Located outside Chicago, Timber Trails has been a golf course for more than 75 years. A developer wants to build 400 houses on its 105 acres. (Linda Marks)

Dear Preservation 911,

We have a severe emergency in our community and would like any advice you can offer our group, "Save the Timber." There is one of the most beautiful tracts of land located in the West suburbs of Chicago known as Timber Trails. It has been a golf course for more than 75 years, and before that a settler's farm established in the 1830s—and before that documented Native American settlements.

This is not your typical golf course by any stretch of the imagination. The undulating topography is a result of the effect of glaciers many millennia ago; in addition, there are gigantic oak and hickory groves that have been there for hundreds of years. Unquestionably, it is an awesome piece of land where many migratory and indigenous species/wildlife call home as well. Additionally, without surprise, it was named an Audubon Sanctuary.

To our dismay, the owners of the property announced that they intend to sell the property by auction to the highest bidder. Although our group tried to contact the sellers, the property sold for $45 million in September. However, in a short amount of time, our group was able to: obtain thousands of signatures to petition the purchase of a portion of this property through a referendum; and more importantly, PASS the referendum this past election with a 51 percent majority.

Timber Trails contains 105 acres, of which the referendum can purchase up to $10 million of land equating to approximately 25 acres.

The sad thing is that the developer with the winning bid wants to build more than 400 homes on this piece of property. We are against any development because it will destroy so many irreplaceable treasures—the Native American settlement/burial ground, the oak savannahs used by wildlife, the glacial ridges, etc.

The developer is very persistent, however. Can anyone offer any ideas for how to save this piece of land for future generations? This area is already overbuilt, and it would be a shame to lose this last area of greenery.

Sincerely,

Linda Marks
La Grange, Ill.

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