Why keeping Fox River Trail requires costly South Elgin land deal
Keeping the popular Fox River Trail intact as a contiguous 40-mile attraction will cost Kane County taxpayers $540,000 in a pending new land purchase.
The deal is a three-way agreement between the Kane County Forest Preserve District, the village of South Elgin and the current landowner, Kentucky-based Wolf South Elgin Ventures LLC. It involves a 60-foot-wide strip of property right along the Fox River in South Elgin that stretches for 1.83 acres. The land is part of a 4.5-acres parcel that is now up for sale.
Up to now, the forest preserve district leased the land and used it as part of the Fox River Trail. The trail stretches from Algonquin to Aurora with segments in communities such as Carpentersville, Elgin and St. Charles. The trail links several forest preserve attractions, including the boat launch at Voyageur's Landing, the villa, museum and Japanese garden at the Fabyan Forest Preserve and the Durant Peterson House. Hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, jogging and fishing along the riverfront portions of the path are all common uses of the trail.
“The Fox River Trail is the most recognized trail system in Kane County,” reads a forest preserve district staff memo on the pending deal. “The process to construct the trail took many years to complete, finishing sections of the trail as land was acquired and funds were available. Still to this day, the district continues to make improvements and increase connections to this trail.”
The value of the currently vacant land in the pending deal, 50 N. Center St., South Elgin, is evident in the $540,000 purchase price. South Elgin will fund an environmental study of the land and agree that any land/cash donations required in private development of the remaining acres is satisfied by the property the forest preserve district will receive.
A forest preserve district committee unanimously agreed to the deal last week. The full commission must still vote on the deal at its July 14 meeting before it becomes final.