Gordon Park Attorneys Recommends a Vote for John Brom and Jim Boo for Park District Board

     I write this article in strong support of both Jim Boo and John Brom as candidates for open Trustee positions on the Board of the Park District of La Grange this coming Tuesday, April 9, 2013.  If their incumbent opponents, Christopher Walsh and Robert Ashby, are re-elected, it is my fear that they will continue with their same misguided policy of attempting to sell very valuable and irreplaceable parkland for cash, as they have both been trying to do for the past five years at Gordon Park.

     I understand that the on-going litigation surrounding the attempted sale of Gordon Park land has generated strong feelings both pro and con over the years, and because of this, I feel strongly now, as one of the attorneys representing those La Grange residents trying to stop the sale of the parkland in question (which happens to comprise a beautiful hill- the only natural one within the Park District of La Grange- on the ancient shoreline of long-gone Lake Chicago, sloping gently down to tennis courts, and which used to have a playground, a picnic pavilion, and a soccer field on it until all were removed during this litigation), I have an obligation to the citizens of LaGrange to speak up at this time.  If Mr. Walsh and Mr. Ashby have their way, all this land will be sold off to private developers.   The following is a factual chronology of the legal battles over Gordon Park.

     The first legal action was initiated by the Park District in late 2007 (after the Park District had already signed a contract to sell the parkland in question to a private developer- ARP of Atlanta- who also had contracted to purchase the adjacent land owned by the YMCA).  This lawsuit should have never been brought by the Park District because it was trying to sell 3.5 acres of land under a statute that allowed only the sale of less than 3 acres.  This same statute allowed citizens to object, and the late William Dobias and Orlando Coryell both filed objections, and the trial court eventually found in favor of the objectors, specifically finding that the sale of the land exceeded 3 acres, and was outside the jurisdiction of the trial court, and thus the land could not be sold.

     The second legal action was initiated by Orlando Coryell after the 2008 referendum.   Under this statute, the Park District was required to hold a competitive public auction to sell the parkland in question.  The trial court, after a three day trial with numerous witnesses, found that the Park District also violated this statute, holding that the sale was a private one.  Again Mr. Coryell prevailed.

     The third legal action was also initiated by the Park District.  After the previous ruling, the Park District never conducted the competitive public auction authorized by the voters.   Instead, it transferred part of the 3.5 acres to the Village of LaGrange, and again (as in the very first legal action in 2007) sought court approval to sell 2.82 acres.    The court granted permission to sell at a non-negotiable price to be determined by averaging three appraisals.   This court action is still being appealed at this time.

     As can be seen by the above chronology, the Park District’s legal actions have been a disaster for all the taxpayers of LaGrange.  As the stewards of our public parklands, both Mr. Walsh and Mr. Ashby have failed miserably in that role.   They have been continuous members of the Park Board before the idea of selling Gordon Park even arose in 2006, and they have been at the heart of the push to sell irreplaceable parkland for a temporary cash gain.   During the trial on the second legal action references above, the Park District admitted in its own Master Plan that it had only 3.9 acres of parkland per 1000 residents, while national park district standards called for at a minimum 10 acres per 1000 residents.   The Park District further admitted at trial there was no available open land within La Grange to ever provide the recommended parkland- which would be an additional 96 acres.   Despite its own Master Plan, the Park District has been attempting to reduce even further our minimal parkland by attempting to sell the disputed area of Gordon Park.   These two candidates totally violate the spirit of the State of Illinois Park District Code, which references a 1911 Act to “establish and maintain parks and parkways in towns…”   Instead these two Board members have been attempting to act as real estate brokers for private developers rather than as trustees of  “public trust” lands, which includes all of Gordon Park.   

     If Mr. Walsh and Mr. Ashby are re-elected, they will continue their same misguided policy of selling parkland to make up for their mismanagement of the fiscal purse of the La Grange taxpayers (they have admittedly spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ (if not close to $1 million) dollars, on these boondoggled legal actions alone, without even considering the East Avenue facility).    They have never apologized for these policies, nor do plan to change.    During the trial of the third legal action, the Park District’s own expert testified that he submitted three “renovation” plans for Gordon Park: an inexpensive one, a more expensive one, and a third “Cadillac” plan.   Which plan did Mr. Ashby and Mr. Walsh and the Board endorse?  The “Cadillac” plan!   This same expert testified further that of all his many designs for park districts over the years, the LaGrange “Cadillac” plan for Gordon Park was the most expensive one he had ever done.   Do they deserve another chance?   I think not.   It is time to turn the page on the divisive politics their actions have engendered.    Selling much endangered and irreplaceable La Grange parkland for a few pieces of silver, in the long scheme of things, was a very poor policy decision on their part.  Even if the “Friends of the Park” and Orlando Coryell and their attorneys were to fade from the scene tomorrow, there would be others in La Grange just as committed to preserving precious parkland that would step up to do battle with a Park District that is trying to get rid of what it needs most according to it Master Plan- parkland.  Any Park Board member who assumes that such a hot button issue as preservation of parkland will not arise from the citizens when a Board attempts to sell its parkland (as happened here in LaGrange) is extremely naïve and does not deserve to be elected or re-elected on this basis alone!  I would urge a resounding “No” vote for both Christopher Walsh and Robert Ashby, who both still adhere today to their policy of selling land for cash.   John Lynch, who refused to rule out selling land for cash at the recent Citizens’ Forum, has obviously (as attested to by all the yard signs sprouting around town) decided to throw in his lot with Mr. Walsh and Mr. Ashby, and because of it, he too deserves a “No” vote on Tuesday. 

     I listened to John Brom and Jim Boo's ideas about how they would manage the affairs of the Park District at the Citizens’ Forum a few weeks ago, and they both agreed that the sale of parkland in our village that has so little, is problematic, and they would not engage in it.   Their ideas on fiscal responsibility, and very importantly, about how to the open up the Board process are a breath of fresh air and in great contrast to the current Board, which relishes secrecy and closed doors. It is understandable that those who presided over the disastrous policies of the last five years, would practice policies that are less open to the public and more secretive in its deliberations.   Let’s open the doors, La Grange citizens, and return our Park Board to sane, reasonable, respectful policies for all our citizens and for all our parklands.  Vote YES for BOO and BROM.  Vote NO for Walsh, Ashby and Lynch.

                                                         Respectfully submitted,

                                                         MARK E. WOHLBERG/THOMAS P. BEYER

                                                         Citizens of La Grange