Calling it a good compromise and a reasonable solution, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve School District 203 and the Naperville Park District's request to convert a portion of the West Street garden plots into athletic fields.
The plan calls for the development of two multi-purpose athletic fields, parking, landscaping and trail areas in the southern portion of the West Street garden plots; development of support amenities such as water spigots and accessible plots in the new northern plots; relocation of approximately 216 garden plots from the southern portion to locations in the northern garden plots area and expansion to DuPage River Park and grading in the northern plots to improve drainage and increase usable areas for gardening.
This has been a contentious issue since it was proposed, with gardeners claiming they have spent years developing their plots and starting in a new location will set them back years. But athletic teams claim they need the space to allow all the children who want to, to participate in youth sports.
Now that the decision is final, what do you think? Is it a fair compromise? Did the gardeners receive a fair hearing?
JQP, The Meier property wouldn't cost me a thing being I'm from D204. But I sure would not rebuild the new $87,000,000 NCHS on 23 acres like they are planning to do. But when you have a spineless park board that will give you free land, Why not. The question is why does St Ralph's have to play in downtown Naperville. Nike,Commissioners Park, Knoch Park,the new park that is being built @248th & Wolfs Crossing (with lights)and every school that they squat at is more than enough. It fill a void but the profits go to the Catholic Church Not to the Park District Nor the City of Naperville. JQP you have to think outside of Naperville there are alot of St Ralph's & NCHS students and athletes that don't live here. I don't see Bolingbrook or Lisle or Aurora helping us out. So why should we give them prime downtown property? They should use what available. To Anomymous, I have emailed Ray @ the Park District and he is a very nice man (but he lives in Bolingbrook & his kids go to NCHS). I do understand and agree with shared use between the NPD & the schools. But you don't distroy a successful program (garden plots) to bail out poor planning by D203. As I said before there is no other school in the Chicago area that uses as much public, Park District & city owned property than NCHS does. Dollar for dollar the Park District comes up short. Also only 1 Board Member replied to my emails. She didn't know about the Park @ 248th & Wolfs Crossing. She had to drive out there and see for herself. There is a large sign for the new park W/ lights that would be perfict for the St Ralph's program.
Southsider,
You should talk to the Park District and ask them about the school properties that they use for Park Dist. Programs. It works both ways.
Call them.
Southsider,
I wasn't here when the Meier property was considered, and don't have all of the info on it. Do you? How much would it cost to buy? How much would it cost to build? If memory serves, someone on a previous school district thread mentioned that the property there is also not large enough for a modern high school, and that the distrcit would need to work out some kind of deal with Benedictine U. to share their athletic fields. That doesn't sound like an ideal setting, either.
We'll see about the field usage. As for St. Raphael's football, it's a Naperville-based program, so why should they play in Lisle or Aurora? Do those cities have space available for the program? More to the point, since it is a Naperville-based program, it is benefiting mostly Naperville kids (thousands of them, from what I understand). It is also my understanding that the St. Raphael program complements park district offerings rather than competing with them. So I think we can count all of those kids and their families among those in the Naperville Park District who will see some advantage from the new fields.
-JQP
The Meier property would work just fine and we shouldn't have to bail out D203 for poor planning. Lets face it NCHS has 2 Boys Lacrosse teams & 2 Girls teams that are going to use these fields. That is about 100 total students that will use these fields. That is going to replace about 150 gardeners? I think that the useage will be about the same (students vs lost gardeners). NCHS will have exclusive use in the Spring and Fall and nobody uses the fields in the Winter. In the Summer there is no Soccer or Lacrosse going on so you can get fields anywhere in town. So how are these fields going to benifit the Park District? St Ralph's youth football will use these fields in the fall on Sundays. Why can't they play in Lisle or Aurora? Why is the Park District paying $250,000 to move?
Southsider,
The Olesen Estates deal is water under the bridge. We can't change the past, and there really isn't space anymore in District 203 to build a new high school. Also, I think how many people make use of the land is the issue---or, at least, an issue. More people both within District 203 and throughout the area served by the Naperville Park District will be able to benefit from this land as athletic fields than as garden plots. I think having garden plots for the exclusive use of a handful of people in a part of town where there is great demand for space is a luxury, and it is far easier and far less expensive to relocate garden plots than it is to relocate a high school.
-JQP
JQP, There is no other school in the Chicago area that uses as much public, Park District and City owned property than NCHS does. NCHS is on public aid. All of NCHS's Tennis courts & Baseball fields are all on City owned property in Knoch Park. Knoch Park has become an exclusive play ground for NCHS. We Park District taxpayers can use it when they don't need it. The Garden Plots are the last straw and are not facility sharing. They have to change the landscape to meet NCHS needs. D203 should have planned ahead and not sold the former High School site on Naper Blvd (Olsen Estates). Or should have to buy land just like D204 has done. Naperville is now 145,000 people and with Naperville students now going to 5 area high schools. It is not fair that the Park District is giving NCHS prime downtown land at the expense of ALL OF NAPERVILLE. As far as how many people will use it fields is not the point. There are many areas in Naperville that can be used better. Like the site of NCHS would be a great location for the Garden Plots.
Southsider,
Except for the relative handful of people who rent garden plots on that site, most people throughout Naperville don't currently benefit from that land in any way. I imagine the fields will be available for Park District purposes on week-ends and during the summer, so I think the number of people who will get some use out of the property will increase quite a bit. Also, it is my understanding that there is a lot of facility sharing between the Park District and District 203, so I don't see how this will be substantially different.
Finally, do you know for a fact that the Park District will be responsible for maintaining the fields? My guess is that it will be NCHS's responsibility. If it isn't, it probably should be---at least, during the school year.
-JQP
JQP, About the only time the Park District will be able to use these fields is to cut the grass and maintain these fields for NCHS. Without lights they are useless. This is equal to your neighbor building a shed in your backyard and letting you use it when he doesn't need it.
Southsider,
If the land were being given over to the exclusive use of NCHS, you might have a point. From what I can determine, though, it sounds like the NCHS and the Park District will both use the new fields.
-JQP
JQP, Yes the land is owned by the City but it is on a 100 year lease to the Park District. That makes it a Park District asset. To buy out that lease like D203 is doing is worth more than what D203 wants to pay, which is nothing. D203 only wants to pay $500,000 to improve the land not buy out the lease. This is a bad deal for anybody that pays Park District taxes that does not live in the NCHS boundrys. It is a great deal for all of the Woodridge, Bolingbrook and unincorporated areas that feed into NCHS.
What the asked:
Why should park district taxpayers not be getting compensated for land given away?
The land is actually owned by the City of Naperville, not the park district.
Does this mean a discount to all Park District funding taxpayers?
Did district 203 have to pay for the land or is it FREE?
Why should park district taxpayers not be getting compensated for land given away?
District 204 pays highly for its land acquisitions - over $200,000 per acre.
mmm are you folks the same people who were complaining about the dangerous intersection at Olympus and 75st St. at Lincoln Jr. High?
Well guess what? That's where the lacrosse team practices these days.
Not exactly a safe area to drive to, especially after school.
Why do you all you folks bash D203 so much? The school is a dump. Yes, a pure dump. My high school 30 years ago was in better shape than that place.
And for all you complainers, the referendums funding the school expansion etc. was approved by the voting public. The opportunity was there to advance your cause. I've come to surmise that the D203 haters in Naperville Potluck must be the same 4 to 5 people all the time.
Hey, the high school needs the land as well as the park district. Waiting lists are very common and demand can't be met because there simply is not enough open playing fields available.
Lacrosse at NCHS is a club sport. Which means its paid for by the parents with very little additional funding. So tax payers aren't directly paying for it. We are not talking about 20 or so kids either, but 3 full boys teams and at least 2 girls teams.
Parents pay for the coaches and referee fees.
If all you folks think Naperville schools are so bad, go move to some other suburb, I'm sure there plenty of other people who would feel so priveleged to have their children attend school here.
Oh, by the way, check out those nice higher tax rates in those other suburbs, Mt. Prospect, anywhere in Lake County, Glenview, Northbrook, Niles, Arlington Hts. Folks you are getting a bargain.
I am not certain about this, but when I first moved in to the Hobson West subdivision, I am pretty sure the Garden Plots were bigger than they are now. There is a split-rail fence along the back that was put in and the back area was allowed to become "wild". Take a look via Google maps and you can see it in the satellite view. I don't know why that happened. Probably some group complaining about something.... There is always one of those!
So, why not just take down the stupid fence and turn that back bit back into garden plots. Or make the athletic fields there.
Yes, I know. Why didn't I say something sooner? I didn't think of this until fairly recently, and I don't really have a stake in this. Except now I will have to dodge more stupid...er...typical high school kids that think they should be able to cross West Street whenever and wherever they want. Like they do already. There will just be more of them.
Next will be yet another stop or crossing light. Get ready for that fight!
Garden Plots,
As I drive by NCHS I see so much land just going to waste. The only use this land has is to house the cars of the students. We pay taxes for buses but must use this valuable land so NCHS children can drive to school. Wasn't the reason District 203 had to have the garden plots was so their children wouldn't have to drive to practice. Let the Seniors drive and the rest take the bus. Use this valuable land for something better than a parking lot(maybe an athletic field).
The new fields without lights are useless to anybody but Naperville Central. In the spring and the fall it gets dark way too early for anybody else to use them. So congrats to all of the NCHS parents that live in Bolingbrook, Woodridge and the unincorporated areas and lets not forget the little footballers from St Raphel that don't live here and don't have to pay Naperville Park District taxes. Why can't St Ralphs play their games in Lisle or Aurora? It looks like Central will now need the cemetery land back so it can build a pond for its Bass Fishing team.
I find this whole situation with the garden plots completely baffling! I have lived all over the world and have never before heard of a "garden plot" being provided by a city.
I have lived in Naperville for 10 years and have never even heard that garden plots existed in the city until recently. Do my tax dollars go toward making these plots available? If so, I want my money back. When you live in a community, obviously schools and school activities are provided by the city - garden plots? Not so much!
Was driving by NNHS with the wife and she says what are they doing on the football field? I told her they are putting down artificial turf and will be doing same at NCHS. She exclaimed with pride we are most fortunate to live in a wonderful school district that can provide our student athletes with such a fine venue for their competition. I told her wait until they tear up West Street. The destruction of animal habitat, flora and fauna, nature in general will be a very nice and progressive change for that area of town. And all praise our student athletes. Speaking of whom, in the sports section of the Sunday, Naperville Sun please all praise the NNHS fishing team coached by Don Zedrow. They were able to place one boat in the finals at Lake Caryle next month with their 1.6 pound fish at Lake Shabbona. It was very well written and hilarious. The excitement left me clinging to my recliner. Photos would have been a very nice addition to the article. Competitive high school fishing.
By John Q. Public on April 23, 2009 6:02 PM
And what private school(s) would all those many hundreds of students attend?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JQP
I don't think there is a one size fits all solution to education. That is how we got into the State Monopoly, unionized, atheistic, left leaning, ever more expensive, under-performing school systems nationally that have systematically wiped out the competition. (Try saying this in one breath).
In a way, the current taxation system has made education into a prison system for the Parents and Students. The taxes are so high both are deprived of their free will and forced to be customers of the State Monopoly. Like grocery stores in the Soviet Union, you are forced to eat it the way they serve it.
If vouchers were freely available, what you would see is that a free-market composed of shoppers with cash in hand will drive new suppliers into the market and increase the competitiveness of the current suppliers.
...................................................
What will the Suppliers look like:
Your kids' local Montessori School will begin offering classes Pre-K through 8th Grade in a matter of weeks, after the vouchers are available.
Your nearby Catholic Schools will begin expanding again with half of the students being non-Catholic. Excessive taxation to support the State Monopoly has almost completely wiped out the once vast and better performing Catholic Schools.
Other schools run by religions will also see an increase in enrollment.
Private, non-religious schools, will both expand by one or two classes per grade and new academies will be formed. I know teachers who would leave the Public Schools in a second to form their own schools and teach the way the want to teach. Even if this means taking a pay cut.
Many parents will continue to send their children to the public school for a number of reasons, quality of education will increase under competitive pressure.
I hear the number, 1000 students in Naperville are already home schooling. I don't know the source or if it is for both school systems.
....................................................
What about the behavioral disorder students?
The Country has an obligation to make a good faith effort to educate all of our children.
Unfortunately, some require a structured environment bordering on prison like supervision and controls in order to moderate their behavior.
Schools specifically designed to fit this special need also need to operate in Naperville, I am sad to say.
Hopefully with strict supervision, demanding standards and a firm hand most of these students can be turned around and made into productive citizens.
......................................................
What about Defective Parents?
In some cases, the parents are so defective, the students should probably removed from the home and put into strictly supervised boarding schools. I have non-Naperville teachers in my family who's stories are both heart breaking and an outrage for the children.
.........................................................
JQP,
These are my thoughts, I'm sure others have their own ideas.
Yes, this may be disorderly for a year or two.
Will the Public Schools have more money per student this way, YES.
Is it better than the slow motion national meltdown we are experiencing? I think YES!
Anon @ 2:17
I don't think it was a substantial amount of money in the grand scheme of things. I tried to quickly look up the budget numbers on the districts website but wasn't able to find them. Sorry I'm traveling on business this week and don't have a lot of time to search for them.
The money for the stadium was 2 fold. First they are going to replace the grass with a turf field. This will allow the field to be used for more then the Friday night games. The turf will allow the Jr. Highs to play more games on the field as well as allow the field to be used for some practices. While they are still short on space for practices this does somewhat reduce the need for additional space. They still need additional space but not as much. In addition the ongoing cost to maintain the turf is less then the cost to maintain grass. I'm not sure what the exact payback period is. The second reason for budgeting for stadium improvements is the encroachment of the school onto the current football field. I don't think the school actually moves on to the field but it gets very close and takes up the old parking lot space that was used for pre game and post game stuff as well as for people milling around during the game. They need to move those people some place and the bleachers are already crowded during the games.
I am not a knowledgeable insider. I do have some friends who work for the district, and do have kids attending NCHS. I have worked to educate myself on what is going on so I can make intelligent voting decisions as well as decisions regarding my kids educational future.
TO:
By Anonymous on April 23, 2009 4:25 PM
My IQ dropped just reading your post.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Anonymous,
My intent was not to cause you any further loss of intelligence, it must be difficult as it is with your kindergartner spoon feeding you as you drool and search and peck on your keyboard.
Experienced,
That post was simply humor and sarcasm.
Little surprised it went over the head of a forensic accounting expert.
Just having a little fun with you.
Once in a while we need to lighten up.
By Big Fat City Pensions will get my Tax Refund on April 22, 2009 2:38 PM
DS
How come you changed your position on the garden plots?
Anonymous wrote:
The District could have also offered $7000 a year vouchers to any student who wanted to go to a private school and $5000 for home school. This would have completely eliminated the need for a new High School. We might be talking about merging Central and North after the stampede.
And what private school(s) would all those many hundreds of students attend?
By Anonymous on April 23, 2009 2:17 PM
"I don't recall the exact numbers, but wasn't a substantial amount of money for the "new school" going for stuff like the new stadium etc?..."
I heard the new stadium is going to seat 25,000 with sky boxes and a retractable roof, too!!!
My IQ dropped just reading your post.
Maybe we can move Naperville North to the Lucent Building which is in excelllent shape and with lots of acreage and parking.
Then we can move Naperville Central to Naperville North since it is south of the the Lucent and you can not be Central if you are north of North. Of course we could simply reverse the names of the schools and avoid a costly double move.
And finally we can flatten the old Naperville Central High School and have the biggest Pigfest in history of mankind on that new and expanded virgin land.
The gardeners don't have to be evicted. They can continue producing vegetables for their families
And someone please call the Guiness Book of Records so we can record the masses feeding on these cholesteral fattening PigRibs at PigFest in a 4 day marathon. A record may be made.
Have plenty of ambulances ready as we may also set a record for most heart attacks at a Pigfest.
And finally have some IRS agents monitoring how the cover charge is handled. Two million dollars coming from these cover charges in 4 days is no joke.
Oh, and we need a Brink's truck each day to carry the 500,000 dollars generated per day to a safe and secure place before it is disbursed only God knows how or where or to whom.
End of Story!
TO:
By Anonymous on April 23, 2009 11:23 AM
You sound like a knowledgeable insider, is it true that the Dist is going to be paying a rate of $200 hr. for union trades and has not renegotiated the costs based on the current residential and commercial construction depression?
I don't recall the exact numbers, but wasn't a substantial amount of money for the "new school" going for stuff like the new stadium etc?...
The District could have also offered $7000 a year vouchers to any student who wanted to go to a private school and $5000 for home school. This would have completely eliminated the need for a new High School. We might be talking about merging Central and North after the stampede.
"The genesis for the new school was defective Bunsen burners in the science lab at Central. The school district's cost to fix the burners is $150M plus the garden plots. I'm guessing that I could have fixed the gas pipes and venting for less than $1,000."
You have got to be kidding. Have you ever actually been inside central? Let alone attempt to learn or teach there? The school was completely outdated and in need of a major renovation. Do you realize that they needed to increase the time needed between classes because the hallways were to narrow for the number of kids in the building. How do you suggest they fix that with $1000. Not to mention the kids sitting in the hallways to eat lunch because the lunch room was too small. That doesn't even scratch the surface of the actual classroom problems. What about the asbestos? How do we remove that with 1k.
Q.
Now that the decision is final, what do you think?
A.
If you believe people move to Naperville because of our good schools, this may make sense.
Alternatively, if you believe that companies like Amoco, ATT, Lucnet, Tellabs, Nalco, Unisis, HP, Navistar etc. located here because of our former low-cost, good-value model; and that the children of the thousands of engineers and other highly trained professionals (that they brought to Naperville) are the reason our schools perform well, then the high-tax and big-spending on the schools and fields is counter productive and will chase more jobs away.
The genesis for the new school was defective Bunsen burners in the science lab at Central. The school district's cost to fix the burners is $150M plus the garden plots. I'm guessing that I could have fixed the gas pipes and venting for less than $1,000.
Q
Is it a fair compromise?
A.
The Schools get everything they want and the Gardeners got pushed off the land?
Q.
Did the gardeners receive a fair hearing?
A.
The decision was made before the process was started, the rest must be process required by State Law. This is becoming a tired old re-run at City Hall.
At least the new school and fields will look good on real estate brochures and builder's literature. It may drive more business at the Downtown Bars as the tax bills arrive. This takes care of the Chambers concerns.
The now empty, state of the art, Lucent Building, its vast acreage and parking at the corner of Warrenville and Naperville roads could have been purchased a lot cheaper and is in move in condition.
We could have spent the remaining $100 million on marble statues and brass plaques for all of the school board members.
"so kids could play LaCrosse"
Yep, and the operative word here is "could". Did any of the mental giants who developed these grandiose plans include a viable exit strategy in the event the La Crosse team never gets off the ground?
Or like most back room dealings between the City Council, the Naperville Park District, and SD 203 was it intended to be bait and switch from the very beginning?
evidently LaCrosse will be the saving grace of Naperville,
for those young enough not to pay taxes
I for one am sick & tired of the Naperville School districts, that's right both of them. What kind of example / leadership just burns the cash, and then has the audacity to whine about it, and threaten the kids future w/o it...
cash is king
can we now lay claim to future red light camera intersections to fund future narrow-minded adventures like these LaCrosse fields
let me guess, we'll need more parking next
I say; use the soccer fields
the Mitchell's would be rolling in their grave right now
nice land grab! congrats
Judge Win Knoch knew how to keep his land sacred...
Naperville's cheerleaders score another big win
$750,000.00 burned in a down economy - people lost jobs
so kids could play LaCrosse
By Big Fat City Pensions will get my Tax Refund on April 22, 2009 2:38 PM
I support the City Council 100% in this well thought out compromise. They can add my vote to their unanimous vote.
I hope we can get a unanimous vote to reduce the Big Fat City Pensions soon since they got the Garden Plot issue out of the way.
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By Anonymous on August 7, 2008 10:52 PM
AA,
No sour grapes and not fantasizing. You can try your best to dismiss this, but the facts don't change and the issue won't go away. And if you think for one minute that everyone who lives in SD 204 and who is aware of this inequity doesn't think they were sold out by SD 203 and screwed by the City of Naperville you are sorely mistaken.
You obviously must live in SD 203 and hope and pray this goes away so that you can go on screwing SD 204 residents and not have to pay one red dime out of your pocket for all of your schools like taxpayers on the other side of town.
Do you really think in today's judicial system that a jury would agree with your faulty logic? Absolutely true that thousands of people have moved into SD 204 since it was formed. At the same token, who is left living in SD 203 from the time of the bequest? No one. Which make time a great leveling factor.
I could very easily see where a jury could order the eviction of SD 203 from this land or order the city to fairly compensate, in kind, all of the other residents in the other half of Naperville by ordering an equity payment to SD 204. There are several other viable options as well that could lead to an equitable settlement; one of which would be to force the sale of some of the land to a private developer as one way to generate the money needed to make things equitable with SD 204 residents. Kind of a shame that a lot of the open land would be lost, but then that is what is likely to happen because of cheapskates like you who don't want to pay their fair share.
You have exploited the potential fair market value way beyond my realistic number. Regardless a jury will make awards based upon today's values not upon some long past date. True the land is worth something. Also true is that the taxpayers of SD 203 are not entitled to a free ride on public property at the expense of the taxpayers of SD 204. There is no way the city of Naperville could successfully defend a lawsuit based upon such blatant discrimination and selective use of public land.
To Anonymous on April 22, 2009 5:18 PM, it is my understanding from the meeting last night that these fields will be used by more than just NCHS. The Park District will add them to their list of fields that can be used by the various athletic programs in Naperville. On weekends and after NCHS uses them they will be open to used by the public. If you drive down West Street in the fall around 6:00 p.m. you will see tons of kids playing youth football and practicing cheerleading at Knock Park...these fields will be used by those groups too. One the weekends they will be used to play the youth football games according the Park District officials at the meeting last night. Also, I do believe Neuqua Valley does use some of the space at Frontier Park for their athletic teams. I see them out there when I drive by. NCHS will be using these fields a lot, but these fields will also be used by others in the community too.
I think this is a fair decision. I live in District 204 and it won't directly effect my family, but it does directly effect my community. There is no reason students shouldn't have athletic fields nearby for their activities. This decision is for the good of the community. It is much easier and more cost-effective to relocate the garden plots instead of bussing students to fields at an offsite location on a daily basis. Or worse, to eliminate the activities for students because of no available fields.
Didn't Doug Krause make a campaign promise to vote against moving the garden plots? That is why I voted for him and now he doesn't keep his word. I should have known, Krause panders more than anyone, even Furstenau, when it comes to how he votes. Way to stick with the ones that got you re-elected Doug! Four more years of you on council... Thanks for nothing.
Kevin,(or anyone) Will these athletic fields be used exclusively by D203, or will they also be used by the Park district? Commissioners and Frontier are mostly used by the park district and not D204. Other than Neuqua's use of Commissioners park for Lacrosse, I'm not aware that D204 uses either of these parks for school sanctioned events?
I think is a fair plan. There will be some short-term upheaval for the gardeners, but they'll adjust in time, and the garden plot program will be stronger than ever, with more locations and more total plots.
I agree with this vote 100%, I think it was a good compromise and all sides do get something out of it. They might not like everything in the deal, but it is a win-win for all involved. You are not going to make everyone happy, especially in Naperville!! I was happy to hear Councilmen Krause mention to the D204 folks that were complaining about having to pay for this project that both Frontier Park and Commissioners Park were built from dollars of people who live in D203 as much as people who live in D204. You can argue that people who live in D204 benefit more from those parks than people who live in D203 since they are on the south end of town...so is it ok for those two parks to be built in D204, but we can't build fields in D203 that will benefit more than just NCHS whether you believe it or not? Isn't that a double standard? I think so! For the record, I have no problems with my tax dollars paying for both Frontier and Commissioner Park as they were great additions to the Park District and much needed.
Will the new playing fields proposed in the southern garden plot takeover also take the small park on the south side of the garden plots? That open park space is never used. There is no public parking there for that park. Its simply maintained by the park district to allow a half dozen homes to have open space. Turn that space into gardens or playing fields... get some use out of our public lands.
I support the City Council 100% in this well thought out compromise. They can add my vote to their unanimous vote.
I hope we can get a unanimous vote to reduce the Big Fat City Pensions soon since they got the Garden Plot issue out of the way.
Ms. Mitchell would be appalled at what was done last night. Ms. Mitchell's wishes were clear on how this land was to be used. Once again our City Council failed miserably in their stewardship of this gift. Anyone who is wealthy enough to leave the City of Naperville a gift of this size would be crazy to do so in the future because the City Council has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of integrity or ethics in upholding a benefactor's wishes.
Shortsightedness by city leaders decades ago led us down the road to this situation. If you look at where our current City Council members live it is clear they voted only out of selfish personal interest and their own property tax bills.
Anyone who lives in Naperville outside of SD 203 got screwed by this decision.
Anyone who lives in SD 203 and does not live within the NCHS boundary got screwed by this decision. Anyone who lives within the NCHS boundaries and who isn't 14-18 years old got screwed by this decision.
Anyone who lives within the boundaries of the Naperville Park District got screwed by this decision.
This is not a done deal. This issue can and should be revisited after the new City Council members take office. In fact, the current members should be ashamed of themselves for voting on an issue as sensitive as this one during a lame duck period was simply the wrong thing to do.
A true gentleman would have the good manners to table the motion until the new members took office. That alone speaks volumes about the true character of the current members. Enough said.