Gleneagles, Mid-Iron Now Part of Palos Park

Palos Park officials Friday took just 10 minutes to swiftly welcome two sought-after landowners into their community.

The village’s council moved forward with annexing the 46-acre Mid-Iron golf driving range and the 232-acre Gleneagles Country Club, both previously in unincorporated Lemont Township. The annexation was the next play in their plan to annex 1,400 acres, including Cog Hill Golf Club and the Ludwig family property.

By arranging for the quick annexation with the owners of Gleneagles and Mid-Iron, officials hoped to squash Lemont’s petition to annex Sun Hill subdivision, which is located south of McCarthy Road, west of Bell Road—annexation and includes a large chunk (110 acres) of Glenagles Country Club. Because of its location, if that annexation into Lemont happens, it could then snarl Palos Park’s plans to annex Cog Hill.

A hearing on that petition is set for Jan. 20. Mid-Iron and Gleneagles owners are objecting to the petition.

Lemont continues to pull cards in its attempt to stop Palos Park’s crawling annexation into the area, which Mayor Brian Reaves says would split the village in half. Officials rallied to stop Palos Park’s annexation of 190 acres of Cook County Forest Preserve District land, acreage that gave it the required contiguity to the land it wishes to annex.

Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves has argued that the properties have been included in the Village’s comprehensive plan, but the owners have reportedly fought off officials’ attempts to bring them into Lemont. Those landowners seek annexation into Palos Park sooner rather than later, with Gleneagles and Mid-Iron owners passing on a more detailed negotiation process in favor of faster annexation under the village’s most restrictive residential zoning.

Meanwhile, Lemont trustees last month approved early plans for a 34-home subdivisionat 121st and Bell Road, despite objections by Palos Park. Equestrian Meadows is set to be built on 15.8 acres at 12150 Bell Road, with development to begin in the spring. The acreage upon which Equestrian Meadows will be built was previously annexed by the Village several years ago, Reaves said. Palos Park officials are now challenging Lemont’s old annexations of land along McCarthy Road.

“These individuals were contacted by the Village of Palos Park, and they want to be in the Village of Lemont,” said Mayor Brian Reaves last month, of the previously annexed land and the new subdivision. “They have always wanted to be, and don’t want to be anywhere other than the Village of Lemont.”