Kane forest district moves to condemn old railroad land so it can link Great Western Trail
A rare push by the Kane County Forest Preserve District to condemn private property long coveted by the agency and St. Charles officials may be the first step in fulfilling a plan to create a major east-west arterial bike and pedestrian path.
The land, which is owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, is key to filling a gap that would eventually allow the Great Western Trail to extend from downtown St. Charles to Sycamore.
Forest district commissioners voted this week to seek condemnation of a narrow 8-acre stretch that begins near the Cardinal Industries property on unincorporated land and runs east to near the intersection of Dean Street and Randall Road. There hasn't been rail traffic on the Union Pacific property for more than a decade.
If the district can acquire the land, it could extend the existing Great Western Trail from the parking area off the LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve to Randall Road. If that sale or takeover goes through, it may open the door for the St. Charles Park District to acquire the Union Pacific parcel to the east of Randall Road and connect the Great Western Trail to its eastern portion near the Fox River and St. Charles City Hall.
St. Charles City Administrator Mark Koenen said there have been several attempts to discuss a purchase of that 3-mile stretch in the last decade.
"It would be huge," Koenen said of the impact of Union Pacific giving up or selling that land. "There's real value in putting that trail connection through there. But that rail line has probably been there a lot longer than you or I have been around. It's privately held property by Union Pacific, and as a private group, they are motivated by profits."
Union Pacific removed the railroad tracks from the property a few years ago. The railroad may have lease agreements with electrical and communications companies that still make it a profitable holding.
Holly Cabel, the director of parks and recreation for the St. Charles Park District, said district officials are waiting to see what happens with the forest district's efforts. If successful, the park district already has a $465,000 grant lined up to help acquire the Union Pacific land stretching east from Randall Road to the Fox River.
More than 70% of park district residents rated connecting the two parts of the Great Western Trail as a top priority in a recent community survey.
"Trails need to be connected to have real value," Cabel said. "This would be a huge piece of connection. There is value for recreation, number one, but there's also a nonmotorized commuter aspect. This would provide a safe route from Sycamore to the Fox River."