Fate of former golf course in Bloomingdale remains uncertain
Nearly two months after a judge dismissed a lawsuit that would have compelled Bloomingdale to review redevelopment plans for the former Indian Lakes golf course, the future of the property remains in limbo.
Indian Lakes Resort owner First ILR LLC and prospective developer K. Hovnanian T & C Homes filed the lawsuit to force the village to schedule public hearings for a proposal to rezone the resort's former golf course and transform it into a neighborhood with hundreds of houses for empty nesters.
But then the case was dismissed on June 29.
There's been little communication between the village and First ILR since.
"The ball is in their court," Bloomingdale Village Administrator Pietro Scalera said Monday. "We're literally waiting for them to decide what their next step is going to be."
Patrick Skarr, a spokesman for First ILR and K. Hovnanian, declined to comment when reached by phone Monday.
First ILR and K. Hovnanian were seeking a preliminary review of a 1,500-page application for a zoning change for 190 acres of the 223-acre resort along Schick Road.
The owner and developer wanted to rezone the land to allow for a subdivision with 535 ranch-style houses for people 55 and older, called Four Seasons at Indian Lakes.
At issue was whether the village had to begin consideration of the application, despite officials' position that it's incomplete because it lacks final engineering plans, or whether the owner and developer must seek further administrative remedies, such as submitting final engineering or seeking review through a process other than a zoning change.
With the lawsuit dismissed, Scalera said it's up to First ILR and K. Hovnanian to decide how they want to proceed.
About a week after the court ruling, First ILR asked the village about the possibility of resubmitting the application as a planned unit development, which wouldn't require final engineering.
Under a planned unit development, the specific project is considered, and approval means only that specific project can be built on the site, officials said.
If there was a zoning change, the property owner would have broader freedom to construct anything that is permissible under the new zoning designation.
Scalera said the village responded First ILR's questions about the PUD process. It was the last time they communicated.
Discussions about Indian Lakes began when the 27-hole golf course and a 36,000-square-foot conference center were closed in late 2016 as part of an effort to save the property's hotel.
Then in March 2017, First ILR announced a major hotel renovation, along with plans for the Four Seasons subdivision on the former golf course. But because of the delay in redeveloping the golf course, the property owner has said upgrades to the hotel are on hold.
Scalera, meanwhile, said there's a great deal of public interest in the former golf course. "I think everyone wants to have the discussion on what can happen there so that we can all move on," he said.