White Pines Sale Is No More; Official Bolts

BENSENVILLE, IL — The Bensenville Park District board on Wednesday voted to end all efforts to sell any part of the White Pines Golf Club, but lost one of its members beforehand.

At the beginning of the special meeting, Commissioner Greg Linder asked to speak. During his statement, he said he didn’t see financial responsibility or stewardship with the proposed items being voted on. As the current treasurer of the board, he said he could not agree with the board's direction.

He went on to say members were negating the work they directed staff to accomplish. In so doing, he said, they were throwing away financial and political capital and potentially burdening the community with more taxes in the form of a proposed $20 million bond, which he alleged would include $9 million in interest payments.

"I cannot in good conscience debate or vote on these items tonight," Linder said. "Consequently, I will be submitting my resignation from the board."

Afterward, Linder and board President Rich Johnson debated how the items got on the agenda. Linder told Johnson they had not discussed the items. Johnson, though, maintained he discussed the issues with each board member individually.

Linder was then asked by the board's attorney to leave the board. At that point, Linder packed his belongings and sat in the back of the audience.

When it was time to vote on the agenda items, Johnson said the board did not cave to any person or group. He said the cost of selling part of White Pines would be too high, but not in a financial sense.

“There is a very real threat of destroying the residential fabric of our town. I personally do not want to see rows and rows of enormous, nondescript, industrial buildings,” Johnson said.

Johnson also called for the reactivation of the Bensenville Intergovernmental Group, or BIG.

The three board members voted unanimously to end the efforts to sell any part of the golf course, with Commissioner Jay Synder absent because of the coronavirus. After the vote, the audience applauded. Linder stayed in his seat and did not clap.

The board also voted to stop the park staff from preparing an advisory referendum on the sale of White Pines property, which it had approved at its last meeting.

However, the board delayed a vote on a $20 million bond referendum for equipping the clubhouse at White Pines until the next meeting, so they could get more information and for Snyder to be involved.

During public comments, some thanked the board for stopping the White Pines sale, but several asked for more specifics on how the $20 million bond would be spent.

Former board President John Wassinger lauded Linder for stepping down from the board and standing up for what he believed in. He called the board's actions disjointed.

"We got, really, a lack of leadership here and because of that a lot of confusion, and when there’s confusion, there’s distrust," Wassinger said.

He also called for the board to ask the state legislature to rescind the state law that allows the park district to sell up to 125 acres of the course; the law is in effect until June 2024.

Another speaker, Bill Hibner, asked for the board to enact a rule that the park district could not sell any White Pines land for a certain number of years.

Johnson responded that the board could not bind future boards.

At the end of the meeting, Johnson said the park district’s commitment was to keep White Pines around for 100 more years and he thanked everyone for their patience, noting the issue has "pitted neighbor against neighbor."

He said the park district can help the community move forward by providing constituents with exercise opportunities and everything a park district is supposed to provide.

"And that’s what I’m looking forward to be able to provide," Johnson said as he choked back tears.

The next scheduled park board meeting is Aug. 17.