Post by doctorwho on Apr 22, 2008 7:41:52 GMT -6
Dist. 204 looks to force family's hand in land buy
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished: 4/22/2008 12:10 AM
Now the proud owner of 84.1 acres along Eola Road, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 no longer needs the 25-acre tract the district owns at the Brach-Brodie site.
Board members Monday agreed to put the land at the intersection of Commons and Thatcher drives on the market, unless the original owners want to buy it back.
"One of things that must be done before we can move forward is claim the 25 acres of the Brach-Brodie site as surplus," said Superintendent Stephen Daeschner.
The district purchased the land on the Brach-Brodie site with the intention of later purchasing the additional 55 acres for $14 million for the future home of Metea Valley High School. But during condemnation proceedings, a jury set the price at $31 million, $17 million more than the district thought the land was worth. Talks broke down and the district later abandoned its pursuit of the remaining 55 acres.
District attorney Rick Petisch said he hopes the district hanging a "For Sale" sign on the lot will persuade a judge to set a deadline for the previous owners to declare whether they want it back.
"We can now go into court and let them know that the Brachs have indicated they have no interest in reclaiming the 25 acres," Petisch said. "The Brodies to this point have told us that they are not interested in telling us what they want to do yet. They're kinda waiting to see what happens with those other lawsuits out there."
In March, a neighborhood group, Neighborhood Schools for Our Children, filed a lawsuit against the district seeking to force it to buy the entire Brach-Brodie site. They claimed the other sites considered by the district were unsafe. That case is still in the courts. Also in March, Brodie attorney Steve Helm asked the court for at least $13 million in legal fees and damages because the district backed out of the deal. That case is also still before the court. Helm was unavailable Monday night.
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished: 4/22/2008 12:10 AM
Now the proud owner of 84.1 acres along Eola Road, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 no longer needs the 25-acre tract the district owns at the Brach-Brodie site.
Board members Monday agreed to put the land at the intersection of Commons and Thatcher drives on the market, unless the original owners want to buy it back.
"One of things that must be done before we can move forward is claim the 25 acres of the Brach-Brodie site as surplus," said Superintendent Stephen Daeschner.
The district purchased the land on the Brach-Brodie site with the intention of later purchasing the additional 55 acres for $14 million for the future home of Metea Valley High School. But during condemnation proceedings, a jury set the price at $31 million, $17 million more than the district thought the land was worth. Talks broke down and the district later abandoned its pursuit of the remaining 55 acres.
District attorney Rick Petisch said he hopes the district hanging a "For Sale" sign on the lot will persuade a judge to set a deadline for the previous owners to declare whether they want it back.
"We can now go into court and let them know that the Brachs have indicated they have no interest in reclaiming the 25 acres," Petisch said. "The Brodies to this point have told us that they are not interested in telling us what they want to do yet. They're kinda waiting to see what happens with those other lawsuits out there."
In March, a neighborhood group, Neighborhood Schools for Our Children, filed a lawsuit against the district seeking to force it to buy the entire Brach-Brodie site. They claimed the other sites considered by the district were unsafe. That case is still in the courts. Also in March, Brodie attorney Steve Helm asked the court for at least $13 million in legal fees and damages because the district backed out of the deal. That case is also still before the court. Helm was unavailable Monday night.
