Residents donate $40,000 to help DuPage forest preserve buy land

Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve near Darien soon will grow by nine acres because neighbors contributed $40,000 to help the DuPage County Forest Preserve District acquire a vacant parcel next to the preserve.

In December, the forest preserve district was prepared to abandon its long-term plan to buy the parcel — located east of Western Avenue and north of 87th Street — after the bank that owned the land said it would cost $250,000.

The asking price for the land was $40,000 more than what it appraised for. And by law, the district can't pay more than fair market value for a piece of property, officials said.

“There was going to be an impasse,” forest preserve Commissioner Linda Painter said. “We were going to have to take a pass on this.”

So Painter, who lives in the Timberlake subdivision near Waterfall Glen, decided to reach out to neighbors to see if they would be willing to contribute to make the deal possible.

Over the course of a weekend, Painter rallied support from 20 Timberlake residents, who all promised to donate various amounts. Painter kicked in some money as well, which raised the total to the $40,000 that was needed.

The homeowners made their donations to a fund set up by the nonprofit Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, which then offered the money for the land purchase.

“I'm so impressed with the homeowners for putting their money where their mouth is,” Painter said. “They wanted the forest preserve to purchase the property. But when there was an impasse, they put the money out and spoke up and made it happen.”

The sale was finalized Jan. 29.

Painter said the residents who donated the money live near the property. By making their donations, the residents ensured there wouldn't be any future development at the site, which is 50 percent wetland.

“They could have put just about anything there,” said Painter, adding that roughly four of the nine acres could have been developed.

Forest preserve President Joseph Cantore issued a statement commending the residents' actions.

“Community partnerships like this help the district in its mission to protect and preserve more natural resources in DuPage County and connect more people to nature,” Cantore said.

The forest preserve board is expected to officially thank the Timberlake residents who donated during its meeting on Feb. 10. The residents will have their names added to the brass “giving tree” in the lobby of district headquarters in Wheaton.