Special Bowmanville Community Notice 9-22-2011
Rosehill Cemetery – Nature Preserve
The city has been in protracted negotiations with the owners of Rosehill Cemetery for nearly 10 years in an effort to acquire undeveloped land along Western Avenue for a nature preserve. Last week Alderman O’Connor issued a letter and re-zoning map to residents of the Bowmanville community to keep us abreast of a deal that is now forthcoming. According to current plans, the city hopes to close on the transaction in November 2011. The proposed 20.5 acre Nature Preserve – to be called the West Ridge Nature Preserve – will be designed and developed in 2012 by a process to be led by the Chicago Park District with citizen input.
Included in the plan is a zoning change affecting the southwest portion of the cemetery, which includes land along Bowmanville Avenue. This opens up the possibility of development of a senior housing facility in the future, with exact uses still bound by a longstanding cemetery covenant. No project is underway for the land targeted for re-zoning at this time.
The BCO GreenSpace committee, along with the BCO Planning & Development committee, already has a list of items or concerns to be considered if and when a planned development emerges for the land. We will continue to gather input to influence that process. One goal of the BCO GreenSpace committee remains as it has been – to acquire of as much of that land as possible for dedicated green space open to our community.
While it is very important for you to contact Alderman O’Connor directly with your feedback (773-769-1140 or ward40@cityofchicago.org), you can also submit your concerns to planning@bcochicago.org to ensure that the BCO can continue to help advocate for the interests of our neighbors.
The text of the Alderman’s letter and map can be viewed in full at this link: http://www.aldermanoconnor.com/4967/proposed-rosehill-nature-preserve/
Alderman Letter about Nature Preserve
