COD says it wants to split from Glen Ellyn

College of DuPage officials say they will pursue plans to split their 273-acre campus from Glen Ellyn after village trustees tabled a proposal that might have settled a long-running dispute between the town and school.

College President Robert Breuder said Tuesday the college will seek de-annexation as a result of the village board’s inaction on an intergovernmental agreement approved April 28 by the COD board of trustees.

Under the proposal, the village would agree not to enforce most of its ordinances, regulations, permits or codes as they apply to the college.

But the village insists the agreement must include language that would allow it to enforce health and safety regulations on the campus. The pact the COD board approved doesn’t allow for that, village officials said.

On Monday, village trustees delayed action, saying they want to give residents more time to learn about the proposed agreement.

College officials, meanwhile, said they’re open to further overtures from the village but still plan to begin efforts to de-annex.

“Continuing along the path of negotiations with the village doesn’t seem to make any sense,” Breuder said.

The college could decide to become unincorporated or join another municipality that’s contiguous to the campus, such as Wheaton.

Breuder had informal talks with Wheaton leaders about such a possibility last year. He said Tuesday he plans to call them again.

Wheaton City Manager Don Rose couldn’t be reached Tuesday for comment.

Glen Ellyn supplies the college with water and sewer service and could continue to do so even if COD leaves the village, albeit at higher rates.

Beyond that, Breuder said the college is self-sufficient because it has its own police force and there would be “any number of communities that would come to assist us” with fire protection.

While the college does not pay the village property taxes, it does pay about $500,000 a year in fees related to water, sewer, gas and electric and sales and telecommunications taxes, college officials said.

Under state law, the college must meet six requirements for de-annexation: the land must be 20 acres or more; it must border a municipality; no part of the municipality can become isolated as a result; “growth prospects and plan and zoning ordinances” can’t be disrupted; there can be no substantial disruption to sewer systems, street lighting, water mains, garbage collection and fire protection; and the municipality can’t be “unduly harmed” by the loss of future tax revenue.

Village attorney Stewart Diamond said the college can pursue de-annexation plans in one of two ways. It can directly petition Glen Ellyn or it can take the matter to DuPage County circuit court.

Diamond said the village is still interested in signing an intergovernmental agreement with the college.

“I’d like the college to carefully consider it before it moves in a direction that I think has many questions,” Diamond said.