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Des Plaines council approves settlement to acquire most of historic campground amid resident pleas
Summary
The Des Plaines City Council voted May 4 to approve a settlement with the Chicago District Campground Association that conveys nearly all of the century‑old campground to the city and includes a $4 million restricted payment; residents and the United Methodist Conference urged delay and preservation options.
The Des Plaines City Council on May 4 approved a settlement agreement that will convey almost the entire Methodist campground property to the city while reserving a five‑acre parcel to remain under campground ownership. City Attorney Peter Friedman told the council the agreement is intended to bring the property into compliance with the city’s floodplain regulations and preserve the city’s standing in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
"But for 5 acres, all but 5 acres of the property will be conveyed to the city," Friedman said, describing terms that allow the city, after closing, to demolish buildings that do not meet code while allowing the Waldorf Tabernacle and certain relocated structures to remain on the retained parcel. He said the city will make a settlement payment of $4,000,000 to the campground; those funds are restricted to campground activities and compliance matters on the retained parcel.
City officials framed the settlement as necessary to maintain the city’s participation in the NFIP and to avoid sharply higher flood‑insurance costs for residents. Friedman told council members that failing to meet NFIP requirements could produce dramatic premium increases for local homeowners and leave the city ineligible for certain disaster funding.
Members of the public urged caution and preservation. A long series of campground residents and former users described the site as historically and culturally significant and urged alternatives to demolition. One resident, identifying herself as a lifelong Des Plaines resident from 1250 Campground Road, called the site a "historic district" and said the community had not been given sufficient repair options. "This is a sacred space," the resident said during public comment, adding that the Unsafe Property Act contains repair options that were not fully pursued.
Marshall Schmidt, an attorney representing the Northern Illinois Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, asked the council to delay approval so the conference could complete its review. "We learned today, for the first time, of this settlement agreement," Schmidt said, and he urged the council to let the conference exercise its review rights under the denomination’s trust clause before the closing.
After public comment the council took a motion to adopt Resolution R‑126‑26. Alderman Moylan moved and Alderman Merlin seconded the motion; the clerk recorded affirmative roll call votes and the motion carried.
The settlement agreement sets a closing date no earlier than Oct. 31, 2026, and requires the retained five‑acre parcel and relocated buildings to comply with city code. City officials said the arrangement would remove the NFIP compliance problem from the property and provide green space connections in the area.
The council approved the resolution during the same meeting in which staff and several residents discussed past flood mitigation efforts and ongoing concerns about pumping‑station discharges and public‑safety impacts. Several residents offered to provide technical assistance or independent site surveys to help evaluate alternatives to demolition.
What happens next: the settlement requires additional steps before closing, including any denominational approvals and routine closing procedures. City officials said they will continue to answer questions from council members and members of the public as documents are finalized.
