Naperville parks still interested in Hobson land

The Naperville Park District will continue to pursue land between the ponds in the Hobson West neighborhood.

"We have asked our counsel that is representing us during the Hobson ponds purchase to take the next step in negotiating further with the developer toward the eventual purchase of the Hobson pond (land)," board President Kristen Jungles said Thursday.

The park district currently owns 9 acres that make up two ponds at the site between Plainfield-Naperville Road and West Street. Residents have been pushing it for several years to purchase the six acres in between to create a 15-acre park.

Resident Virginia Petru said she considers the land part of Naperville's fabric right along with the Riverwalk and Centennial Beach and urged its purchase despite being unsuitable for athletic fields.

"It represents many of us, the things that are important to us in our lives, the things that bring us refreshment and peace and beauty," she said. "Not all of us are super athletes. Not all of us who live in Naperville have children who play soccer."

But the park district has been unable to reach an agreement on price with current owner Crestview Builders.

The park district is offering $2.5 million for the land, while Crestview is asking for $4.1 million.

The two sides had set a Jan. 30 deadline for negotiations. Commissioners in support of purchasing the land attempted to hold a special meeting on that date to publicly discuss and vote on the issue after months of only broaching the topic behind closed doors.

But only commissioners Ron Ory, Suzanne Hart and Andrew Schaffner showed up -- too few members to legally conduct a meeting.

Crestview has agreed to keep negotiating and said in a Jan. 30 letter it feels the land is best suited for open space. However, Crestview attorney Kathy West said Thursday afternoon there had not been any significant negotiations in the past two weeks.

The board itself is divided over whether the land would be a wise investment for the district. But when the issue came up Thursday, the board did not discuss it publicly other than to say it has decided to keep negotiating and that it appreciates Crestview's patience.

If the park district does not purchase the property, Crestview plans to build townhouses on it.

Residents in the audience said they were pleased to hear that the park district would continue to negotiate for the property.

Resident Tom O'Hale said the land would have educational value, giving students the chance to study plant and animal life in the area.

"Hobson ponds of Naperville are not a place of beauty just for Hobson," he said. "It's for the schools and citizens throughout Naperville that everyone can become involved in what has been described as a piece of heaven."

The board's next meeting is at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at the park district administration building, 320 W. Jackson Ave.