Bensenville neighbors tee up fight over White Pines land sale as park district eyes big money

Deborah K. Vick

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Bensenville Park District commissioners could fetch a hefty price tag from builders if the board moves in advance with a controversial proposal to sell a significant swath of the White Pines Golf Club.

But lots of residents in a leafy location adjacent to White Pines are teeing up a combat more than the foreseeable future of the 36-gap general public training course.

The park district successfully lobbied for a alter in condition legislation letting the sale of up to 125 acres of golf course assets. The under-the-radar laws expires in January 2023, meaning any this kind of offer would possible have to be approved by the board months in progress.

Builders could shell out an eye-catching sum of money for open land in a red-incredibly hot industrial genuine estate industry about O’Hare Intercontinental Airport. A 30-calendar year-outdated, two-story household in the Mohawk Terrace neighborhood marketed for $1.7 million very last summertime just before builders demolished it — and the entire subdivision of 106 residences — to make room for warehouse buildings.

If the park district were being to sell 125 acres of the White Pines land, park district Govt Director Joseph Vallez claimed, its worth on the industrial industry “would be someplace all around $100 million minimally.”

If that acreage have been marketed for residential redevelopment, by comparison, it could snag approximately “$20 million, it’s possible a minimal little bit fewer,” Vallez stated.

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But the close by people termed it a funds seize.

“We lost qualities to O’Hare so they could establish runways,” explained Chuck Rizzo, who lives in close proximity to the southeastern edge of the golf class and spotted land surveyors in his backyard a pair of months back. “Now we’re likely to give up a lot more nonindustrial assets bought off to builders who are likely to support the airport again. We’re receiving squeezed from the north and the south.”

Janell Taraszka aided rally dozens of neighbors who confirmed up at a park board meeting Wednesday to protest a land sale. The meeting was moved to the Deer Grove Leisure Centre gymnasium partly to accommodate the turnout.

“We’re intended to be introducing inexperienced room — particularly simply because we’re surrounded by O’Hare, we are surrounded by the railroads,” Taraszka claimed. “… They are placing (the opportunity progress) in the middle of our neighborhood, which is unacceptable.”

Gina Mellenthin, a previous park board member, also worries about the decline of greenery.

“The individuals of this space took a massive hit being place closer to O’Hare,” she reported. “So now your air pollution barrier is a good deal nearer than it was just before. At the very least we experienced the land all over it that could take up some of this. … You can find no 125 contiguous acres everywhere still left in the space.”

        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        

 

White Pines had struggled to convert a gain before municipal programs appreciated a surge in recognition during the pandemic. But some residents say the park district deferred routine maintenance of White Pines and must have stepped up advertising to boost the golf organization.

The park district has been location the stage for achievable redevelopment by researching how to shell out the income that would be generated by offering White Pines land. The board on Wednesday night time was expected to hire consultants for a sports activities sector evaluation that could enable gauge the outlook for golfing and identify what leisure services and programming could advantage from an infusion of money.

“In the function that there was a sale, either by a household progress, mild industrial progress, or a blend of the two, 100% of these proceeds would go back into the Bensenville Park District,” Vallez mentioned.

The district could likely use the proceeds to produce the remaining 135 acres of White Pines into a new recreation facility below a conceptual strategy named “Bensenville 2..”

“We did in this grasp approach put a prospective hotel, but once again, which is just a learn strategy with visionary sort factors,” Vallez stated.

He reported there are several choices however on the table. The choice of undertaking practically nothing “leaves the park district in a precarious problem, with somewhere around $7 million in funds replacements and improvements” that are unfunded, Vallez mentioned.

He presented a timeline on when the park board may possibly come to a decision on a course: “in all probability 120 days prior to the expiration date on the legislation.”

• Daily Herald staff members author Scott C. Morgan contributed to this report

        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        



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