Land purchase completes unique acquisition deal

The final part of a unique arrangement that will provide a crucial link to a regional trail system and other benefits was approved last Thursday by the Libertyville Township board.

Trustees enthusiastically agreed to purchase 5.4 acres from the Liberty Prairie Conservancy for $459,000, as part of a three-way agreement that also involves the Lake County Forest Preserve District.

"We will be the final piece of the puzzle," said Supervisor Betty-Ann Moore. "The participation from all three parties is what's going to make this work -- each of the parties wins in this agreement."

For the township, the acquisition extends its holdings stretching from the southwest corner of Casey Road and Milwaukee Avenue to about 24 acres. It also provides added protection to Bulls Brook, a high-quality stream that flows through the parcel to the Des Plaines River.

"It enhanced the whole acquisition," Moore said. The township now controls about 1,500 acres of open space.

The forest preserve board last week agreed to buy about 15 acres from the Conservancy just south of the township piece for $1.3 million. That piece will become a west addition to the Independence Grove forest preserve and will provide an opportunity to connect the Des Plaines River Trail and the township's Oak Openings trail system.

That connects with other trails totaling about 17 miles north and west to the Rollins Savanna forest preserve near the northern border of Grayslake.

"I didn't realize what an amazing distance it will allow us to cover," Moore said.

The actions were initiated by the Conservancy, a not-for-profit land protection group. After lengthy negotiations and boosted by substantial private donations, the group announced a contract to purchase the 34-acre Casey Farm. In turn, it sold pieces to the forest preserve and township.

The Conservancy's purchase included the Civil War-era farm house, which someday may be restored. The land has been in the Casey family since the 1860s, making it one of a dozen remaining farms in Lake County that had remained in the same family for at least 100 years.

The trail connection will involve an underpass beneath Milwaukee Avenue. No timetable has been set but the work would be done when the road is widened by the Illinois Department of Transportation.