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Palatine Prairie Gets Friendly Neighbor

Palatine Prairie, which recently faced the prospect of nearby, potentially harmful development, finally has what all of us would like: a friendly neighbor. An indoor golf training facility will be moving in adjacent to the 7.5-acre Illinois Nature Preserve in the Village of Palatine following a dedicated effort to keep out a multi-story housing unit. The prairie’s managers and the new facility owner are pleased with the arrangement.

Prairie Woods Audubon, the prairie’s caretaker, went on alert last fall when a developer sought to build a seven-story senior housing structure with an underground parking garage (read more). Opponents of the project, led by Audubon, fought the proposal because of fears that the tall building’s shadow would interfere with the plants’ life cycle and that the proposed garage would disrupt the delicate hydrology. After two large and contentious public hearings at the end of 2006, the developer abruptly withdrew the project for consideration; however, the land was still for sale.

Audubon was relieved when Bob DiMeo stepped in with a proposal to construct Golf Nation, an indoor golf training and fitness facility. His plans, since approved by the Palatine Planning Commission and Village Board, called for using an existing building for training and converting the asphalt truck turnaround into a very small netted driving range. Golf games will be played inside on virtual courses.

Audubon likes several aspects of the plan. DiMeo will not add major buildings, the outdoor illumination will not drench the prairie with light, and DiMeo will continue his predecessor’s policy of allowing Audubon to manage open land on his property. Audubon believes that the golf facility will be a benign influence. “We are looking forward to a good working relationship,” said Audubon’s Nancy Wedow.

For his part, DiMeo is pleased to be living next door to a little slice of the historic Illinois landscape. “These folks are terrific,” he says, “and I think what they do is quite nice…I am pleased to have a nice relationship with them.” He plans to hold prairie-related special events and activities, and Audubon has already offered to conduct a prairie tour. Golf Nation is scheduled to open late October or early November.

—Elizabeth Riotto