The "E" Is for Elburn

Arvid Hormuth designed the Elburn logo many years ago. Its likeness adorns Village Hall, our water towers, the badges of our police officers, and now, the new Metra station.

The "vertical rectangle" represents our commitment to the downtown, and our desire to keep the Route 47 central business district strong.

The "circle" represents the "circle of life." It reflects our desire to create a community for residents of all ages. We would like our residents to be able to live their entire lives in Elburn, selecting homes from a variety of housing styles and price points. We have always wanted to be community with multiple housing options.

The "square" represents our desire to build inside the natural wetland boundaries that surround our community. We want to build "inside the box" first, and not support development that sprawls off into the cornfields.

Finally, the "triangle" symbolizes our desire to stay on the "cutting edge" of principles consistent with both conservation and transit-oriented design.

I feel sad when some, not all, of our newer residents refer to themselves as residents of the "community" of Blackberry Creek. They imply that Blackberry Creek is separate from the Village of Elburn.

Without hundreds of hours of collaborative effort, without a willingness to welcome newcomers to Elburn, and without a reasonable developer willing to make compromises, there would be no Blackberry Creek.

It is easy in hindsight to second guess the decisions that were made. The planning process that determined the Blackberry Creek development was fair, open and honest. The maps defining the project have been publically available at Village Hall for anyone who wanted to see them.

Not only do we know what our agreement says, we know what we meant it to say. To ask us to change our minds, to something less than the agreement itself, is asking us to reinvent the past and violate a signed annexation agreement.