Wagner Farm

[EagleDad]

I'm starting this thread to revisit the Wagner Farm site in light of new developments. I believe it's the forgotten option in all of the things that are being discussed.

As I recall from the site selection report, the only negatives to Wagner were Damage to the Remainder and Access.

With a willing seller (I really hope we aren't thinking of going down a new condemnation path at this point) the issue of damage is removed, plus the remaining square at the corner of 103rd and 59 is the most valuable real-estate to be left for Wagner to keep for their own business or sell off.

Looking at Google maps hybrid view:
tinyurl.com/3aeqy3

If Falcon Drive, Cedar Glade, and Wagner Road were all connected to the site, there would be nearly perfect N-S-E-W access.

There would be the benefit of the park district fields between MVHS and NVHS (great for events, sporting teams) and walking paths between the two. Lots of baseball fields, soccer fields, and open space.

The pedestrian bridge over Rt. 59 would land at Metea's doorstep.

There are no power lines.

There are no railroad tracks.

I don't think boundaries would need to be changed at all.

Kids and parents could walk from one to the other - great for events.

Stadium sharing becomes an option, or even practice fields at Metea (much cheaper) with the "game time" stadium at Nequa.

Maintenance vehicles (lawnmowers, tractors, snow removal, etc) could be shared and stored only once.

The retention could be placed out toward Rt 59 with a nice long driveway into the school placed in the back

So what are the drawbacks of Wagner? Are there even more benefits I am missing?

[EagleDad]

Forgot a few more benefits:

There's a world-class library in a short-walk's distance.

The gold campus between the two offers even more possibilities - another middle school if needed where the popolation density is, flexibility in allocating the freshman).

You can also "load balance" between the schools very easily. Redistictring anyone who attends one to the other should not be a major shock.

[warriorpride]

Why did the SB originally shoot down this option?

[proschool]

Fortunately, damage to the remainder is not an issue if there is a willing seller. I would rather buy BB than condemn another property.

HC said the issue was access . He did not believe the Illinois dept of transportation would allow anything more than a "right in right out" access from Route 59.

I would definitely look at boundaries again. We gave up in achievement balance for geographic reasons. They would not low income students into NV because of geography so why send them past NV.

I'm okay with a school there if my kids don't have to go there.

My question is what will this school look like if it goes there. Will it look like NV or will it look like MV would have looked if it was on BB. If it would look like NV, what would be the reason for the change?

[bob]

warriorpride said:

Why did the SB originally shoot down this option?

Current tax paying business.

[momof3]

ED - I also questioned the site access limitations in the site selection report. I think you're right on at least the S entrance. I understood the entire site to be too big. Can we buy it all? And then save money by sharing NV's stadium - do people have a problem with that?

Boundaries would have to shift I think because you are putting the school on the other side of NV.

[lacy]

momof3 said:

ED - I also questioned the site access limitations in the site selection report. I think you're right on at least the S entrance. I understood the entire site to be too big. Can we buy it all? And then save money by sharing NV's stadium - do people have a problem with that?

Boundaries would have to shift I think because you are putting the school on the other side of NV.

I wasn't sure what you meant by "on the other side of NV". Isn't BB on the "other side" too? I can't see why boundaries would need to change at all.

And I would be fine sharing facilities with NV. In addition, Frontier park is there - maybe those facilities (baseball, soccer fields) could be used as well.

Regarding access, why couldn't there also be access from 103rd?

My only question would be how quickly could they get this up and going. There is an existing home and business there.

[gatormom]

I never really thought about the consequences of Wagner Farm. Why not just rename the schools Neuqua East and Neuqua South?

It sounds like utopia for some folk in south Naperville. Everything they ever wanted, two Neuquas, all Naperville, and nobody will have to go to Waubonsie.

This is obviously not a reason to not build MV on Wagner Farms, it is just going to make the divide in this district wider and probably unrepairable. Just my humble opinion.

[EagleDad]

I just measured and according to Gmaps Pedometer, the Eastern edge of Wagner is exact tha same distance (.486 miles) from Rt 59 as the Western edge of Brach Brodie. That is to say a school on this site would have the exact same setback from Rt 59 as Brach Brodie if the northern 'L' were purchased.

[EagleDad]

A non-artist's representation:

[title1parent]

So boundaries could stay the same? Wonder how Longwood would feel about that long bus ride down Rt 59.

And as discussed in other threads on this board, I thought we wanted the 3rd HS to have the SAME amenities. So sharing a stadium here is okay?

[EagleDad]

Yes, it adds about 2.5 miles travel (although on a relatively rapid smooth flowing part of Rt 59) to those coming from the north (i.e. Brach Brodie). If the far northern assignement of Longwood no longer made sense, there might have to be one boundary change or swap (it's probably obvious what that would be).

[Arch]

t1p,

I'm confused too how sharing (if at another location) is a deal breaker, but now it's OK if at this location... must mean it was really OK all along.

[rew]

Eagledad, you have a stadium there, if you are talking about sharing facilities you should remove it and completely give up the Rt 59 frontage IMO.

[lacy]

archwinsome said:

t1p,

I'm confused too how sharing (if at another location) is a deal breaker, but now it's OK if at this location... must mean it was really OK all along.

Sharing when 2 schools are that close is different from sharing when they aren't that close.

I don't think it's feasible to share facilities if the school is at BB.