$4 million land purchase on table at Warren Township
Warren Township government wants to spend $4 million on 50 acres that would be converted into athletic fields and a preserve near Gurnee Mills.
Proponents say there is a need to accommodate continued growth in youth baseball and softball, football and lacrosse in the Gurnee area. They also say the land price has dropped to where the township can get it at an affordable $80,000 per acre.
But a representative from a local tax watchdog group says there are several problems with the plan, such as the $4 million expense for the 50 acres and Warren Township straying from its core function by getting deeper into recreation and land preservation.
Residents who are registered voters will determine the proposed purchase's fate at a town hall meeting set for 7 p.m. Oct. 28. at Warren Township High School's O'Plaine Road campus auditorium in Gurnee.
If built, the 50 acres near Stearns School Road and Mill Creek Drive, northwest of Gurnee Mills, would have three football fields, four baseball/softball diamonds and two lacrosse fields, according to a conceptual development plan.
Plans also call for restoration and preservation of 17 acres with hickory and oak trees so the land can be used for picnics, bicycling and hiking. The property is in unincorporated Lake County.
Ray Weinstock, president of the Warren Area Lacrosse Association, is among those supporting the township land buy. He said lacrosse participation continues to boom, with 175 boys and girls expected to join teams in the spring, up from last year's 100.
"Without the development of additional fields," Weinstock said, "we will be forced to limit how many kids we can have and turn away many kids who want an opportunity to play."
However, Ken Arnold of Citizens for Responsible Government, a Gurnee-area watchdog group, questions spending $4 million on the land in a weak economy. He said Warren Township's main role is social services, not recreation or forest preserve creation.
Arnold also criticized a lack of publicity by Warren Township regarding the Oct. 28 meeting that'll determine if the land purchase happens. He contends officials also quietly worked to rally supporters to a meeting that ended in approval of a $1.5 million loan for a new township hall in 1998.
"It's a 100 percent direct parallel," Arnold said. "It's amazing."
Township sports director Rick Dreyer said a $3.3 million loan and $700,000 in cash would pay for the 50 acres. Officials said future revenue and not a tax increase would go toward the loan repayment.
Dreyer said the township wants the 50 acres for its long-range recreation plan. He said it's a rare opportunity to buy such a large parcel where homes once were planned.
"We've been looking to expand for quite some time now," Dreyer said.
About 80 acres accommodate outdoor recreation at Warren Township's campus at Washington Street and Almond Road just outside Gurnee.
Warren Township includes some or all of Gurnee, Waukegan, Grayslake, Lindenhurst, Beach Park, Third Lake and unincorporated Lake County.