Wasco (Chicago, St. Charles, Libertyville: lawyer, relocate, mcmansions)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by desert student

Wasco isn't so much a 'town' as it is a 'place'. I don't know why anyone is even bothering investing in such a location. The purpose of a suburb is to be close to the main city, without having many of the issues of the city. But really, St. Charles is the farthest west suburb that I would ever consider to be part of the metro. Living in Wasco gives you no close proximity to Chicago for work or play. But hey, maybe that is what people want. This is only the next step, in what is becoming fewer steps, towards places like Dekalb entering into the metro area. If development is not stoppped, and people insist on building tastless homes in the "boondocks" instead of investing in cities like Aurora, Joliet, and Elgin, we are going to see Rockford entering the picture before long. Heck, it already has! But I don't blame them, I wouldn't invest in those three cities either!

Holy garbage, this is insane!!! The purpose of a suburb "is to be close to the main city"? Suburbs were created for the sole purpose of wanting to be OUT of the big city, for some quiet and a decent yard. Naturally suburbs started near the main city, but as time rolls on, they all have worked their way outward, so if you ask me, its places like Wasco that offer values that the first suburbanites were after, just 40 miles westward as things expand. And those suburbs that are close to major cities generally tend to have crime problems as populations push outward also, making alot of them unattractive (ie Cicero, etc). Places like Oak Park still have beautiful areas, and gang-infested murderous areas as well. You wont find that in Wasco. Those wanting to find supreme quiet will be more apt to find those conditions on the outskirts of Chicagoland. Now there are a few exceptions of quiet places closer to the city of course, but theyre few and far between (places like Long Grove), but theyre still not like places like Elburn, Wasco, western Geneva or St. Charles, Wayne, etc, etc.

[BUalumni]

I think I'm going to have to agree with desert student on this one. I find the growth of Wasco to be sad. How far will Chicago have to sprawl before all the rich farmland is gone? There has to be limit. In another ten years the metro area might have a 50 mile radius! Wasco is a bad thing, not good.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

I think I'm going to have to agree with desert student on this one. I find the growth of Wasco to be sad. How far will Chicago have to sprawl before all the rich farmland is gone? There has to be limit. In another ten years the metro area might have a 50 mile radius! Wasco is a bad thing, not good.

Sprawl sucks, no doubt. But saying Wasco is a bad thing is only your opinion. Its brought homes to those who want to live further out, as well as jobs to those in need. The town is small, quiet, beautiful, safe and has a wonderful school, and is the ideal location for many families who want that lifestyle. More props to em!

And while some farmland was sold to developers, there is still MORE THAN ENOUGH in IL to go around, its not like we have a crisis here. Chicago has been expanding since its inception and will continue to do so. Many farmers in the area have been approached with generous sums to sell their land, and MANY have denied selling their properties. If a farmer wants to sell his land to developers so their family can retire/relocate/whatever, thats their God-given right. Im not one for seeing new neighborhoods pop up on my old stomping grounds, but in some cases its nice seeing new communities pop up, especially nice ones such as Wasco.

[Inthesprawlpath]

[quote Im not one for seeing new neighborhoods pop up on my old stomping grounds, but in some cases its nice seeing new communities pop up, especially nice ones such as Wasco.[/quote]

That is the root of the fight.Campton incorporated to stop Elgin from annexing.It's first decision that it attempted after finding out they need a tax base for police,fire protection etc they tried to stick a big subdivision in Lily Lake. Hypocrates. They've divided the residends and are going to build it up anyway.Taxes will be through the roof. I have an old neighbor that left Plato Township because of Elgin and moved to Wasco.Now he's moving back to Plato because of all the snotty politics.Wasco will never again be Wasco.It is now gone,swallowed to blend in like the rest of the Chicago mess.The farms you see I'm sure are allready on some developers planning board.It was sad to see it go but it happened years ago when Fox Mill came to the area.
R.I.P. Wasco.

[Steve-o]

Crap happens, its life. Its not like the residents who moved out there could look into a crystal ball and forsee all the mess that was to come. Blame Elgin, not Wasco or Campton.

And let me ask you this: what about Fox Mill do you dislike? Did you grow up near the area and have a home bulldozed to make room for the subdivision? Or are you just another sprawl hater (like most of us)? Im not crazy about the subdivision, but its a nice place and a tight community with a battle on the horizon.

[desert student]

See, the fact that Wasco is now dead as a town, and that once fertile farmland is now gone to houses that all look the same, means nothing to the "mall zombies" of western Chicagoland. I think they have been around it for so long that they can't understand a place when it doesn't have endless sprawl. If there isn't a strip mall followed by yet another strip mall, then it has no class and is hick. Thank goodness I grew up in the Barrington area where some sense of what is beautiful and classy still abounds. Wasco was beautiful, now it is not! So long Wasco, and indeed R.I.P.

[gardener34]

"The purpose of a suburb "is to be close to the main city"?"

Many of the largest companies now are positioned in the burbs, like naperville and aurora and schaumburg and hoffmann estates because years and years ago the property "near the city" was too expensive so the corps bought the corporate campus locations cheaper. I am wondering if between the mortgage crisis and the gas prices, sprawl will be curtailed for a long while.

[Inthesprawlpath]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Crap happens, its life. Its not like the residents who moved out there could look into a crystal ball and forsee all the mess that was to come. Blame Elgin, not Wasco or Campton.

And let me ask you this: what about Fox Mill do you dislike? Did you grow up near the area and have a home bulldozed to make room for the subdivision? Or are you just another sprawl hater (like most of us)? Im not crazy about the subdivision, but its a nice place and a tight community with a battle on the horizon.

Fox Mill was the first large developement in Wasco and it opened the floodgates for changing the area.I remember reading opinions in the paper from new residents there complaining there weren't enough stores near by and they had to drive ALL the way into St.Charles to get milk.Ooooooh,so far!They need street lights because it's sooooo dark it's not safe to be out.They call the police when they see a coyote(that they displaced) and cry when it eats thier poodle.They move in from the city and then need to convert it to into city.It's not Wascos' fault.It's The Kane County Board that approved it.It's Elgin City Council, and now The new Village of Campton that are to blame for for killing that place. And yes,I hate sprawl.
I do laugh sometimes when talking to someone new to the area.They coughed up big bucks to be in thier "country" setting.They don't have a clue of what is to come.I counted over 50,000 new homes in the planning stages west of Elgin.There is the new train station in LaFox.There will be a new north south freeway west of 47.Bridges are to be built at Stearns(McDonald) and Crane Roads across the river.The whole valley is busting out at the seams.Wasco is dead,unless you are an urban mall zombie,then it is exactly what you want.(I like that "Mall Zombie")

[Inthesprawlpath]

Originally Posted by gardener34

I am wondering if between the mortgage crisis and the gas prices, sprawl will be curtailed for a long while.

Nope. They have still been working through most of the winter on several large developements here.I know sales are down but the building is still going on.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Inthesprawlpath

Fox Mill was the first large developement in Wasco and it opened the floodgates for changing the area.I remember reading opinions in the paper from new residents there complaining there weren't enough stores near by and they had to drive ALL the way into St.Charles to get milk.Ooooooh,so far!They need street lights because it's sooooo dark it's not safe to be out.They call the police when they see a coyote(that they displaced) and cry when it eats thier poodle.They move in from the city and then need to convert it to into city.It's not Wascos' fault.It's The Kane County Board that approved it.It's Elgin City Council, and now The new Village of Campton that are to blame for for killing that place. And yes,I hate sprawl.
I do laugh sometimes when talking to someone new to the area.They coughed up big bucks to be in thier "country" setting.They don't have a clue of what is to come.I counted over 50,000 new homes in the planning stages west of Elgin.There is the new train station in LaFox.There will be a new north south freeway west of 47.Bridges are to be built at Stearns(McDonald) and Crane Roads across the river.The whole valley is busting out at the seams.Wasco is dead,unless you are an urban mall zombie,then it is exactly what you want.(I like that "Mall Zombie")

Speaking of coyotes, Ive had them in West Chicago and Warrenville, theyre not relegated only to farmland. Remember the coyote that ran into the Subway restaurant in downtown Chicago last year? Anyways, people moved to Wasco for a quieter lifestyle, which it still offers. Wasco is not strip-mall heaven like some suggest, the little town square consists of ONE chain (McDonalds) and all the rest are unique stores, which makes it cool and different. The rest of Wasco is nice homes, set on rolling hills, very quiet area. And regarding Fox Mill residents, they STILL have to drive to St. Charles for milk. The closest place that sells milk is the Walgreens off of Peck Rd about 5 miles to the east. So Wasco, while it grew exponentially, still retains a certain quietness to it. It cannot grow to the east anymore, nor to the north. The area along Campton Hills Rd is all older residences, set on large lots, so thats out of the question too (for now). The only area that Wasco can really grow is southward towards 38, but thats only if the farmers sell their land, which I doubt they will, as they would have sold many years ago I presume.