Oswego Annexes Former Hide-A-Way Lakes Property

OSWEGO, IL — The property formerly known as Hide-A-Way Lakes, now Fox Bluff Vacation Cottage and RV Resort, is officially part of the Village of Oswego. Trustees on the Village Board voted to annex the 151-acre property at a meeting Tuesday.

Located at 8045 Van Emmon Road, the property continues to be significantly rehabilitated to transform it into a "premier destination," officials said. The land was previously denoted as unincorporated Kendall County.

Before its renovation, the former Hide-A-Way Lakes wasn't known as a premier destination. Instead, it has a past that's less than sparkling.

Gruesome incidents date back to the previous century. In 1993, a 25-year-old woman was murdered in her trailer parked on the campsite. A convicted rapist, Charles Parker, was convicted for sexually assaulting and murdering her, Patch reported.

In 2019, a man, 54, was found dead on the campgrounds after he was hit by a car, Patch reported. In 2018, several fires were reported on the property. The previous year, the Kendall County Sheriff's Office asked the county board to pull the campground's special use permit, citing 145 calls for service there between December 2015 and August 2016 — less than a year.

RELATED:

• Man Found Dead At Campground Was Hit By Vehicle: Sheriff
• Camper Catches Fire At Hide-A-Way Lakes: Oswego Fire District

When asked about the campground's history, Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said Fox Bluff's current state "bears little to no resemblance to the former Hide-A-Way Lakes."

"The changes are not just a promise, they are well underway and can be clearly seen on the grounds," he told Patch in a statement via Bridget Bittman, Oswego's community engagement coordinator. "Our police command team has conducted tours of the property with the new owner and noted significant improvements to past quality-of-life concerns. We're confident that Fox Bluff will become a premier leisure destination for local and regional audiences."

At its meeting Tuesday, the Village Board held a public hearing about the annexation, but no comments were made.

Now that the property is part of Oswego, the village will benefit from the property, sales and hotel/motel tax revenue the resort and campgrounds generate.

"There's already been a huge transformation at Fox Bluff and we're looking forward to having this upcoming luxury campground destination in our own backyard," Village President Troy Parlier said in a statement. "With the projected tax revenues and travelers stopping at Oswego businesses, it's a win-win."

Fox Bluff has 600 full hook-up sites with more than 100 waterfront sites on the Fox River, Morgan Creek and a few spring-fed ponds. Sites have water, sewer and electric connections. But guests are required to have RVs less than 10 years old, Oswego officials said.

With an existing 650 RV sites — it's also permitted for an additional 500 — the RV resort will be one of the largest in North America, Fox Bluff's owner, Lance Beatch, said at Tuesday's meeting.

Officials noted Beatch has already "radically improved" the site and is working to transform it into a premier recreation destination. Updates include renovated common area buildings, new fishing piers, and an added playground and a sports court.

More changes are forthcoming, including installing a resort-style pool with cabanas.

"Fox Bluff has always been a naturally beautiful place with miles of water frontage and soaring trees," Beatch said in a statement, adding the process was "exhausting but successful." "As we continue to reposition and upgrade the property, it will become one of the largest, best located and finest vacation cottage and RV resorts in North America. We're committed to creating a safe, upscale destination for families and friends."

Reservations and tour requests can be made by calling 630-553-6323. Vacation cottage rentals will be available in the coming months.