Village Of Northbrook: Green Acres Questions Answered

Press release from the Village of Northbrook:

On Monday, May 6, 2024, the DuPage Water Commission purchased land from the Green Acres property owner, led by David Kahnweiler, Manager of GA Northbrook LLC. Since the Green Acres Country Club closed in 2016, the Village has worked to ensure the proper redevelopment of this property. In the last eight years, the Village has held dozens of meetings, both public facing and internally with the property owner, potential developers, neighbors, residents and staff to move proposed projects forward, most recently this Board negotiated and entered into a Pre-Development Agreement with GA Northbrook LLC and the Cook County Forest Preserve for the acquisition of land for our public facility, the preservation of open space and the commercial development of a data center. Had the Village known about this land purchase before its closing, the Village Board would have made the Water Commission aware of its many concerns. Of course, Northbrook’s local government does not have the authority to review, approve, or deny the private sale of property. Moving forward, we look forward to meeting with the DuPage Water Commission to understand its intentions in our community. The Village will keep residents updated on this matter as more information becomes available.

GREEN ACRES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When did the Village Board of Trustees learn of the DuPage Water Commission’s purchase of land from the Green Acres landowner led by David Kahnweiler, Manager of the ownership group GA Northbrook LLC? The Village of Northbrook learned of the purchase through a press releases issued by the DuPage Water Commission on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. The press release announced that GA Northbrook LLC had sold the roughly 127-acre property to the DuPage Water Commission on Monday, May 6, 2024.

What is the DuPage Water Commission, and why is it purchasing the land? The DuPage Water Commission is a public entity created by State Statute that provides water to communities in DuPage County, Illinois. The stated use of the land is to build a water treatment facility on it that would be needed to provide DuPage County communities direct access to Lake Michigan water.

What rights does the Village have to approve this purchase? The purchase of privately owned land is not something the Village of Northbrook has the authority to review, approve or deny.

Will the Village receive property taxes from the land used by DuPage Water Commission? The DuPage Water Commission is a government body and thus would be eligible to seek tax-exempt status from the County. Because the property had been zoned and used as open space for several decades, the property taxes that had been generated from the property are nominal.

Will all of the land be used by DuPage for a water treatment facility? We do not have this information yet. The DuPage Water Commission has not made public their intentions for the full roughly 127-acre property.

What was the latest pre-development agreement the Village had for the property? On December 12, 2023, the Village Board approved a Pre-Development Agreement with GA Northbrook LLC. This agreement outlined the details of a public-private partnership supported by the Village Board for the redevelopment of the entire site. The plan included a 10-acre municipal parcel for the future development of a fire station and fire administration facility. The Village Board’s approval document can be found here.

What happens to the proposed Village fire station that was contemplated under the December 2023 pre-development agreement for a portion of the property? The men and women of the Northbrook Fire Department respond to approximately 7,900 Fire and EMS calls a year, and the demand for service continuously increases. If the station is not able to be constructed on this land, the Village will be forced to reevaluate its long-term capital improvement plans, which are also stressed by significant facility needs for Northbrook's Police Station and Fleet Maintenance Garage.

What preliminary reviews have occurred for the Green Acres property since 2016? 2019 – Terra Verde (mixed residential project) Agenda - Tuesday, November 12, 2019.2020 – Terra Verde (mixed residential project - again) Agenda - Tuesday, August 11, 2020. 2021 – Erickson Senior Living – Agenda - Tuesday, October 26, 2021 .

Did the village board turn down any formal requests for zoning changes? The Village of Northbrook has received one application for rezoning and development of the Green Acres Country Club since the club closed its doors in 2016. At a public meeting in April, 2023, the Village Board expressed its satisfaction with the proposal and its willingness to approve it. However, the following month applicant, Erickson Senior Living, withdrew its application due to its reevaluation of the senior living market on the North Shore. In May of 2023, Erickson sent the Village a statement reading in part as follows: “Erickson Senior Living has made the difficult decision not to move forward with the development of the Green Acres Country Club property. We understand this news will be unexpected to many and we can assure the community that this decision comes only after a thorough evaluation of the project's long-term feasibility and potential market conditions."

What are the next steps? The Village Board of Trustees will take necessary steps to ensure the proper redevelopment of the Green Acres property. This includes any and all possible legal, regulatory, and legislative remedies available. The Village’s top priority remains acquiring property for its municipal buildings including a fire station.

This press release was produced by the Village of Northbrook. The views expressed here are the author’s own.