Wonder Lake water project won’t mean forced annexation, officials say, but some want voter approval of plan

If a petition drive by opponents is successful, Hancock Drive storefronts will not get city water and sewer services and will remain shuttered, Wonder Lake Village President Dan Dycus said.

That petition drive would need signatures of 370 registered Wonder Lake voters to force a referendum on the project to bring public utilities to the newly annexed downtown street – and potentially to more of the village in the future.

The Wonder Lake Village Board met with residents last week at Harrison Elementary School, hoping to clear up misconceptions of the project the village has been working toward for decades.

Plans are to bring water and sewer to Hancock Street – the de facto downtown strip – from the Stonewater subdivision, located on McCullom Lake Road. A lift station for the sewage would also be constructed on a portion of lakeside Wonder Marine, property owned by Tom Cooper.

The village is getting that land in exchange for connecting water and sewer to six Cooper-owned parcels of land in the development, Dycus said.

If the village is forced to hold a referendum for permission to take out Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loans for the project, that could result in a 10-month delay, and the village would likely lose the federal grant paying for a portion of the work, Dycus said.

“If we don’t use it, it will be taken back,” Dycus said of the available funding, which includes $3.36 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. The federal COVID relief money must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.

The village is getting two Illinois EPA loans – one for $3.2 million at 1.87% interest, and one for $10.2 million at 1.67% interest. Both are set for 30-year paybacks. Those loans would cover the estimated $14.6 million cost of extending the utilities to 41 addresses on Hancock Drive, East Wonder Lake Road, East Lake Shore Drive and South Drive – all of which are currently on private septic and wells.

Wonder Lake will not force annexation on any properties outside the village, and existing residents on the city system will not see their water and sewer rates increase because of the project, Dycus said.

The Wonder Lake Fire Protect District needs the water project for its East Wonder Lake Road station, Chief Mike Weber said. The station’s septic system needs a $60,000 upgrade – a number that will be significantly lower by connecting to the city system.

“This connection is a big deal to us,” said Fire Protection District Treasurer Dave Bruchsaler. The station is landlocked, partially because the septic field is taking up land that could otherwise be used to build sleeping quarters for firefighters.

“We need a sewer system to allow us to add to the station. We want to expand services,” Bruchsaler said.

At its Wednesday meeting, the Village Board will consider additions to the project, including adding stub connections for Sunset and South streets, extensions of the water main and curb-to-curb resurfacing of some roads. Dycus said those additions would add $1.2 million to the cost – a number still covered by the loans and grants.

Payback on the loans is completely covered by existing water rates and fees, he added. According to village documents “budget analysis for [2025-26] has shown that due to existing loans being paid off and new homes being added to the system, this loan can be paid annually while keeping the fund in the black.”

The village ordinance does allow rate increases that keep pace with the consumer price index.

Opponents handed out a three-page document with questions about the project and a QR code link to a Google document petition. Dycus addressed the questions posed, including a misunderstanding about the system that is in place now on Hancock Drive.

His wife, Sarah Dycus, is working to bring the coffeeshop Cup of Wonder to town. The cafe cannot have public bathrooms, can only sell pre-packaged food and coffee and is only allowed 10 customer seats because of the septic system that exists now, Dan Dycus said.

Once water and sewer arrives, the Department of Health has indicated the cafe would be allowed 30 indoor seats and unlimited outdoor seating, and additional food could be prepared on site, and have public bathrooms, Dycus said.

Video of the meeting can be found on the village of Wonder Lake Facebook page. The presentation is available on the Wonder Lake village website, villageofwonderlake.org.