Will Indian Lakes be redeveloped? Lawsuit dismissal puts plans in jeopardy.
A lawsuit that could have compelled the village of Bloomingdale to conduct a preliminary review of redevelopment plans for the former Indian Lakes golf course has been dismissed.
DuPage County Judge Bonnie Wheaton dismissed the suit filed by Indian Lakes property owner First ILR LLC and prospective developer K. Hovnanian T & C Homes. Her decision gives the owner and developer a 30-day window to appeal.
The plaintiffs have been seeking a preliminary review of a 1,500-page application for a zoning change for 190 acres of the 223-acre resort along Schick Road for roughly nine months.
The owner and developer want to rezone the land to allow for a subdivision with 535 ranch-style houses for people 55 and older, called Four Seasons at Indian Lakes.
At issue is whether the village must begin consideration of the application, despite the village's position that it is incomplete because it lacks final engineering plans, or whether the owner and developer must seek further administrative remedies, such as submitting final engineering or seeking review through a process other than a zoning change.
With the lawsuit dismissed three months after it was filed, Bloomingdale Village Administrator Pietro Scalera said the village will wait to see how the owner and developer proceed.
Patrick Skarr, a spokesman for First ILR and K. Hovnanian, said redevelopment of the former golf course is the best way for the village to retain property values, preserve the character of the neighborhood and add economic value.
"We are disappointed and will evaluate all of our options on how to move forward," he said in a written statement after the lawsuit was dismissed.
Village President Franco Coladipietro said the dismissal proves the village is correct in requiring final engineering before considering this zoning change, as it would any other.
"We're pleased with the court's decision and that the court recognized that the Indian Lakes group needs to follow the same process as anyone else," he said.
Skarr said it could cost roughly $1 million to complete final engineering plans, and the owner and developer do not think it is in their best interest to go that route.
But the village does offer another option the Indian Lakes group can pursue - submitting its application as a planned unit development instead of a zoning change, which would not require final engineering.
Under a planned unit development, the specific project is considered, and approval means only that specific project can be built on the site, Scalera said. If a zoning change is approved, Scalera said the property owner would have broader freedom to construct anything that is permissible under the new zoning designation.
Discussions about Indian Lakes began when the 27-hole golf course and 36,000-square-foot conference center closed in late 2016.
First ILR initially announced a major hotel renovation, along with plans for the Four Seasons subdivision on the former golf course. But because of the delay in redeveloping the golf course, the property owner said upgrades to the hotel are on hold.