Post by doctorwho on Jun 29, 2007 2:15:50 GMT -6
But progress noted below, with some agreements reached with BB...
www.dailyherald.com/news/dupagestory.asp?id=327535&cc=d&tc=nap&t=naperville
No deal yet in Metea Valley land dispute
By Melissa Jenco
mjenco@dailyherald.com
Posted Friday, June 29, 2007
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 and owners of the property where it wants to build Metea Valley High School weren’t able to reach agreement Thursday about the fate of the site.
The district, however, has new hope that state lawmakers could give it access to the land off Route 59 near 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora.
Indian Prairie already owns 25 acres but wants to buy an additional 55 acres from the Brach-Brodie trust to build a 3,000-student facility that officials say would ease overcrowding at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools.
The district includes portions of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.
The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement on the price of the property and are in condemnation proceedings that could leave the final decision in the hands of a jury scheduled to hear the case in September.
District 204 officials had hoped to come to agreement about other issues concerning the site at Thursday’s meeting, but school board President Mark Metzger said that didn’t happen.
“We didn’t reach any agreements that require board action so we canceled the (Thursday school board) meeting, but we continue to make progress,” he said.
An attorney for the trust could not be reached for comment.
To speed up the acquisition process, the district has asked the state legislature for “quick take” powers that would give it immediate access to the land. Those attempts have thus far been unsuccessful.
But state Sen. Randall Hultgren, a Winfield Republican, introduced a revised proposal this week that he said includes agreements that already have been negotiated between the school district and Brach-Brodie trust.
He said there’s more work needed, but he’s optimistic.
“I do think we’re getting close,” he said.
But the proposal still may take awhile to make its way through the legislature, which is in overtime. Both the House and Senate will be in session only briefly today and then adjourn until the second week of July.Construction on the $124.7 million high school was supposed to start in the spring with the building scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.
Officials have said construction delays will drive up the cost but the school board promised taxpayers it would not ask them for more money, a vow they hoped would make legislators more amenable to its cause.
www.dailyherald.com/news/dupagestory.asp?id=327535&cc=d&tc=nap&t=naperville
No deal yet in Metea Valley land dispute
By Melissa Jenco
mjenco@dailyherald.com
Posted Friday, June 29, 2007
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 and owners of the property where it wants to build Metea Valley High School weren’t able to reach agreement Thursday about the fate of the site.
The district, however, has new hope that state lawmakers could give it access to the land off Route 59 near 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora.
Indian Prairie already owns 25 acres but wants to buy an additional 55 acres from the Brach-Brodie trust to build a 3,000-student facility that officials say would ease overcrowding at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools.
The district includes portions of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.
The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement on the price of the property and are in condemnation proceedings that could leave the final decision in the hands of a jury scheduled to hear the case in September.
District 204 officials had hoped to come to agreement about other issues concerning the site at Thursday’s meeting, but school board President Mark Metzger said that didn’t happen.
“We didn’t reach any agreements that require board action so we canceled the (Thursday school board) meeting, but we continue to make progress,” he said.
An attorney for the trust could not be reached for comment.
To speed up the acquisition process, the district has asked the state legislature for “quick take” powers that would give it immediate access to the land. Those attempts have thus far been unsuccessful.
But state Sen. Randall Hultgren, a Winfield Republican, introduced a revised proposal this week that he said includes agreements that already have been negotiated between the school district and Brach-Brodie trust.
He said there’s more work needed, but he’s optimistic.
“I do think we’re getting close,” he said.
But the proposal still may take awhile to make its way through the legislature, which is in overtime. Both the House and Senate will be in session only briefly today and then adjourn until the second week of July.Construction on the $124.7 million high school was supposed to start in the spring with the building scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.
Officials have said construction delays will drive up the cost but the school board promised taxpayers it would not ask them for more money, a vow they hoped would make legislators more amenable to its cause.
