Mettawa, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Mettawa is a village in Lake County
, Illinois
, United States
dedicated to preserving open lands and low-density residential development. The village maintains trails for pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian usage. Five forest preserves within the Lake County Forest Preserve District are located within village boundaries: including Old School Forest Preserve, Grainger Woods Conservation Preserve, MacArthur Woods, Captain Daniel Wright Woods and the former home (and grounds) of Adlai E. Stevenson II.
Mettawa's population was 367 at the 2000 census, although population is estimated to have increased to approximately 485 residents since that time.
Adjacent communities include Lake Forest
, Lincolnshire
, Vernon Hills, Libertyville
, and Green Oaks
.
and more recently, news anchor and rancher Bill Kurtis
. Stevenson's Mettawa estate on the Des Plaines River
is a designated Illinois Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mayor:
Board of Trustees:
Mettawa has been called a "paper village" because it lacks a dedicated Village Hall and has few paid administrative staff. Village meetings are held in a local hotel, and the Village contracts with an engineer, attorney, Mettawa Open Lands Association, and various consultants for operational services. In January 2009, the Village Board established its website which serves as a virtual Village Hall, providing official information including Village contacts, official documents and maps, meeting agendas and the Comprehensive Plan.
landowners, and continues to be a center of land conservation and restoration activities. The village also supports a rural, equestrian-friendly lifestyle. Some residents maintain small farming operations, and the Village counts eight horse stables within its borders.
The Mettawa Open Lands Association (MOLA) is a non-profit organization which promotes quality open space within the Village and encourages the protection of public and private open lands. MOLA supports Mettawa-area residents and open lands (including unincorporated housing developments that are surrounded by Village land) with public workdays and educational programs, and provides quality open space management on Village properties. In celebration of Mettawa's 50th anniversary in 2010, MOLA distributed complimentary wildflower seed packets to all Village residents, and many residents in neighboring areas, and suggested that recipients plant the seeds along roadsides to help beautify the area.
MOLA also maintains the Whippoorwill Farm Preserve, an open lands area owned by the Village (just west of I-94 at the northwest corner of IL-60/Townline Road and Riverwoods Boulevard). Whippoorwill Farm is currently undergoing restoration to a native prairie/wetland habitat.
The Lake County Forest Preserve District maintains five forest preserves within Village Boundaries, including Old School, Grainger Woods, McArthur Woods, Captain Daniel Wright Woods and Adlai Stevenson Historic Home.
Mettawa also includes nine areas designated as Illinois Nature Preserves, one area within the Libertyville Township Open Space District, and the Covington Charitable Trust area (maintained by Lake Forest Open Lands Association).
The Des Plaines River Trail
runs through the western edge of Mettawa, and connects with the Village's own Mettawa Trail system, which is used by pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.
(LEED) ratings. Tax revenues from businesses in Mettawa provide income to the Village which in turn provides eligible residents with a tax rebate.
HSBC
completed construction of its North American Headquarters in Mettawa in 2008. Although no longer corporate headquarters, the building remains fully occupied by HSBC. This building achieved LEED Gold Certification and in March 2009 was named Green Development of the Year by The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).
The W. W. Grainger
company's headquarters is located on unincorporated land enclosed within Mettawa's borders. In 2008 this building was updated to achieve its 2009 Gold LEED certification. Grainger purchased 535 acres (2.2 km²) of land in Mettawa (1993–1998), then disconnected from the Village to become part of unincorporated Lake County. In 1996, all of this land was annexed back into the village, with the exception of the 155 acre (0.6272633 km²) office campus. Grainger donated 257 acres (1 km²) to the Lake County Forest Preserve District. The resulting Grainger Forest Preserve hosts an equestrian center and includes open lands filled with rare ecosystems and species. The remaining Grainger acreage is within the Village and zoned 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) residential.
Other major businesses also located near the busy intersection of highway I-94 and Route 60 in Mettawa include CDW
, Residence Inn and Hilton Garden Inn
, with construction of a Costco currently underway. Businesses located along Boulton Boulevard (east of I-94 in Mettawa's northeast corner) include Impact Networking, Metro Self-Storage and Stage Right, Inc.
The Deerpath Farm conservation community, Mettawa's largest (200 acre (0.809372 km²)) PUD, includes 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) of restored open lands managed by Lake Forest Open Lands Association, and also sponsors community workdays and nature education events. In 2006 it was named Development of the Year by the Lake County Stormwater Management Association for its innovative hydrology management based on wetland restoration.
Other PUDs within Mettawa include Sanctuary Estates and Mettawa Woods.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
of 2000, there were 367 people, 135 households, and 108 families residing in the village. The population density
was 67.1 people per square mile (25.9/km²). There were 141 housing units at an average density of 25.8 per square mile (10.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.64% White, 2.45% Asian, 1.09% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.09% of the population.
There were 135 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.6% were married couples
living together, 1.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 36.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $127,388, and the median income for a family was $153,129. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $51,250 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $89,104. About 3.1% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Lake County, Illinois
Lake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dedicated to preserving open lands and low-density residential development. The village maintains trails for pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian usage. Five forest preserves within the Lake County Forest Preserve District are located within village boundaries: including Old School Forest Preserve, Grainger Woods Conservation Preserve, MacArthur Woods, Captain Daniel Wright Woods and the former home (and grounds) of Adlai E. Stevenson II.
Mettawa's population was 367 at the 2000 census, although population is estimated to have increased to approximately 485 residents since that time.
Adjacent communities include Lake Forest
Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest is an affluent city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The city is south of Waukegan along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College and was laid out as a town in...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire, Illinois
Lincolnshire is a village in the Vernon Township region of Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village is a suburb of Chicago, a city in the adjacent Cook County. Its population was 6,108 at the time of the 2000 census. Lincolnshire was incorporated on August 5, 1957, from the...
, Vernon Hills, Libertyville
Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
, and Green Oaks
Green Oaks, Illinois
Green Oaks is a village in the Libertyville Township of Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,572 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Green Oaks is located at ....
.
History
Mettawa was founded by area residents in 1960 who worked together with a common goal of protecting their rural area from encroaching commercial development. The village was named for a nearby Potowatami settlement which is mentioned in an early history of Lake County. Mettawa's first mayor was James Getz; subsequent mayors included Ed Fitzsimons, Julius Abler, and Barry McLean. Famous residents and property owners within the area now known as Mettawa have included two-time presidential nominee Adlai E. Stevenson, city planner Edward H. BennettEdward H. Bennett
Edward Herbert Bennett was an architect and city planner best known for his co-authorship of the 1909 Plan of Chicago.-Biography:Bennett was born in Bristol, England in 1874, and later moved to San Francisco with his family...
and more recently, news anchor and rancher Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
. Stevenson's Mettawa estate on the Des Plaines River
Des Plaines River
The Des Plaines River is a river that flows southward for through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois in the U.S. Midwest, eventually meeting the Kankakee River west of Channahon to form the Illinois River, a tributary of the Mississippi River....
is a designated Illinois Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Government
Mettawa is governed by an elected President and six Board of Trustees.Mayor:
- Jess Ray
Board of Trustees:
- Bill Armstrong
- Mary Brennan
- Lawrence Falbe
- John Maier
- Bill Nicholson
- Jack Tindall
Mettawa has been called a "paper village" because it lacks a dedicated Village Hall and has few paid administrative staff. Village meetings are held in a local hotel, and the Village contracts with an engineer, attorney, Mettawa Open Lands Association, and various consultants for operational services. In January 2009, the Village Board established its website which serves as a virtual Village Hall, providing official information including Village contacts, official documents and maps, meeting agendas and the Comprehensive Plan.
Conservation and Recreation
Mettawa was founded by conservationistConservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
landowners, and continues to be a center of land conservation and restoration activities. The village also supports a rural, equestrian-friendly lifestyle. Some residents maintain small farming operations, and the Village counts eight horse stables within its borders.
The Mettawa Open Lands Association (MOLA) is a non-profit organization which promotes quality open space within the Village and encourages the protection of public and private open lands. MOLA supports Mettawa-area residents and open lands (including unincorporated housing developments that are surrounded by Village land) with public workdays and educational programs, and provides quality open space management on Village properties. In celebration of Mettawa's 50th anniversary in 2010, MOLA distributed complimentary wildflower seed packets to all Village residents, and many residents in neighboring areas, and suggested that recipients plant the seeds along roadsides to help beautify the area.
MOLA also maintains the Whippoorwill Farm Preserve, an open lands area owned by the Village (just west of I-94 at the northwest corner of IL-60/Townline Road and Riverwoods Boulevard). Whippoorwill Farm is currently undergoing restoration to a native prairie/wetland habitat.
The Lake County Forest Preserve District maintains five forest preserves within Village Boundaries, including Old School, Grainger Woods, McArthur Woods, Captain Daniel Wright Woods and Adlai Stevenson Historic Home.
Mettawa also includes nine areas designated as Illinois Nature Preserves, one area within the Libertyville Township Open Space District, and the Covington Charitable Trust area (maintained by Lake Forest Open Lands Association).
The Des Plaines River Trail
Des Plaines River Trail
The Des Plaines River Trail is a recreational multiuse trail that follows the course of the Des Plaines River through most of Lake and part of Cook County in northeast Illinois in the United States....
runs through the western edge of Mettawa, and connects with the Village's own Mettawa Trail system, which is used by pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.
Commercial Development
Commercial development has occurred within and adjacent to Mettawa in recent years, despite resistance by residents and the Village Board. However, an unusually high percentage of the commercial structures are green buildings which have achieved high Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
(LEED) ratings. Tax revenues from businesses in Mettawa provide income to the Village which in turn provides eligible residents with a tax rebate.
HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
completed construction of its North American Headquarters in Mettawa in 2008. Although no longer corporate headquarters, the building remains fully occupied by HSBC. This building achieved LEED Gold Certification and in March 2009 was named Green Development of the Year by The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).
The W. W. Grainger
W. W. Grainger
W. W. Grainger, Inc. is a Fortune 500 industrial supply company founded in 1927 in Chicago, Illinois. Grainger's catalog includes such offerings as motors, lighting, material handling, fasteners, plumbing, tools, and safety supplies. Revenue is generally from business to business sales rather than...
company's headquarters is located on unincorporated land enclosed within Mettawa's borders. In 2008 this building was updated to achieve its 2009 Gold LEED certification. Grainger purchased 535 acres (2.2 km²) of land in Mettawa (1993–1998), then disconnected from the Village to become part of unincorporated Lake County. In 1996, all of this land was annexed back into the village, with the exception of the 155 acre (0.6272633 km²) office campus. Grainger donated 257 acres (1 km²) to the Lake County Forest Preserve District. The resulting Grainger Forest Preserve hosts an equestrian center and includes open lands filled with rare ecosystems and species. The remaining Grainger acreage is within the Village and zoned 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) residential.
Other major businesses also located near the busy intersection of highway I-94 and Route 60 in Mettawa include CDW
CDW
CDW Corporation, headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois, is a reseller of computer hardware, software and supplies. Along with its warehouse-attached showroom in Illinois, CDW takes orders from its catalog via mail order, telephone and the Internet....
, Residence Inn and Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn is a chain of hotels trademarked by the Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Garden Inns are considered to be upscale mid-priced hotels that are designed for both business and leisure travelers. The hotel brand is similar to that of the Courtyard by Marriott brand, a key competitor...
, with construction of a Costco currently underway. Businesses located along Boulton Boulevard (east of I-94 in Mettawa's northeast corner) include Impact Networking, Metro Self-Storage and Stage Right, Inc.
Residential Development
The Village maintains a low-density five-acre zoning requirement for residential development. Most of Mettawa's Planned Unit Develoments (PUD) have included conservation easements and land restoration.The Deerpath Farm conservation community, Mettawa's largest (200 acre (0.809372 km²)) PUD, includes 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) of restored open lands managed by Lake Forest Open Lands Association, and also sponsors community workdays and nature education events. In 2006 it was named Development of the Year by the Lake County Stormwater Management Association for its innovative hydrology management based on wetland restoration.
Other PUDs within Mettawa include Sanctuary Estates and Mettawa Woods.
In the news
- "Neighborly gestures soothes Mettawa Costco foes" Daily Herald (22 Apr 2010)
- Mettawa woman turns dead oak tree into tables for her children" Daily Herald (25 Jun 2009
- "Hold the coin flip: Absentee votes decide Mettawa mayor's race" Daily Herald (21 Apr 2009)
- "Mettawa Ready for Change" Daily Herald (19 Mar 2009)
- "HSBC relocating North America staff to a 'green' building in a rural village" New York Times
- "Bank takes Environmental Step into Rural Town" New York Times (7 July 2008)]
Geography
Mettawa is located at 42°14′38"N 87°55′4"W (42.243972, -87.917909).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 367 people, 135 households, and 108 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 67.1 people per square mile (25.9/km²). There were 141 housing units at an average density of 25.8 per square mile (10.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.64% White, 2.45% Asian, 1.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.09% of the population.
There were 135 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 1.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 36.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $127,388, and the median income for a family was $153,129. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $51,250 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $89,104. About 3.1% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- Village of Mettawa site
- Village of Mettawa Code of Ordinances at American Legal Publishing - Online Library
- Article at the Encyclopedia of ChicagoEncyclopedia of ChicagoEncyclopedia of Chicago is an historical reference work covering Chicago and the entire Chicago metropolitan area published by the University of Chicago Press. Released in October 2004, the work is the result of a ten-year collaboration between the Newberry Library and the Chicago Historical Society...