Neighbor News
Scholl District 112 leases Clavey Road property for $5,000!
Without proper notice or community involvement, School District 112 leases property that has been used for over 30 years as a park.
Last night, my wife, myself and a few fellow Highland Park neighbors attended a District 112 school board meeting where the District 112 school board rented the property on Clavey Rd next to The Jewish Council for Youth Services (“JCYS”) for $5,000 per year. I have many troubling issues with this lease:
1.) The residents of Highland Park were not given proper notice of this meeting and the lease was not properly debated. We found out about the meeting through a neighbor two days prior to the meeting whom found out from the Park District of Highland Park. I believe this is a blatant disrespect to the residents of Highland Park and JSYC.
2.) In light of all the financial issues that District 112 is having, I do not believe that $5,000 rental is a fair market rental for that property. JCYS bought the adjacent property in 1980 for $1,000,000.
3.) When District 112 acquired this property in 1993, the Park District acquired its’ property behind and next to it. The property is currently being used as a park and soccer field for the American Youth Soccer Organization (“AYSO”). The property was acquired with the understanding that nothing would be built and it would continue as a park and soccer field. There was a restriction placed on the title that would only allow District 112 to build a school. Last night, the board members admitted that they are busy closing schools and have no use for the property. The proposed building is a day care center for children. I do not believe that a day care center is a school or meets the definition of a school when the agreement was reached in 1993.
4.) There has been no traffic study as to the impact this center will cause on Clavey Rd.
5.) There has been no impact as to the flooding issues this center will cause.
Last night we were informed that the next meeting is January 3. I ask that you come out and support the right of an informed and debated decision on this property. Time is of the essence, because the day care center wants to be up and running by July 1, 2019.
