A copy of the McHenry County 2010 Land Use Plan was well worth the $20. On page 47 there are 15 questions that "should be used by ZBA, Planning Commission & County Board as a point analysis to ensure consistent evaluation of land use changes". You can take these 16 questions and hopefully find many facts, figures and maps within the 2010 Land Use Plan to be picked up at the ZBA office.

An NRI Report must be completed by the Soil & Water Conservation District. This may be helpful in showing if wetlands exist on the property. It also shows soil and slope analysis which might look bad for septic, wells, buildings with basements, etc. Also, floodplain and land erosion information is contained in the NRI. A LESA (Land Evaluation & Site Assessment) score is also given for property which may be helpful if it is over 200 - "Save for Agriculture."

Call the Planning Department and see if their report on the property is complete. This is good to have because their "conclusions" may back up yours. You may be required to sign a Freedom of Information Act form to get copies of some of these - NO BIG DEAL!