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From the Chicago Tribune
November 29, 2001
By William Presecky
Tribune staff reporter
The president of the Kane County Forest Preserve District added his voice Wednesday to those opposing an outer-belt
expressway that could run through the western edge of the county and hurt the district's expansion plans.
"If necessary, I will try to pass a [forest preserve] resolution in opposition to it," Jack Cook (R-Elgin)
said at a district meeting.
He is concerned about the proximity of the proposed corridor to the nearly 500-acre Big Rock Forest Preserve on
Jericho Road near Illinois Highway 47. Depending on the configuration, the land could abut the preserve or run
through land adjacent to it that Cook said has been targeted for acquisition.
The possible district purchase of the land west and north of Big Rock preserve is "one of the most exciting
additions" contemplated for the diverse preserve, he said.
"We were there first," he said.
The Illinois Department of Transportation proposal for safeguarding land for a link between Interstate Highways
88 and 80 already has drawn the ire of Kane County Board Chairman Mike McCoy (R-Aurora).
McCoy says the highway would be contrary to the county's land-use and transportation plans. He also said it would
devalue multimillion-dollar efforts by the county and the Forest Preserve District to acquire open space. It also
would hurt efforts by the county to buy farmland and farmland development rights, he said.
Cook said he plans to express his concerns at a Dec. 11 hearing that IDOThas scheduled in Yorkville. He called
on forest preserve commissioners to join him.
The format being used by IDOT for the hearing doesn't include any formal presentation by state planners, but does
provide for public comment. The hearing is designed to provide the public with information, answer questions and
elicit comments.
The state intends to set aside a 400-foot-wide, 33-mile swath of land that it would buy if it moves to build a
link between I-88 and I-80.
About 9 miles of the proposed corridor are in Kane County, with most of the rest in Kendall County. A proposed
northern corridor link from I-88 to I-90, which has been projected to run through the northern two-thirds of western
Kane County, isn't included in the safeguarding effort, according to state road planners.