Athletic field approved for former Libertyville HS site
With the buildings demolished and the debate all but exhausted, it appears a 10-year planning process for the site of the former Libertyville High School finally will come to a conclusion with the pending approval of a multimillion dollar athletic field.
Despite continuing pleas from opponents who say the plan by Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 would overwhelm the neighborhood just south of downtown, village officials agree the conversion of the site for athletic uses is appropriate.
But the 4-1 village board vote Tuesday supporting a zoning board report on the plan came with several conditions intended to make it blend better with homes that border the site at Brainerd Avenue and Route 176 (Park Avenue).
The school district plans an athletic field with artificial turf, 96-stall parking lot and 30-foot by 50-foot storage/restroom building. The main field would run east and west and be used for football, lacrosse and soccer. It also would be striped in the north/south direction to allow for practice.
An original cost estimate of $4 million is expected to be refined because of the reduction in fence height and other changes, such as the elimination of a large stormwater retention area on the west end of the property that now is slated as green space.
Trustee Pete Garrity, who cast the lone vote against the plan, said he supports the project, but would liked to have seen more public input and another review by the zoning board of appeals.
"I do understand the challenge the high school has in juggling the fields and having appropriate facilities for the athletes," he said Wednesday. Having a multipurpose field "makes a ton of sense," he added.
For about two hours Tuesday, school officials, residents and supporters made their cases to the village board.
A key change in the plan will lower the height of a surrounding decorative fence from 8 feet to 6 feet. The district contended it needed that height to protect its investment, but trustees disagreed.
"I don't understand why we have to have an 8-foot fence there," said Trustee Scott Adams. "It's going to stand out like a sore thumb."
Other conditions imposed by the village board include no field lighting; redesign of the storage building to provide more visual interest; no permanent bleachers; no goals to be installed in the north/south direction; no windscreens on the fence; and removal of netting designed to stop errant balls between Nov. 15 and March 1.
Adams previously served several years on the District 128 board. Before his appointment to the village board last year, he was among a core of supporters who fought to have the former Libertyville Township High School converted to a community center. The question of using a property tax hike to fund that was soundly defeated by voters.
"That's our front door from the west side and it's an important piece of property that's been there 100 years," he said.
The district years ago leased the school and adjoining Jackson Gym to the village to allow time for the community center effort to continue.
"Over the last several years we have tried our best to support this project to its conclusion," school board President Pat Groody told village trustees. "We felt this (athletic field) was really the best option overall to serve our students."
The village board is expected to vote June 23 on an ordinance allowing the project to proceed.