Land Donation Will Add 12 Acres of Forest Preserve Near Red Gate Road
The Forest Preserve Commission of Kane County accepted a land donation Tuesday (Oct. 11, 2016) that will add more than 12 acres of preserved property adjacent to the Fox River Bluff East Forest Preserve in St. Charles Township.
The resolution accepts the lands by gift from Gregory C. Grabacki, Andrew S. Grabacki and Lisa A. Schneider.
Forest Preserve Commission President Michael Kenyon said the property, located near the Red Gate Road Bridge over the Fox River, had been earmarked for subdivision. Instead of adding homes and population to Kane County, Kenyon said, the donation means that the 12.2 acres of property will remain as open space for perpetuity.
“I’m sure the neighbors will be happy it will all stay as woods,” he said.
For more information, see the Forest Preserve Commission agenda packet, located on the meeting portal of the Kane County website.
SOURCE: Forest Preserve District of Kane County agenda packet
About Fox River Bluff (East) Forest Preserve
Fox River Bluff Forest Preserve straddles the Fox River in St. Charles. East of the river, the preserve is referred to as Fox River Bluff (East) Forest Preserve.
During the 1980s, the Forest Preserve Commission placed emphasis upon acquiring the remaining river-edge property of the Redgate farm (on the west side of the river) and the Severson farm (east of the river). The land was farmed for a long time and still retains long stretches of riverbank.
The preserve’s initial acquisition of 2 acres of railway right-of-way took place in 1984. A beautiful section of the Fox River Trail crosses the property upon the right of way of the old trolley line.
The wooded portion of the preserve, located south of Red Gate Road, is known as Norton Woods. This 31-acre portion was a donation to the Forest Preserve District in memory of Carol Ann Buck. This extraordinary gift is exceptional not only for the generosity but also for the unusual land form. It contains the mouth of Norton Creek and it is the point at which the Newark Valley rock formation is exposed to the surface. Norton Creek twists and turns in oxbow formation as it winds through the floodplain forest to the Fox River.
Between 1988 and 1991, 36 acres were added from the Severson Farm, with the aid of an Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant. The former Severson farm is the northern section of Fox River Bluff Forest Preserve.
Additionally, nine acres were acquired from the city of St. Charles in 2002, along with what would become the eastern edge of the Red Gate Bridge in 2012.
SOURCE: Forest Preserve of Kane County website
In Other Action
The Forest Preserve Commission approved resolutions:
- Authorizing the purchase of two 2017 Chevy Tahoe utility police vehicles through the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative agreement. The commission approved the expenditure of $76,496.90 for the Tahoes and the equipment installation from Communications Direct of Batavia in the amount of $9,944.20, for a total cost of $86,441.10.
- Accepting a bid for the construction of ADA accessible walks at the Johnson’s Mound and the Fabyan Forest Preserve. The ADA walks will pay $59,204.03 to the low bidder, Evans and Son, Inc., of West Chicago, to install the walks.
- Providing for brush and tree removal at various forest preserves.
- Authorizing the purchase of electricity and authorizing the Forest Preserve District of Kane County’s executive director to approve a contract with VanGuard Energy Services, LLC for Electric Services for a period of up to 36 months.
- Accepting the 2017/18 estimated budget for the purpose of establishing the 2016 property tax levy.
Resolution No. FP-R-16-10-2500 — Authorizing Acceptance of Lands by Gift from Gregory C. Grabacki, Andrew S. Grabacki, and Lisa A. Schneider Located in St. Charles Township
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois, is organized and existing under “An Act of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois entitled “An Act to Provide for the Creation and Management of Forest Preserve Districts” approved June 27, 1913, as amended; and
WHEREAS, it has been deemed advisable, necessary and in the best interests of said Forest Preserve District that the Board of Commissioners of Forest Preserve District acquire additional lands for forest preserve purposes, which said lands, together with all lands heretofore acquired, will not exceed 55,000 acres; and
WHEREAS, from time to time persons desire to contribute lands to the Forest Preserve District of Kane County by gift and for no consideration to be paid for such land; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserve District desires to receive land by gift which meets its criteria for use for forest preserve purposes, and is otherwise acceptable to it.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:
1. That it has been determined that a forest preserve should be laid out, established, constructed and maintained on certain real property hereinafter described, said real property being located within the corporate boundaries of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois, and that said forest preserve be used, occupied, improved and developed for forest preserve purposes in a manner necessary and convenient for public use.
2. It is hereby determined that it is necessary and desirable that the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois, shall acquire title to or any interest in and possession of the real property which is described on Exhibit A attached hereto, and which real property meets the criteria established by the Forest Preserve District for property to be acquired by it.
3. That the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois, upon completion of the conveyance by the grantor does hereby accept the real property described on Exhibit “A” attached hereto as a gift by the grantor and for no consideration to be paid by it for same.
4. That the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois does hereby express its gratitude to the grantor of the real property being conveyed to it and does hereby acknowledge receipt and acceptance of the gift being made by the grantor.
