Forest Preserve Considers Selling $500 Parcels Along Fox River in St. Charles

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County is considering the sale of five small, district-owned parcels along Riverside Drive in St. Charles that border the Fox River. Together, the parcels total just over 2 acres.

District officials said the properties were originally acquired in the 1980s and 1990s as part of an effort to assemble land for the Fox River Trail. However, the trail was ultimately constructed east of the parcels, leaving the district with several small strips of land it no longer needs.

According to the district, the parcels are not suitable for development as a forest preserve due to their size and shape. Some are only a few feet wide. The properties also contain a number of encroachments, including docks that pre-date district ownership. Officials said the district does not want to assume liability for those structures or incur the cost of removing them.

There are five parcels in total, covering approximately 2.07 acres. Each has been appraised at about $500, according to a news release. Any proceeds from a sale would be directed back into the district’s Land Acquisition Fund.

On April 30, the district’s Land Acquisition Committee approved advancing a resolution to the Executive Committee for consideration on May 7, according to a news release. If approved there, it will move to the full commission for a final vote on May 12.

If the sale is approved, the parcels are expected to be auctioned to the highest bidder later this spring, forest preserve district officials said.