Algonquin landowner wants to create a public riverfront park. Village says no thanks

Along North River Road in Algonquin is a vacant property with more than 400 feet of frontage on the Fox River that a local resident is hoping to sell to the village for use as a public park – but officials have said they’re not interested.

Located at 120, 207 and 299 N. River Road, the property measures 2.7 acres, with a 437-feet frontage on the Fox River. Carl Swanson, of CJS Commercial Property Associates, purchased the land in 2018 for $324,000 with a goal to develop the site into a residential area.

Those plans never came to fruition after he had difficulty finding a developer, and then Swanson’s business partner, Rick Karpowicz, died in 2023.

Now Swanson is looking to create a public park with a wheelchair-accessible fishing deck, a 34-dock marina, sand beach with a swimming area, dog park, restrooms and picnic areas with fire pits.

“I feel like this property should be shared with as many as people as possible,” he said. “This is something that could be really enjoyed by families.”

Swanson asked the village “on more than one occasion” to purchase the land and turn it into a park. But the village does not back his plans.

“His ideas are different than what the village wants,” Village President Debby Sosine said.

The village alreadyhas allocated millions toward upgrading its existing parks, Sosine said. Presidential Park opened Wednesday and Towne Park is nearing completion, while a final renovation design for Willoughby Park was revealed last week.

“I appreciate his enthusiasm for wanting to do something there, but village is not buying - especially at the cost he is asking,” Sosine said.

Sosine pointed to the fact that Algonquin already has public parks bordering the Fox River with Riverfront and Cornish parks.

“We’re not lacking in parks on the river,” she said.

But Swanson’s focus is having public access into the actual river, something that currently doesn’t exist in the village.

Other logistical obstacles also need to be taken into account, like village ordinances and parking requirements, which can complicate things in a tight area. Sosine also said crossing North River Road could be too dangerous for pedestrians.

“Are we creating a safe park area or an accident waiting to happen?” she said.

Swanson said he plans to speak during public comment of the village’s board meeting on Tuesday. He hopes to gather as many residents as possible who support his idea.

“We need to get organized. We need to get involved,” he said.

But there’s another snag in Swanson’s plans. Former business partner Lonnie Peterson filed a lawsuit against Swanson last year demanding that 120 River Road LLC be dissolved and the land sold as soon as possible. The limited liability company consists of Swanson, Peterson and the estate of Karpowicz, records show. The company has a clause stating in the event of “death, retirement, resignation, expulsion or bankruptcy” of a member, the company should be dissolved unless remaining members agree to continue operations, according to court documents. According to the lawsuit, Peterson and Swanson did not enter an agreement to continue after Karpowicz died.

Peterson is looking to sell the property for $640,000 to a potential buyer, according to court documents. The next court date is a hearing set for June 18.

“I don’t know how much time I have,” Swanson said.

Originally, Swanson wanted to create a private park where people can purchase ownership rights, but said he does not have the time and capital to pull it off.

When Swanson purchased the land, there were three homes and a garage along with about 80 trees that were torn down to prepare the property to be re-sold to a residential developer. The property was a former marina and is currently zoned commercial for that use, he said.

Swanson, who lives on North River Road about a mile north of the property, calls is “a really a special road, and this property needs to be developed and shared as a public park for the people to have access to the river because there is no public access to the river.”