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Residents urge scrutiny of Fox River Resort sale, present petition for stronger rezoning threshold
Summary
Two nearby residents told the LaSalle County Land Use Committee they oppose a proposed sale of Fox River Resort and asked the county to ensure any change of use follows zoning review; staff said no rezoning applications have been filed and explained the Zoning Board of Appeals process.
Two residents addressed the LaSalle County Land Use Committee on July 1 to warn about a proposed sale of the Fox River Resort and to press the county to require careful zoning review.
Chuck Bresenas, who identified himself as a Norway resident, said the property’s prospective seller and agents have made misleading claims about plans for the site and its access. "There's been all kinds of talk out there and how racist we are and this and that," he said, and added that residents were denied admission to an advertised open house. Bresenas raised safety and infrastructure concerns, saying "the sewer system is not adequate to take care of full time residents" and that gated access could impede police or fire response.
Nicole Baus told the committee she presented a petition she described as a "supermajority" of deed holders adjacent to the property that would require a 75% board vote to approve residential zoning for the site. Baus also cited prior health and safety citations connected to an owner she named, and said the community of Norway — which she noted has about 89 residents — could be overwhelmed if thousands of people were placed at the site.
County Land Use Director Brian Giff responded that the department has received no zoning, special-use, or map-amendment applications for the Fox River Resort property. He outlined the county process: an owner proposing a long-term change of use (for example, apartments, condominiums or a religious facility) must apply to the county, adjacent property owners would receive at least 15 days' notice, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) would hold a public hearing and make a recommendation, and the county board would take the final vote.
The committee did not take action at the meeting; staff told members they would notify neighbors and post hearing agendas if an application is filed and that the ZBA is the venue for on-the-record public comment and recommendation to the board.
The matter remains pending. If an application is submitted, the county said it will provide public notice and the opportunity for comment through the ZBA and county-board processes.
