Residents and visitors to the rolling hills of Kane County will soon have 122 more acres to explore at the corner of Randall and Binnie Roads in West Dundee!
The land, formerly owned and used as a horse training facility by the Galvin family of Motorola fame, would have become a large commercial warehousing and distribution development if area neighbors hadn’t come together to protest what they called a “diesel farm,” because of all of the trucks that would be coming and going. Thanks to their organized and united voices, the development proposal was defeated.
A grove of mature oaks, beautiful, rolling topography, a creek meandering through on its way to the Fox River, and the fact that it is next to Schweitzer Woods Forest Preserve, with trails just waiting to be linked up, are a few of the features that make this a place worth the fight. It is also across the street from a bustling recreational area owned by the Township, which includes a golf course, disc golf course, large recreation center, and a zoo. The Village of West Dundee envisions building a pedestrian bridge to link the active recreation with the trails and natural areas of this newly preserved property.
As is usually the case, a whole cast of creative and conservation-minded characters worked together to save this land. A local resident first purchased the property from the Galvin family with an eye towards woodland restoration and open space preservation. To achieve that goal, The Conservation Foundation then bought the land from them, and we will hold onto it with the intent of negotiating a transfer for perpetual protection by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. However, none of this would have been possible without the significant contributions of a private family foundation that gave a substantial donation toward the purchase price and also financed the rest of the $6 million purchase. Their generosity made it possible to protect this property from development, and hopefully, will enable acquisition by the Forest Preserve District at a substantially reduced price.
Thanks to our donors, the passionate conservation ethic of local residents, and our partners, this land will remain home to wild things rather than warehouses. Your loyal support is what makes it possible in situations like this for us to work within the seller’s timeframe, and navigate and coordinate between the various residents and public and private entities involved. We look forward to introducing you to our region’s newest protected open space, soon!
