Carpentersville sees Brunner Farm site as homes, shops

Carpentersville officials want Kane County Forest Preserve District officials to back off negotiations with the owners of the massive Brunner Farm in unincorporated Dundee Township.

Leaders of the northern Fox Valley village see the 700-acre riverfront site as ripe for development, especially in conjunction with the proposed construction of a bridge at Longmeadow Parkway nearby.

Development there will generate revenue for the village and jobs for its residents, Economic Development/ Special Projects Coordinator Janice Murphy told the forest preserve commission Tuesday.

Carpentersville leaders "see the Brunner Farm as being one of the most important development sites in Kane County," Murphy said.

Over the years various government officials and community activists have presented plans for the farm that range from a regional bridge to a state park to a massive residential development. Forest preserve officials began seriously eyeing the site about two years ago.

But forest preserve commission President John Hoscheit said they're not close to reaching a deal with the landowner.

"Discussions are ongoing," he told commissioners at Tuesday's meeting. "This is really a work in progress."

Although it lies outside the village's border, a boundary agreement between Carpentersville and Algonquin states Carpentersville could annex the land without opposition from Algonquin.

Village President Bill Sarto said he would like to see the forest preserve purchase and maintain the relatively small section of the site that is adjacent to the Fox River. But he wants to see the majority of the land developed into retail space and estate-style homes, as outlined in the village's comprehensive plan.

"This (farm) is a real key piece to our puzzle, so we can't really just let it go," Sarto said.