WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – The village of Western Springs last week found a construction project at Lyons Township High School's South Campus in violation of the local code.
The village ordered the work to stop, which the school did.
In a notice of violation, the village's code enforcement official, Karyn Byrne, informed school officials that the village had received four complaints going back nearly a month.
According to the complaints, a discus facility with two concrete pads and poles for netting had been installed without the village's approval.
It was apparently part of a larger project that the Village Board approved in May 2025. That work was supposed to involve the moving of the softball field, along with accessory structures such as bleachers, dugouts, lighting and a new video scoreboard.
If the school had continued the discus project, it would have faced fines of up to $750 a day, Byrne said.
The village ordered the school to provide by Friday documentation showing that the already-installed discus structures comply with the architect's design.
It also mandated the school to submit a completed application and other required documents by May 15. Failure to comply could result in $750-a-day penalties, Byrnes said.
High school officials did not return a message for comment left early Tuesday morning.
The subject, though, came up during Monday's school board meeting.
Western Springs resident Tommy Greco, who lives next to South Campus, noted the complaints about the project.
"What remains today is an incomplete, unpermitted construction site with piles of dirt and sand with concrete pads and erected metal poles clearly visible from the street," he said.
He asked for an explanation of how the work could have proceeded outside the village's May 2025 permit. He also requested the immediate removal of safety hazards.
Dan Kass, a high school parent, said his daughter, a track team member, and others are now not allowed to use the discus facility.
"The track team and the throwers especially have been caught in the crossfire about what's going on," Kass said. "The kids themselves want to set records and obtain scholarships. I think the lack of facilities is hampering their ability to reach their goals.
School officials did not respond to the residents. Under state law, the board cannot discuss the project behind closed doors.
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