'Misleading': Burr Ridge Entity Criticizes School Campaign

BURR RIDGE, IL – Pleasant Dale Park District is criticizing Pleasantdale School District 107's "Reimagine Pleasantdale" campaign, calling a part of it misleading.

The school district is inviting the public's feedback on how to handle challenges with its buildings.

At a recent meeting, the district released a map indicating that White Buffalo Park, which is next to the elementary school, was its own land. The school district said that was a mistake.

In a Feb. 13 letter, Todd Davis, the park board's president, said the park district was a "little surprised" that the school district indicated that it owned the park and that the park district's cooperation is guaranteed or unnecessary. Davis called the document "premature and misleading."

In an interview, Pleasantdale Superintendent Dave Palzet said he made a mistake when he drew a map.

"A professional didn't do it. I made the box too big," Palzet said. "The school district clearly understands the ownership lines."

Palzet said the school district believes in strong intergovernmental partnerships.

"In the past, this would have been resolved through conversations," he said.

Asked why the park district didn't pick up the phone, Matt Russian, its executive director, said the board decided to write a letter, so it did.

In October, the school district and Lyons Township High School reached a deal to sell about an acre of the high school's property next to the elementary school.

The one acre in question is part of more than 70 vacant acres that the high school bought more than six decades ago.

In 2023, the school and park districts, along with the village of Willow Springs, united to protest the high school's secret plan to sell the property to an industrial developer, which violated local zoning.

Because of the opposition, the high school backed off. And the attorney general later found the high school board repeatedly broke state law by closing its doors to discuss selling the land. The board blamed its attorney.

The latest letter from the park district may indicate that the 2023 unity is fraying.

In the recent letter, Davis said the park district has never committed to a land exchange with the school district.

"In fact, we have repeatedly expressed our intention to reserve any decision on that proposal to a time when the Lyon Township High School District 204's plans for the sale and development of its land off Willow Springs become clearer," Davis said.

The park district said it invested $750,000 during a 2018 renovation of White Buffalo.

"(A)ny potential relocation would come with great expense, especially given today's inflationary costs," Davis said.

Also in the letter, Davis said residents of Howard Street, which is east of the elementary school, would oppose making Howard a second entrance to the school.

The school's only access is School Street, which backs up with traffic before and after school.

Palzet said no one has ever said Howard needed to be extended.

He said the school board has spoken for decades about how to get first responders to the school as quickly as possible.