In October 2008, the KCFPD purchased the Brunner Farm for a record-breaking $40 million, using referendum money and grants. At the time, Director of Natural Resources Drew Ulberg declared it “the single most important land purchase the district has ever made.” More than four and a half years later, in May of 2013, the Brunner Forest Preserve is still not open. While some preliminary work has been completed, there is still a chain across the entrance. The OSLAD Project Agreement signed by President John Hoscheit on May 26, 2009 stipulated that the site should be open to the public within twelve months following the completion of site acquisition, and that recreational development, as proposed in the approved project application plans, should commence within three years following completion of acquisition.
In the fall of 2011, the District announced a number of open house meetings to solicit public input as part of the 2012-2017 Update of the Master Plan. A one-hour public information meeting was held on April 11, 2012 in Geneva to show the proposed plan for Brunner Forest Preserve. Despite the inconvenient time and location 20 miles away, a number of local people did attend. Others sent comments based on the proposed master plan map on the KCFPD website. Much to their surprise, the map on display at the meeting was different from the one on the website, and had been prepared for a new 2012 OSLAD grant application. It showed minimal restoration plans, construction of basic amenities, and a single trail beginning in 2013-2014 if funding was approved. The proposed habitat restoration timeline was shown as 40-50+ years.
That compares unfavorably to the work undertaken at the 800-acre Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve in Hampshire, which opened in October of 2011 after an intensive two-year renovation to restore some 600 acres to their native prairie state. The Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve, similar in size and former agricultural use to the Brunner Forest Preserve, now has restored prairie habitat, trails, and amenities. The KCFPD has offered a number of explanations for the continued delays in opening Brunner to the public, including the demolition of certain structures, required studies, remediation of contaminated soil, and a lack of funding for the construction of necessary improvements. But there has been no explanation for the apparent low priority given to the restoration of this high profile acquisition. This has led some to speculate that the purchase of the Brunner property had as much to do with acquiring a roadway right of way and possible gravel resources for Kane County as it did with the preservation of nature, and that the delay in opening reflects that.
On May 11, 2013, Governor Quinn announced that the KCFPD had been awarded a $400,000 grant through the state’s Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development program (OSLAD) for the initial development of 384 acres of the 741-acre Brunner Forest Preserve. Project amenities include 3.5 miles of regional, multi-use trail, mowed trails, a fishing station and jetty, and an interpretive overlook. The trails will connect to Lincolnwood Park, the Carpentersville Dam, the river, and the proposed Dundee Township Park District Sports Complex. A trail head at the north end of the property will have a parking lot, restroom, and shelter. Natural area enhancements include 60 acres of prairie restoration, 10 acres of wetland/fen restoration, and 600 feet of shoreline enhancements. While this is welcome news, no timeline has been given yet for the development, and no announcement of when the public might be able to finally visit Brunner Forest Preserve.