White Pines Sale Opponents Plan Public Meeting

BENSENVILLE, IL — A group opposing the proposed sale of nearly half of White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville is organizing a public meeting for later this month.

The club is a few blocks north of Elmhurst's city limit. The Bensenville Park District is considering whether to sell 125 acres of the 260-acre club, which contains two 18-hole golf courses.

Organizers said the meeting will focus on informing residents about the park district’s plans for the club and present timelines about the proposed sale.

It will also give residents a chance to sign a petition opposing the sale and advocating for putting the issue before voters in a referendum, according to an email sent to Patch.

“Bensenville is surrounded by the airport and the railroad. Whether local residents golf or not, the need for Green Space is a necessity, not an amenity,” the email said.

One of the organizers, Janell Taraszka, said the preservation of green space is important. She said White Pines is “critical” to the community from an environmental and mental health standpoint.

Taraszka said organizers would show where the park district is in its process. She said the district was further along in the process than what it is publicly saying.

Organizers told Patch they will host the meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 20 at the Hide Away Cafe and Lounge, 207 Main St.

Originally, they planned to hold the meeting at Blackhawk Middle School. But they said they were required to change venues on Thursday morning because the Bensenville School District believed the meeting would be "too political" in nature.

The park district says it has yet to decide on whether to sell the land. However, it contends a sale could generate up to $150 million, which officials said could help the district upgrade its other facilities.