Park Board Out Of LTHS Loop: Officials

BURR RIDGE, IL – You can count Burr Ridge-based Pleasant Dale Park District as another entity that says Lyons Township High School has kept it out of the loop on the planned sale of the school's Willow Springs land.

The park district's case is particularly significant: It owns seven acres that are surrounded on three sides by the high school's parcel.

High school officials have not returned messages for comment on the park district's role.

The district's land, which is along Willow Springs Road, is mostly a clearing on the otherwise wooded land. It is marked by a park district sign, reading "for future development – not open to the general public – no trespassing."

In an interview Tuesday, Matt Russian, Pleasant Dale Park District's executive director, said the high school hasn't reached out to his entity at all about the planned sale.

He said his district contacted Lyons Township High School last fall about a proposal for the park's seven acres.

He said the park board and Pleasantdale School District 107 were considering an early childhood center on the park property. It could have involved a land swap with the high school, he said.

"They told us they weren't interested," he said.

According to Lyons Township records, the school board at that point had spent several months considering selling its larger property of 71 acres. But Russian said the high school did not mention the possibility when his district contacted it.

On Nov. 30, the public and local entities found out about the interest in selling in a public letter from the Lyons Township board.

At Monday's school board meeting, park board member Pat Gierut spoke about his board's proposal, which he said might be beneficial for all involved.

"We were basically not spoken to by the (school) board," he said.

Gierut criticized the high school's continued efforts to sell. He acknowledged the school's statement that Willow Springs has control over zoning. But he noted village officials have stated they do not want industrial development on the property, which is what the bidders plan.

"It's not crazy to say that (village officials) spoke very clearly about what they don't want to happen," Gierut said. "They don't want this to happen, and yet still for some reason it's being talked about."

He said he was not saying the high school shouldn't sell its property.

"Just bring all the parties to the table to speak about it, voice our concerns and decide what's best for the community," Gierut said.