Crystal Lake South Bleacher Issue Marches On; D155 Aims for High Court Ruling

District 155 is not giving up a fight to keep the 48-foot high bleachers at Crystal Lake South High School in place despite two courts ruling that the towering stands violate city rules, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Schools officials have hinted toward taking their case to the state Supreme Court stating that a bigger issue of who should be responsible for governing school construction is at stake and the outcome could affect other school districts, the newspaper reports. A McHenry County judge and the Illinois Appellate Court have already ruled the bleachers were built illegally.

For now, the bleachers remain and neighbors remain peeved over how large and how close the stands are to their property lines.

Controversy over the $1.18 million bleachers began in the summer of 2012 when homeowners living on Amberwood Drive said they were never given advance notification about the project, or an opportunity to share their concerns or input.

The homeowners objected to the size of the new stands, which are 51 feet tall (not counting the press box) and triple the width of the previous bleachers. The new stadium also was built 41 feet from the homeowners’ property line.

City zoning requires structures on the Crystal Lake South site to be a max of 15 feet tall and 600 square feet wide and at least 50 feet from neighboring properties, the Chicago Tribune reports.

A McHenry County Judge on Thursday could rule that more enforcement be taken on the bleacher issue, the Northwest Herald reports. The city has waived daily fines for the zoning violation but District 155 could face fines of up to $1,000 a day moving forward.

Meanwhile, school officials say they are waiting to hear if an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court will be heard, according to the Northwest Herald.