of Lake in the Hills owns and operatesLake in the Hills Airport, a general aviation airport serving the greater McHenry County area. It is located on Pyott Road in the far northern reaches of the village.
Randall Road, a major four-lane county highway, is the primary north-south highway in the Village. It is known as the major divider separating the old part (or 'East Side' of Lake in the Hills) from the newer part (or 'West Side') of the Village. Randall Road contains the bulk of the village's retail and restaurants and traffic on the corridor averages 50,000 vehicles per day.
Algonquin Road is the primary east-west artery in the Village. It is also the dividing line separating Lake in the Hills from nearbyAlgonquin. Like Randall Road, this county highway is also four lanes for the entire length of the village. Both residential areas and retail areas can be found along the road.
Lakewood Road is a north-south county-highway on the Village's western side. It is two lanes with left and right turn lanes. Several of the village's subdivisions can be found along the road, in addition to the Exner Marsh conservation area.
Miller Road is an east-west village road. The entire stretch of road is lined with subdivisions. Sunset Park can also be found on the road, which winds through the Meadowbrook subdivision in the western part of the Village. The road is slated to be expanded westward toIllinois Route 47in the near future.
Pyott Road is a county highway which runs north-south through the eastern part of the Village. Lake in the Hills Aiprort, the Lake in the Hills Fen, residential areas, and industrial businesses can all be found along the road.
Illinois Route 31is a state highway which runs north-south along the village's eastern limits. Much of the village's parcels along this highway are industrial areas.
Other important roads in the village include Crystal Lake Road, Hilltop Road, Oak Street, Frank Road, Reed Road, Albrecht Road, Annandale Drive, Ackman Road, and Haligus Road.
Notable residents
Lake in the Hills was the hometown of:Joe Becker, Musician/guitarist.
Josh Caterer, a singer/songwriter, guitarist, and frontman for the influential indie-rock band theSmoking Popes.
Adam Musto, a journalist and sports executive who works as a video manager for the University of Illinois men's basketball team and has worked for theChicago BearsandChicago White Sox.
Edward F. Bachner ordered 95 milligrams ofTetrodotoxin, a legal amount for him (as a Principal Investigator of a research company) to possess. Although his intentions were unknown, federal authorities such as the Joint Terrorism task force, FBI bomb squad members, and hazardous material crews were quick to make their first appearance in Lake in the Hills because of this event.
