Osage Park not right place for new school

As a property owner adjacent to Osage Park, the CCSD #15 plans put forth to construct a three-story school on this site appears to be a disservice to the Osage Park neighborhood.

This neighborhood has many higher density residential complexes and the park provides open activity space that will be lost if a school were constructed on this site. A land swap does not offer the same amenity to this neighborhood.

Perhaps the district should consider utilizing the existing school properties and expand these current schools that already have the infrastructure in place to support additions. Alternatively, commercial properties that have been vacant for years could be considered as a better community use as the locations are already at major arteries.

Placing a large school structure in the Osage Park neighborhood that does not have the street circulation for bus and parent car traffic, seems to avoid the issue of transportation, street widening and related costs that may or may not have been accounted for.

A visit to the park makes one wonder if there is indeed sufficient open space on this site for such a structure to not be a significant detriment to the property values in this now very stable neighborhood. While the concept of the school may have merit, the location at this site appears ill conceived, so the vote of NO will be on my ballot.

Richard Pass

Palatine