LTHS Backs Down On Willow Springs Land Effort

LA GRANGE, IL – After months of protests, Lyons Township High School announced Friday morning that it was abandoning its effort to sell its land in Willow Springs for its minimum price, which was set for an industrial buyer.

The school board released a statement to the community, breaking its public silence on the issue after nearly six weeks.

In its statement, the board said it set out to achieve the highest value possible for the land, calling that its responsibility.

"At this time, the Board is no longer soliciting or considering bids at the minimum price and under the current approved terms and conditions," the statement read.

The minimum price of $55 million was based on an appraisal for industrial uses of the 71 acres.

That was in spite of the land's zoning, which barred industrial uses. Willow Springs officials vowed to keep the zoning in place.

The board said Friday it still was committed to using the Willow Springs property as an "important asset" toward achieving its goals. The board has pledged to use the proceeds for building improvements at its two campuses.

"The Board will continue to explore options on how to maximize the property’s impact for our entire (school) community," the board said. "When that time comes, new terms, conditions and pricing would be established."

The announcement comes less than a month before the April 4 school board election. Among the candidates are board President Kari Dillon and member Jill Beda Daniels. They have defended the board's handling of the matter, while their five challengers have questioned it.

Five towns, a school district and a park district have come out against the plan for industrial uses on the property. Next to the land are houses, a park, an elementary school, a country club and a UPS facility.

Last month, Patch revealed Superintendent Brian Waterman's emails with the eventual top bidder, Bridge Industrial, about selling the land. This lasted for eight months before the board announced in late November of its interest in selling the land.

The revelation of the emails upset residents. And Willow Springs Village President Melissa Neddermeyer called for Waterman's firing, citing the communications.

Signs emerged this week that the school board was looking to back down. In Facebook messages Monday, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Newman, a La Grange resident who endorsed the re-election of Dillon and Daniels, said she knew with "certitude" that the board was not selling.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the school bought the Willow Springs land in two phases with the plan of building a third campus. That was during a time of expanding population, but enrollment has stabilized over the last four decades.