This Blog
This blog is a forum for information related to the Lake County Forest Preserve property at Fort Sheridan.
I Am
My name is Sonny Cohen and I am this blog’s publisher. I have a deep interest in issues related to this region where I have lived most of my life. What is captivating my attention are the land use issues at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, part of the Lake County Forest Preserve District.
I have a background in land use planning, public policy and environmental issues. I have a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of Michigan. My undergraduate degree is in engineering. I have worked for the City of Ann Arbor and the elected Drain Commissioner of Washtenaw County, Michigan. I directed the stormwater management policy program for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission in Columbus, Ohio. I left public service to start my own business. But I never left the public policy issues associated with land use, fiscal integrity and the environment.
Today, I am on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Audubon Society, an organization dedicated to both conservation and habitat preservation. I watch birds. So I am attuned to the enhancement as well as destruction of habitat locally, regionally and globally.
My Involvement
I care about rainforest destruction and overfishing of the seas. Don’t we all? I wring my hands over the loss of habitat for the Spotted Owl. But Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve is my backyard and playground. And I pay taxes to the Lake County Forest Preserve District and vote on their bond referenda. So this is public policy that I can directly influence and bring to it my policy knowledge and land use management skills. This blog is part of my effort to be involved and influence the outcome.
Your Involvement
Please feel free to provide your comments and perspective whether or not you agree with me. Unless you are uncivil, ill-mannered or simply off-topic, your input is welcome.
You are also encouraged to visit and join our Facebook page as well as following us on Twitter.
Hello –
I was googling for a little information on golf in northern Illinois – and came upon your website.
I am involved in a huge fight over building a golf course along Lake Michigan on the other side of the lake. I glanced through your site and will try to read more later. It appears that the theme is the same no matter what it’s called locally: real estate developers want public land and public money to sustain their speculative developments – and spineless or compromised (or both) politicians just go along for the ride and sell out the public interest every time – unless there is a stout and determined backlash – and try mounting one of those in this stressed out, overloaded world.
I know the Ft. Sheridan area well – can’t believe there’s any economic hardship in Highland Park or Highwood. How’d they ever pull this off?
By: Julie Weiss on May 13, 2009
at 5:11 PM
Not exactly the same. This piece of land was a publicly owned and operated golf course up until 5 years ago when the horrible management of the Lake County Forest Preserve District actually destroyed it before having a contract to “improve” the course in hand.
This issue does not fit into your pre-molded story of “developers” vs. nature. This was in fact a low-cost, beautiful golf course that the local government completely screwed up.
Those of us who seek it to be restored as a golf course are only asking that it be put back to what it was 5 years ago. We’re not trying to bulldoze wilderness here.
People who don’t want the golf course should try using more accurate information and not portraying this as an “evil” development. I am a golfer and a naturalist, and I resent the way that some of you have framed this argument.
By: Hon. Cranial Lamb on June 16, 2009
at 2:11 AM
“Those of us who seek it to be restored as a golf course are only asking that it be put back to what it was 5 years ago.”
Well, actually, those who are seeking it to be restored are seeking an 18 whole first class golf course. Nobody is seeking to have it restored in the state it was at the time it was acquired from the US Army. This is what is discussed in Lake County’s consultant reports found on the Lake County Forest Preserve District’s website, http://www.lcfpd.org/preserves/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.view&object_id=163&type=SF.
The principle argument regarding the golf course is entirely irrelevant to whether the golf course is portrayed as an “evil development.” There is no merit pitting tree huggers against golfers. We should celebrate each other and often we are one and the same.
The matter is driven by the economics which make the golf course a financial debacle. It is a train wreck that threatens the continued operation of the other County golf courses by draining the enterprise fund that finances operations.
By: Sonny on June 18, 2009
at 9:13 PM