Owner of Naperville golf course fighting to keep it

Jury selection began Monday in the nearly 9-year-old condemnation suit pitting the DuPage County Forest Preserve against the owner of a controversial golf course on Naperville's northwest side.

At stake is the privately owned 18-hole Country Lakes Golf Course and surrounding land totaling more than 200 acres.

The owner, Robert Krilich Sr., has fought the condemnation proceedings for years, even while imprisoned on federal bribery and racketeering charges.

An Oakbrook Terrace-based development firm working with Krilich recently sent out letters to residents trying to sway the public about the proceedings. The letter claims Krilich offered to donate 70 acres of the property to the forest preserve, as well as wetlands and a small lake. That, he says, would be enough to keep a 9-hole course.

Forest preserve board President Dewey Pierotti said he wasn't aware of any offer and didn't expect the board would have jumped at the offer anyway.

"What are we going to do with that?" Pierotti asked. "We want the land to maintain the storm water retention properties for the area. Development of that property would have serious detrimental effects on the entire area."

In August, plans detailing a massive redevelopment scheme were presented to Naperville city leaders but never formally submitted to the planning staff. The plans showed hundreds of new townhouses and condominiums and a reduction of the golf course to nine holes.

The forest preserve district began condemnation proceedings in 1999, Pierotti said. It was a unanimous decision to go after the property.

There have been talks with the Naperville Park District about potentially taking over management of the golf operations at the site if the land is purchased, Pierotti said.

In 2003, forest preserve officials said it would cost upward of $12 million to renovate the course and clubhouse and there wasn't enough money in the district's coffers to support that at the time.

The golf course has made headlines in recent years for illegal brush dumping in county wetlands. The course also surrendered its liquor license after hosting a golf outing featuring bikini-clad dancers from an area gentleman's club.