Daily Herald opinion: Patience pays off: Forest preserve district makes the right move to acquire site near Wheaton

Several decades after a horse farm near Wheaton appeared on a government wish list, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has finalized a $12 million deal to acquire the land.

The district recently announced its purchase of the 35-acre Gladstone Ridge property. The site, which includes pastures, lawns and wetlands, is located on the east side of Leask Lane and is bordered on roughly three sides by Danada Forest Preserve and the Morton Arboretum.

Thanks to the deal, the property — also known as Bolger Farm — will remain open space in one of the most developed parts of DuPage County.

The forest preserve district also achieved a longtime goal of linking Danada in Wheaton to the arboretum in Lisle.

“This purchase reflects our community’s values and commitment to conservation,” Forest Preserve District President Daniel Hebreard said in a written statement. “Thanks to the public’s trust and support, we can ensure this land stays protected and accessible for future generations while connecting two of DuPage County’s most beloved natural areas.”

We applaud the forest preserve district for finally making the purchase a reality after multiple failed attempts to acquire the land.

The district’s desire to buy the land from the Bolger family dates back to the 1980s. However, the late Helen and Vincent Bolger never wanted to sell.

In March 1999, the forest preserve commissioners had to scrap plans to condemn Gladstone Ridge after the Bolgers waged a public-relations campaign that rallied public sentiment against the district obtaining the land by eminent domain.

Even recent efforts to buy the property from the Bolgers’ children didn’t go smoothly.

In January 2022, forest preserve commissioners approved a resolution that authorized district administrators to begin the negotiations.

However, the Bolger family asked the district to rescind the resolution in the fall of 2023. They said the talks had broken down, and the presence of the resolution was discouraging other potential buyers.

Last December, the family filed a lawsuit against the district. The forest preserve board rescinded its resolution, and the family dropped the lawsuit several weeks later.

But there was a positive sign earlier this year when the Bolger family reopened discussions. And despite their previous differences, the district and the family reached mutually acceptable terms.

Meanwhile, the district demonstrated an impressive amount of patience to get a result both sides could be happy with. Instead of entertaining any thoughts of condemnation and trying to force the Bolger family to sell the land, district officials waited until the time was right to buy the land.

While it took decades, the acquisition will add to Danada’s 797 acres of prairies, woods and wetlands. An already beautiful forest preserve just got better.