A member of one of Du Page County`s most politically prominent families has vowed to remove himself from direct involvement in a proposal to develop privately some prime land along North Avenue to reflect the sincerity of his repeated criticism of Forest Preserve Commission attempts to acquire the property.
In again claiming that commission acquisition of the land would deprive West Chicago of a future opportunity to expand its tax base, William Fawell said at a press conference this week in Wheaton that ”it`s become apparent a lot of my criticism was being deflected because of my interest. Well, now I`m removing myself.”
The son of Du Page Airport Administrator Thomas Fawell and nephew of U.S. Rep. Harris Fawell (R-Ill.), William Fawell is a real estate broker who has represented the owners of 245 acres at North Avenue and the Chicago & North Western railroad tracks, west of Illinois Highway 59.
St. Paul Financial Development Corp., the development arm of St. Paul Federal Bank, is seeking to purchase the land known as the Gasaway and McKean properties to develop single-family homes on 110 acres.
The developer has offered to donate the other 135 acres, consisting of wetlands and wooded frontage along North Avenue, to the Forest Preserve District in exchange for the commission dropping its condemnation proceedings on the property, Fawell said.
A condemnation lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in Du Page Circuit Court in mid-September while a motion to dismiss the action is scheduled for a status hearing Wednesday.
The commission has been trying to buy the land since 1987 to add to its holdings in the county`s northwest corner.
Fawell said commission acceptance of the St. Paul proposal ”would save the taxpayers $4 million, plus it would generate about $1.5 million in property tax revenue.”
He said the available land for development in Winfield and Wayne Townships is shrinking because of forest preserve purchases and because much of it already is owned by public bodies such as Fermilab and the airport authority.
Fawell contended that he has become vocal on the issue because ”I grew up in West Chicago and I don`t want to see my town go down the tubes.”
Commissioner Carolyn Kulie, chairwoman of the forest preserve`s Land Acquisition Committee, said Fawell`s actions will make little difference in the commission`s plans.
