Bloomingdale schedules first of several public hearings on Indian Lakes

More than two years after the owner of Indian Lakes Resort announced plans to transform the Bloomingdale site's former golf course into a neighborhood for empty nesters, residents are getting a chance to share their views.

Bloomingdale next week will hold the first of several public hearings on the proposal. The first is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium at Lake Park High School's East Campus, 600 S. Medinah Road, Roselle.

"We are pleased the community conversation has begun about the appropriate use of the former golf course," said Stephen Schwartz, manager of First ILR LLC, which owns the 223-acre Indian Lakes property along Schick Road.

"Our plan to reinvest, repurpose and reconnect the property to the community will retain open space, spur investments in stormwater infrastructure and generate millions of new annual tax revenue for local classrooms," Schwartz said.

First ILR permanently closed the 27-hole golf course and a conference center in late 2016 as part of an effort to save and improve the hotel.

Now K. Hovnanian Homes is seeking village permission to redevelop the roughly 191 acres of former golf course land into an "active lifestyle" community for residents 55 and older that would be called Four Seasons at Indian Lakes.

The proposed neighborhood would feature 535 ranch-style houses and a 14,000-square-foot clubhouse.

The plan also calls for open space with extensive landscaping and more than 2.7 miles of walking paths.

K. Hovnanian's application for a planned unit development was received by the village in November. But because of the number of documents, village staff needed time and assistance from consultants to review the application.

Bloomingdale officials said the village is going to provide ample opportunity for residents to provide feedback through a series of public meetings.

"The size of the proposed project and the importance of this property to our community requires that any redevelopment decisions only be made with the input of the community," Village President Franco Coladipietro said in a statement. "The public hearings will afford our resident an opportunity to share their thoughts on the future use of this property."

K. Hovnanian won't ask Bloomingdale's plan commission to make a recommendation on the project right away.

"We intend to begin to put on our case but also want to hear from the community," said Patrick Skarr, a spokesman for First ILR and K. Hovnanian. "We intend to go back and make adjustments or refinements to the plan based on what we hear."

In addition, the public hearing will only deal with the project proposed by K. Hovnanian.

However, the developer's application did provide a peek at what First ILR eventually might want to do with the remaining resort land.

According to the documents, the roughly 31 acres along Schick could someday become the Commons at Indian Lakes.

It would include the existing Indian Lakes Hotel and an existing restaurant. But it also could include two new restaurants, two medical office buildings, and two buildings with retail and office space.

Bloomingdale officials have said First ILR would need to file a separate application for that development.

Skarr said that won't happen until after the village makes a final decision about K. Hovnanian's project.

"If we can get some clarity and certainty about what's going to happen on the 190 acres, we'd reinvigorate and reinvest in the hotel as well," Skarr said. "But right now, we need to begin that conversation about the former golf course."