Current Development Issue
Updated Letter as of 6-17-25
A lot has happened and is happening on the La Fox development issue.
Since our defeat of Pulte and the third St. Charles annexation proposal last Fall, we have been working very hard to attain our next stated goals of working with a local developer on a plan of about 50% of the Pulte proposal and to bring back the Kane County Forest Preserve concept of 400 acres of open space along Mill Creek and north to Rt. 38.
Shodeen Group, a Geneva homebuilder and developer for over 60 years and the developer of Mill Creek, contacted us and said they were interested in seeing if they could work with our group to attain our goals.
After months of discussion with us, they now have a contract to purchase the 962 acres formerly under contract by Pulte and have agreed to almost all of our stated goals and requests.
You may recall, we have previously sought any project to go back to Kane County. However, we have encouraged Shodeen to annex the project into Campton Hills for oversight.
Why Campton Hills? Campton Hills faced the same threats as La Fox did from aggressive annexation by neighboring towns. They incorporated several years ago to protect themselves. La Fox was at their side during this time as we were fighting our own battles and we supported each other and exchanged information. La Fox cannot incorporate as we do not have the 2500 minimum population to do so.
Campton Hills is unusual as it was formed to control sprawl and they believe in smart growth, maintaining a rural atmosphere, and open space. They have offered annexation to La Fox for many years and after the latest fight with St. Charles and Pulte, we think it is a good move.
To be clear, we are talking about the 962 acres of farmland being annexed to Campton Hills. However, if you abut the property and want to annex in the future, you can. Some residents on Harley Road and Brundige Road are pursuing annexation.
Campton Hills has no property tax or sales tax. Annexation would result in increased local police protection and likely increased property values. Most importantly, having local representation by a Village Board you can vote for that shares our vision for the area.
The proposed plan calls for 900 single family homes. The Pulte project (Charles Farm) proposed 2,011 homes. The 2007 Settlements of La Fox plan was 1,275 homes and 400 apartments/senior living units.
On the open space front, we have achieved numbers well beyond what we had thought possible. Shodeen will offer 440 acres of the 962 for sale/donation to open space agencies. They will also have approximately 39% open space within the 512 acres of the development. So about 67% or 640 acres of the 962 acres will remain public access open space with bike/walk trails. Much of this is green space buffer areas with neighbors adjacent to existing homes. We are coordinating with 4+ agencies on purchasing the 440 acres open space set aside.
We have been included in all meetings with Shodeen and Campton Hills as an equal partner and have had input in all aspects of the ongoing plans. In the coming months, an annexation agreement will be agreed upon between Shodeen and Campton Hills, as well as a development agreement, and a design standards document. Sewer and water services are expected to be handled off site in the existing Mill Creek subdivision system.
Unlike past proposals, this plan has no multi-story apartments, no senior living buildings, no commercial area, or “downtown” area. The lot sizes will be similar to those in Mill Creek. All students will go to Geneva schools.
So, we have worked very hard to get the best outcome possible. In 2004, we acknowledged that stopping all development in the area was not realistic considering the Kane County’s 2040 Plan calls for a transit-oriented community based around the La Fox Metra station. This is the 5th proposal over 25 years and by far the best position we have been in.
The La Fox Civic Association Board
25 Years of Development
Proposals in La Fox
April 30, 2025
La Fox is an unincorporated rural community in central Kane County. The four-square mile area is
generally considered between Rt. 38 on the north, Keslinger Road on the south, Harley Road on the
west, and Brundige Road on the east. (Includes both sides of Harley and Brundige Roads.)
The long-planned Union Pacific/Metra third rail project extended commuter service west to La Fox and Elburn with construction of a La Fox Metra station and parking completed in 2003.
In June of 1996, the Kane County 2030 Land Use Plan was approved by the Kane County Board. It has
since been updated to the 2040 plan.
The 2030 plan showed the Historic District of La Fox as “A Priority Place” and proposed a “transit
oriented development”(T.O.D.) near the new La Fox train station. T.O.D. envisions compact, walkable
housing for neighborhoods near the train station.
In 2000, a large PUD housing development called Grand Prairie was proposed consisting of 2000+
homes on 1200 acres in the La Fox area. It is also proposed to annex the development into St. Charles.
The land is owned by the Ryan family.
The La Fox Civic Association was formed to represent the unincorporated area and successfully delayed the project. In 2004, acknowledging that development of some type is likely, the La Fox Civic
Association proposes a clean sheet collaboration with the Grand Prairie developer. After a year of
joint meetings, the Settlements of La Fox plan is agreed upon, 1600 homes on 1200 acres. This plan is
approved by the Kane County Board. The 2008 recession put the development on hold and the
approval expired.
In approximately 2005, La Fox and Campton Hills both pursued incorporating to protect themselves
from annexation by adjoining communities. La Fox and Campton Hills share a common philosophy of
preservation, smart growth, and open space. Campton Hills was successful while La Fox was not as it
did not have the 2500 resident threshold population and special legislation in Springfield was blocked
by the Realtors Association.
In 2014, the area east of Brundige Road near Rt. 38 was proposed as The Bluffs of St. Charles and 300
homes were proposed as well as annexation to St. Charles. This was successfully opposed by the La
Fox Civic Association again. The land was ultimately sold to Kane County Forest Preserve District.
In approximately 2019, Kane County Forest Preserve District approved the purchase of about 400 acres
of the 1200 acres of development land from Mill Creek north to Rt. 38. The purchase included two
miles of creek and wetland, a glacial kame, and an endangered species habitat. An IDNR grant was
approved to assist in improvements. When Pulte started showing interest, negotiations broke down
and the purchase never closed.
In early 2024, a major proposal by Pulte Homes for the Charles Farm PUD on the remaining 962 acres
was put forward, also to be annexed into St. Charles. Strong opposition by the La Fox Civic Association, Garfield Farm, Village of Campton Hills, and the St. Charles School Board resulted in intense opposition and a sudden withdrawal of the plan in late 2024.
During this time, La Fox Civic Association publicly stated its goals as:
- Stop St. Charles annexation of the area.
- Get Pulte to withdraw from the land purchase.
- Find a local developer that would look at a development of about 50% less density.
- Annex the development into Campton Hills as they share La Fox’s philosophy of smart growth, preservation, and open space.
- Revisit the Kane County Forest Preserve open space vision along Mill Creek and north to Rt. 38.
As of this writing, April 2025, the first three goals have been accomplished and the last two are within reach.
Shodeen, Inc. of Geneva, who developed Mill Creek subdivision, has a contract to purchase on the 962 remaining acres of the Ryan property. Coordinating with the La Fox Civic Association, Campton Hills and others, a concept plan for 900 homes on 962 acres is being developed. It also will offer 450 acres of the 962 acres for sale to open space agencies which fulfills and expands on the unsuccessful Kane County Forest Preserve District acquisition proposal.
The current plan also eliminates multi-story apartments, senior care buildings, and commercial development near the Historic District and Metra station and proposes neo-classical grid-style single family neighborhoods in this area.
The La Fox Civic Association submitted two pages of design goals to Shodeen, Inc. based on 25 years of community comments. We are in the process of conducting neighborhood meetings to get further feedback for the concept plan.
After 25 years of advocacy, a reasonable, final outcome is within grasp. Although we would love if things never changed, the current proposal accomplishes the goals we set during the recent Charles Farm fight.
La Fox Civic Association