Schools
LTHS Admission: Sale Would Hurt Neighbors
Behind closed doors, the school board acknowledged the sale of land would negatively impact residents.
LA GRANGE, IL – For months, Willow Springs residents argued Lyons Township High School's plan to sell its nearby land to an industrial developer would hurt their property values.
When residents aired such complaints during school board meetings, members sat stone-faced, giving no reply.
But it turns out they admitted — behind closed doors — the neighbors would be hurt.
Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Under orders from the attorney general, the board last week released its closed session recordings from Jan. 23.
The vast majority of the discussions fell nowhere near the legal exception cited to close the doors – setting the price of real estate.
Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In Illinois, most discussions of public business must be made in the open.
During the closed meeting, then-member Alison Kelly argued most residents would benefit from the $55 million sale of the property. The school's buildings and athletic facilities needed upgrades, she said.
"We are never going to sell the people who are backed up to a beautiful forest now that are enjoying wildlife," Kelly told her colleagues. "We'd be fighting this tooth and nail if that was us on that property. They have a right to fight this as much as possible because their property is going to be hurt by this."
Others could be heard concurring, with member Dawn Aubert saying, "I agree."
Kelly said the school board must work on convincing the majority on the board's cause.
"I think we need to get the people who are going to win from this to feel like they're going to win from it," Kelly said.
Then-board President Kari Dillon said the school should educate the rest of the community, so residents can be equipped to have such conversations with their counterparts in Willow Springs.
The 71 acres in question are surrounded by houses, a park, a golf course, a school and a UPS facility. Residents protested the school's plan, which the school board abandoned in March.
Although industrial uses are not allowed, the school sought an appraisal for such purposes. It then set a minimum price of $55 million, much higher than the estimated $20 million it would be for uses such as houses and small retailers.
See other stories based on the recordings of the closed-door meetings on Jan. 23:
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
