Post by cornholio on Apr 12, 2008 0:12:41 GMT -6
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=171578&src=76
Indian Prairie Unit District 204's dream of building Metea Valley High School along Eola Road may not be dashed after all.
It appeared Thursday as if the school board would have to abandon its Eola Road plans when one of the two landowners -- Midwest Generation -- pulled out of a deal to sell 37 acres to the district citing "serious public opposition and a deep division within the community."
But on Friday, members of St. John AME Church said they are open to finding a new site for their own proposed building and are willing to negotiate the sale of all 84 acres they own east of Eola and south of Diehl Road.
Such a sale would give District 204 the room officials say they need for a high school campus without using any of the neighboring property owned by Midwest Generation.
A new deal
Officials say the school district tried several times in 2005 and 2006 to purchase the church-owned land but was rebuffed each time.
Finally, earlier this year, the church agreed to sell the district 49 of the 84 acres it owns along Eola Road. The district planned to combine that land with 37 acres from Midwest Generation to house the proposed high school campus.
Church trustee Greg Forest said St. John planned to keep the remaining 35 acres to build a new church campus for its 700 members.
"Our stance was always that our 80 acres was not negotiable, to the school district or anyone," Forest said Friday. "But the church is very saddened for the children of District 204 and disappointed for them. We've put all of the options on the table so equality and justice can prevail over selfishness and discontent. That is God's will."
School board President Mark Metzger said Friday afternoon that he had not yet been presented with any offers from the church.
"That sounds to me like there is at least a door open for us to talk about that land where in 2005, 2006 and 2007, that wasn't the case," Metzger said. "At this point, nothing is off the table, so we'll meet Monday and talk about all our remaining options."
Home for a church
If such a deal were to be struck, the suburbs' oldest black congregation would have to search for another home for its proposed 6,500-square-foot church.
Since selling their old church in 2006, members have worshipped at District 204's Granger Middle School.
Initially, Forrest said St. John was depending on the sale of the 49 acres along Eola Road to finance its new church campus. But after breaking the campus construction into phases, he said, the church can complete the first phase without proceeds from any land sale.
The 6,500-square-foot church, including an 86-foot steeple, a sanctuary, fellowship hall, administrative offices, classroom and chapel is part of the first phase. A fitness center and conference hall make up the second and third phases.
"We had hoped to be in that sanctuary next year and we haven't given up on that possibility," Forest said. "But if this site is not meant to be our home, we'll move on because this has never been a sense of urgency for us."
There is, however, a sense of urgency for the district to build a third high school with leaders projecting high school enrollment will top 9,300 by 2012. Officials have set April 15 as a deadline for getting "a shovel in the ground" before ruling out having Metea ready for freshmen and sophomores by fall 2009.
Where now?
District 204 has come under considerable fire during the past month from a group of about 400 parents called Neighborhood Schools for Our Children.
The group filed a lawsuit in an attempt to force the district to reject the Eola Road site and instead return to the Brach-Brodie property it originally had selected for the school near 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora.
The district abandoned plans for the Brach-Brodie property when a jury in condemnation proceedings set the price for 55 acres at $31 million -- roughly $17 million more than school officials thought it was worth.
The parents group renewed its call for the district to reopen negotiations for the Brach-Brodie land after the Midwest Generation deal fell through. In an open letter to the district on Friday, members promised to suspend their lawsuit against the district if the Brach-Brodie negotiations resume.
The group's stance, however, has angered other parents who say a new facility is necessary to ease crowding at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools and that the Eola Road site is a good fit.
Jennifer Streder, of Napervile's Brookdale neighborhood, said Friday she hopes the district finds a way to build along Eola.
"People are appalled, shocked and hurt that elitism wins in this case," she said. "And that's what they are, a small group of parents who believe they got a deed to a seat in a school, sitting next to whoever they want, when they bought their ritzy homes.
"Well they've woken and disgusted a silent majority here and we're tired of their unacceptance of certain aspects of our community and Waubonsie Valley High School."
In a meeting this week with Daily Herald reporters and editors, group members maintained their opposition to the Eola site focuses on environmental hazards and has nothing to do with their children moving from Neuqua Valley High School to Waubonsie Valley High School.
"They are just projecting their true feelings about Waubonsie onto us and trying to make that accusation," member Jim Walker said. "Not one of us has said that. In fact, I look at Waubonsie and Neuqua and I see two phenomenal schools with phenomenal test scores."
Sandra Conti, of Naperville's Stonebridge community, said Friday she doesn't care where the new school goes or who goes there.
"We want a third high school, we feel we need a third high school and we just want it to get started and this fighting to stop," Conti said. "It's insane and hurts the entire community."
Indian Prairie Unit District 204's dream of building Metea Valley High School along Eola Road may not be dashed after all.
It appeared Thursday as if the school board would have to abandon its Eola Road plans when one of the two landowners -- Midwest Generation -- pulled out of a deal to sell 37 acres to the district citing "serious public opposition and a deep division within the community."
But on Friday, members of St. John AME Church said they are open to finding a new site for their own proposed building and are willing to negotiate the sale of all 84 acres they own east of Eola and south of Diehl Road.
Such a sale would give District 204 the room officials say they need for a high school campus without using any of the neighboring property owned by Midwest Generation.
A new deal
Officials say the school district tried several times in 2005 and 2006 to purchase the church-owned land but was rebuffed each time.
Finally, earlier this year, the church agreed to sell the district 49 of the 84 acres it owns along Eola Road. The district planned to combine that land with 37 acres from Midwest Generation to house the proposed high school campus.
Church trustee Greg Forest said St. John planned to keep the remaining 35 acres to build a new church campus for its 700 members.
"Our stance was always that our 80 acres was not negotiable, to the school district or anyone," Forest said Friday. "But the church is very saddened for the children of District 204 and disappointed for them. We've put all of the options on the table so equality and justice can prevail over selfishness and discontent. That is God's will."
School board President Mark Metzger said Friday afternoon that he had not yet been presented with any offers from the church.
"That sounds to me like there is at least a door open for us to talk about that land where in 2005, 2006 and 2007, that wasn't the case," Metzger said. "At this point, nothing is off the table, so we'll meet Monday and talk about all our remaining options."
Home for a church
If such a deal were to be struck, the suburbs' oldest black congregation would have to search for another home for its proposed 6,500-square-foot church.
Since selling their old church in 2006, members have worshipped at District 204's Granger Middle School.
Initially, Forrest said St. John was depending on the sale of the 49 acres along Eola Road to finance its new church campus. But after breaking the campus construction into phases, he said, the church can complete the first phase without proceeds from any land sale.
The 6,500-square-foot church, including an 86-foot steeple, a sanctuary, fellowship hall, administrative offices, classroom and chapel is part of the first phase. A fitness center and conference hall make up the second and third phases.
"We had hoped to be in that sanctuary next year and we haven't given up on that possibility," Forest said. "But if this site is not meant to be our home, we'll move on because this has never been a sense of urgency for us."
There is, however, a sense of urgency for the district to build a third high school with leaders projecting high school enrollment will top 9,300 by 2012. Officials have set April 15 as a deadline for getting "a shovel in the ground" before ruling out having Metea ready for freshmen and sophomores by fall 2009.
Where now?
District 204 has come under considerable fire during the past month from a group of about 400 parents called Neighborhood Schools for Our Children.
The group filed a lawsuit in an attempt to force the district to reject the Eola Road site and instead return to the Brach-Brodie property it originally had selected for the school near 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora.
The district abandoned plans for the Brach-Brodie property when a jury in condemnation proceedings set the price for 55 acres at $31 million -- roughly $17 million more than school officials thought it was worth.
The parents group renewed its call for the district to reopen negotiations for the Brach-Brodie land after the Midwest Generation deal fell through. In an open letter to the district on Friday, members promised to suspend their lawsuit against the district if the Brach-Brodie negotiations resume.
The group's stance, however, has angered other parents who say a new facility is necessary to ease crowding at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools and that the Eola Road site is a good fit.
Jennifer Streder, of Napervile's Brookdale neighborhood, said Friday she hopes the district finds a way to build along Eola.
"People are appalled, shocked and hurt that elitism wins in this case," she said. "And that's what they are, a small group of parents who believe they got a deed to a seat in a school, sitting next to whoever they want, when they bought their ritzy homes.
"Well they've woken and disgusted a silent majority here and we're tired of their unacceptance of certain aspects of our community and Waubonsie Valley High School."
In a meeting this week with Daily Herald reporters and editors, group members maintained their opposition to the Eola site focuses on environmental hazards and has nothing to do with their children moving from Neuqua Valley High School to Waubonsie Valley High School.
"They are just projecting their true feelings about Waubonsie onto us and trying to make that accusation," member Jim Walker said. "Not one of us has said that. In fact, I look at Waubonsie and Neuqua and I see two phenomenal schools with phenomenal test scores."
Sandra Conti, of Naperville's Stonebridge community, said Friday she doesn't care where the new school goes or who goes there.
"We want a third high school, we feel we need a third high school and we just want it to get started and this fighting to stop," Conti said. "It's insane and hurts the entire community."
