County, save us from forest district

The DuPage County Forest Preserve District has lost sight of its mission and run amok. Without public hearings they have installed a compressed natural gas fueling station and plan to install three other alternative fueling stations in the McKee Marsh wildlife sanctuary in the Blackwell Forest Preserve at the intersection of Mack and Williams roads in plain sight of residential neighborhoods, hiking, bicycle, and horse trails.

What is sad is that the district originally did an excellent job of creating a serene habitat at McKee marsh that now has a vibrant bird population as well has hundreds of weekly visitors that use the hiking, bicycle, horse and cross-country ski trails. After this success and after redeeming themselves by cancelling past golf course and shooting range plans, they have now fallen off the wagon and have begun plans to build a 26,000 square foot 32 foot tall fleet maintenance building with plans for expansion - in a forest preserve, no less.

The forest district claims it wants to centralize fleet operations to gain efficiency. Great idea, but if they really want to be efficient why not join with the existing huge DuPage County maintenance facility operation on County Farm Road? that is already zoned for this type of activity?

Did you know that the FP is exempt from the DuPage County Zoning Ordinance? So if the FP wants to put a fueling station, parking lot, horse barn, or picnic area next to your residence, they can do it without a public hearing or even notifying you. We need some checks and balances, and therefore, I make the following plea to the DuPage County Board: Please cancel the inter-governmental agreement with the forest preserve district with a 30-day notice and thus make them subject to the zoning ordinances that the rest of us are bound by.

Tom Hornbach

Warrenville