Condominium complex to disconnect from Lisle

A 15-building condominium complex will soon be disconnected from Lisle following years of disputes between the village and the condo association.

The disconnection of the Lisle Place Condominiums along Blackhawk Lane is part of the settlement of a lawsuit the condo association filed against the village.

Conflicts between the condo association and Lisle date back to November 2006. That's when the village first ordered the condominium complex to address building code violations and make safety improvements.

"It got to the point that the Lisle police had to escort our building department people onto the site, because they were harassed and not allowed to do their job," Lisle Trustee Stephen Winz said.

After years of missed deadlines and noncompliance by the complex, Lisle in 2015 filed a complaint against Lisle Place in DuPage County circuit court. Then in 2019, the condo association filed its federal lawsuit against Lisle alleging civil rights violations and other claims.

But in October, Lisle trustees voted 4-2 to approve terms to settle the lawsuit. Then on Jan. 29, they voted 4-2 to approve the deannexation of Lisle Place.

The condo association pushed for disconnection from the village, which is possible because the complex borders a narrow strip of land south of Interstate 88 that is in unincorporated DuPage County.

For the deannexation to be finalized, the condo association must pay more than $86,000 in fees to the village.

Other settlement terms include having each side pay their own legal fees and for the condominium complex to remove "Lisle" from its name. Lisle Place also is required to complete construction to get some of its buildings up to village code.

Winz and Trustee Anthony Carballo voted against the settlement and deannexation. Carballo said it "would set a terrible precedent" for the village.

"This whole thing was a travesty," Carballo said before the Jan. 29 vote. "It was unfair to the village, and also unfair, in my opinion, to the residents of Lisle Place Condominiums."

Trustee Sara Sadat says she voted in favor of the settlement and deannexation because the building code violations will be addressed.

"Given the big picture it was the right vote," Sadat wrote in an email to the Daily Herald. "The deannexation will provide safety measures for our former residents and help those who want Lisle to focus on controlled government spending."

Sadat and Winz are both candidates for Lisle mayor in the April election. Incumbent Mayor Christopher Pecak declined to comment due to the deannexation being an ongoing legal issue.

Lisle Place and its attorneys did not respond to emails and phone calls from the Daily Herald seeking comment.