The McHenry County Planning, Environment & Development Committee voted on Dec. 2 to forward a recommendation to appoint Charlie Eldridge to the county Historic Preservation Commission.

Eldridge, who described himself as a sixth-generation McHenry County resident with decades of local planning and preservation work, told the committee he has been involved in county planning commissions and the Zoning Board of Appeals and is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "I've always believed in private property," Eldridge said, adding that preservation requires balancing private owners’ rights with the public interest and, in many cases, finding adaptive reuses that make preservation economically viable.

Committee members praised Eldridge's experience. A motion to recommend Eldridge was moved by Joe Betamoller and seconded by Carolyn Campbell; members voiced support during brief discussion and the committee voted to forward the recommendation to the county board.

During questioning, Eldridge acknowledged that not every structure can or should be preserved if it is too deteriorated; he emphasized trying for compromise and economic approaches to keep significant structures in use. The committee took no other formal action on preservation policy at the meeting.

The recommendation will be transmitted to the county board for final appointment action.