Lake Villa Township meeting change

Lake Villa Township officials have moved the location of Monday's special meeting to vote on buying the Antioch Golf Club to the township's West Campus Center at 37850 N. Route 59. It was moved to accommodate more people. The meeting, at 7 p.m., is required by state law any time a township wants to purchase land, in this case the nearly 100-acre, 18-hole golf course on the township's far western edge. Any Lake Villa Township registered voter is invited to attend the meeting to vote to authorize the township board to move forward with the purchase. The price is estimated at about $750,000, which is about half the township's general fund reserves. The golf course loses about $85,000 annually, but township Supervisor Dan Venturi believes revitalizing the course and better marketing of the restaurant and banquet facility could make it profitable within a few years. Critics argue publicly owned golf courses are often money-losing operations and buying this property will remove about $31,000 from the tax rolls.