Title/Name/Summary
Stellwagen Family Farm IDNR Obligation Transfer
History
QUICKFACTS
Project
Stellwagen Family Farm IDNR Obligation Transfer - 2014-0422
Petitioner
Village of Orland Park
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to transfer the IDNR OLT Grant obligations from the Stellwagen Family Farm to Doctor Marsh and enable continued farming at the Stellwagen Family Farm. This is related to IDNR Project OLT 01-024.
Requested Actions: Informational Item/ Public Comment
Project Attributes
Address: 17701 S. 108th Avenue
P.I.N.(s): 27-32-200-004
Size: 60 acres
Comprehensive Plan Planning District: Grasslands Planning District
Comprehensive Land Designation: Open Space, Parks and Recreation
Existing Zoning: OL Open Lands District
Proposed Zoning: N/A
Existing Land Use: Agricultural/ Historic
Proposed Land Use: Agricultural/ Historic
Surrounding Land Use:
North: R-3 Residential District - Single Family Residential/ Olde Mill Subdivision
South: R-4 Residential District - Multi-Family & Single Family Residential / Eagle Ridge III Subdivision
East: R-3 Residential District - Single Family Residential / Mission Hills and Eagle Ridge III Subdivisions
West: R-4 Residential District - (across 108th Avenue) Multi-Family Residential/ Eagle Ridge II Subdivision
Preliminary Engineering: N/A
OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND
The Village of Orland Park acquired the Stellwagen Family Farm as an Open Lands purchase in 2002 through a state Open Lands Trust Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and funds from the Orland Park Open Lands Corporation. The total price tag was approximately $6 million. The OLT Grant constituted approximately $2 million. Along with the OLT Grant came a number of stipulations and requirements associated with how the land will be used, namely that the farmland be converted from agricultural use to prairie lands.
The OLT Grant required that by 2006 prairie restoration commence on the farm. Prairie restoration, however, did not occur due to residual contractual obligations related to the farm purchase and the intent of the Stellwagen Family Farm Foundation, whose primary goal, aside from the historical preservation of the farmstead, is the preservation of agricultural practices in Orland Park. Outstanding on its commitment to restore prairie and natural lands on the farmstead due to numerous conflicts, the Village sought to work through the issue with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) in 2009.
Since 2009, the Village has worked with IDNR to identify a means to continue farming at Stellwagen Farm and still meet the grant requirements and create prairie lands within the Village of Orland Park. The IDNR said that the Village can acquire new open space properties from the commencement of the transfer dialogue in 2009. The new properties, they stipulated, had to be newly acquired, that is acquired post 2009, and had to be equal in value to the Stellwagen Farm so that the transfer of the obligations of the OLT grant to any new properties meets the grant requirements.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION & CONTEXT
The purpose of this project is to transfer IDNR OLT obligations and requirements from the Stellwagen Farm (29.65 acres) to the Doctor Marsh property (80 acres). The 80 acres of the Doctor Marsh property are valued higher than the Stellwagen Farm. These 80 acres will be maintained in perpetuity as open land in exchange for continued farming at the Stellwagen Farm. With exception to trails and limited public access points, no development is proposed for the 80 acres. There are no structures or buildings on the Doctor Marsh property.
The Village identified the “Doctor Marsh” property located at 11601 W. 151st Street in 2013 as a potential candidate to which a transfer of the OLT grant obligations from the Stellwagen Farm would be appropriate. This was after a long series of searches of open lands properties and studying the impacts of any transfers to multiple properties throughout the Village. The Doctor Marsh property is approximately 80 acres in total size and was acquired in 2010 by the Village. It is an ideal property in the sense that all the obligations will be in one location and not spread across multiple properties throughout the community. This makes it easier to manage and plan accordingly.
Appraisals of both the Stellwagen Farm and the Doctor Marsh property were conducted in the Spring of 2013 and Winter of 2014, respectively, and found the following:
Stellwagen Family Farm Appraised Value: $1,425,000
Doctor Marsh Appraised Value: $1,445,000
The Doctor Marsh property was valued higher by $20,000 than the Stellwagen Farm, probably due to it being a larger property. Nevertheless, the IDNR certified the appraised value of the Doctor Marsh property in April 2014 and gave the green light to commence the obligation transfer.
In short, the transfer of obligations is the following:
1. Establish a state IDNR OLT easement over the property to maintain the land in perpetuity as open space.
2. Provide a plan for public accessibility into the open space site.
3. Restore prairie and natural lands.
The 80 acres of the Doctor Marsh property are similar to the 60 acres of the Stellwagen Farm in that both lands have an agricultural heritage. Whereas the Stellwagen Farm has seen continual farming over 8 successive generations since the beginning of the Township, the Doctor Marsh property has in recent years not been farmed and the lands taken over by overgrowth and more natural plant material (with some likelihood of invasive species). The Doctor Marsh property does have some residual traces of farming in the form of ancient irrigation channels. Work must be done to clear the land and restore it to a more natural and native condition.
Attached to this report are exhibits which demonstrate some of the activities that are planned for the Doctor Marsh property, including public access points, long term acquisition targets for the Village and multi-use walking/biking paths. Also included is an exhibit demonstrating the Doctor Marsh context, location and position in the Village and how it will be incorporated into the local and regional trails and paths framework of the community.
Some modifications for localized prairie restoration on the farmland will still occur at Stellwagen Farm, but the majority of these obligations will be transferred to the Doctor Marsh property. This is represented in the March 2010 Stellwagen Parcel exhibit.
The public hearing at Plan Commission notifies the public that a transfer of these obligations is currently in the works and that Stellwagen Family Farm will continue to be an agricultural site.
The public hearing is intended to gather public comments on the matter, if any.
Recommended Action/Motion
No motion.