Willow Springs Blasts LTHS Sale Plan

WILLOW SPRINGS, IL – A top Willow Springs official said Monday the village had no intention to rezone Lyons Township High School's property for an industrial developer.

Village Administrator Ryan Grace's statement was greeted with sustained applause from the audience during a school board meeting. He was with the village's entire elected board.

At the meeting, the board rejected the two bids for the property, but the board president said the school would continue to negotiate.

Grace said he found out the school has been communicating with the high bidder, Bridge Industrial, for a year.

Yet the school did not reveal to the public its plan to sell the 70-acre wooded land in Willow Springs until Nov. 30, he said. Less than three weeks later, the school went out to bid.

Grace said it was disappointing that residents only learned about the plan through a vague news release from the school.

"(The school's) lack of communication and consideration for the community stakeholders has resulted in unnecessary community unrest," Grace said.

Last week, the school told Patch that Willow Springs Village President Melissa Neddermeyer was informed Nov. 30 about the plan to sell.

Grace said that did not happen.

"I can only presume that you were referring to the press release that was dated Nov. 30," he told the board.

He said school officials have twice rejected a meeting with village officials about the property, which is southwest of 79th Street and Willow Springs Road. (The school said it would meet after a legal review of the bids.)

In his comments, Grace revealed that village officials met last week with representatives of Bridge Industrial, which bid $55 million.

"We learned their intention was to build a full industrial park on the site, a use that we informed them will not work for our community," Grace said.

He said he learned about the school's year-long communications with Bridge Industrial from the company itself.

School officials have maintained they have been open with the public about the process, citing the information on a separate website.

Also at the meeting, Todd Davis, president of the Pleasant Dale Park District board, said the school has not been willing to discuss with the district its plan to sell the land.

He said the park district owns seven acres in the middle of the school's 70 acres.

He called the Willow Springs land "a very important asset" that requires partnership and discussion.

"We're all in this together," he said. "Please reach out to us."

The school's land is surrounded by houses, an elementary school, a park, a country club and a UPS facility.

Bridge Industrial has not returned messages for comment.