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Highland Park to acquire Yellow Brick Road site as daycare closes; council honors Sandy Jones
Summary
Council issued a proclamation honoring long-time Yellow Brick Road director Sandy Jones and introduced an ordinance (25-2102) to acquire the daycare property; parents expressed surprise and concern about the school's mid‑year closure and the borough taking property off the tax rolls.
The Highland Park Borough Council issued a proclamation recognizing Sandy Jones for more than two decades of service to Yellow Brick Road daycare and preschool, and introduced an ordinance to acquire the property where the school has operated.
The proclamation, read by Council member Jason Polsonic on behalf of Mayor Elsie Foster, said Yellow Brick Road — described in the statement as an early childhood institution active for “over 40 years” — will hold its final graduating class and close on Feb. 28, 2025. The council later introduced ordinance 25-2102, authorizing a purchase-and-sale agreement to acquire Block 3001 Lot 5 (the property described in the ordinance record) and set a public hearing for Feb. 18, 2025.
The recognition and the ordinance drew both praise and concern. Several council members, including Public Works chair Matthew Hirsch, offered personal thanks and remembrance of the daycare’s role for parents and young families in Highland Park. “Sandy has provided an enormous amount to Highland Park,” Hirsch said, recalling how the school supported new parents.
Parents and other residents said they were surprised to learn from the meeting agenda that the borough plans to buy the property. Amy Dunsel Smigowski, who identified herself as a parent enrolled at Yellow Brick Road, said she was “really surprised to see ordinance 25-2102 to acquire the property that is Yellow Brick Road,” and described the difficulty families face finding child care mid‑school year.
The ordinance introduced for first reading authorizes the borough to enter a purchase-and-sale agreement “with 15 South Lehi to acquire Block 3001 Lot 5” (ordinance text as read at first reading). The ordinance was set for a public hearing on Feb. 18, 2025. The introduction did not specify purchase price, financing sources, or a transition plan for families currently enrolled; council members and staff said those details will be discussed at the public hearing and in subsequent meetings.
Mayor Foster and multiple council members praised Jones and the Yellow Brick Road staff in remarks and in the proclamation; families came forward during the recognition for photographs and brief remarks. Council members indicated the purchase ordinance and the proclamation were linked in the public record for this meeting but left substantive follow-up, including questions about tax status and interim use, to the scheduled Feb. 18 hearing.
At the Feb. 18 public hearing the council is scheduled to take public comment and, if warranted, vote on ordinance 25-2102. Council members and staff said they will circulate further details on financing and intended use before that hearing.
