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Board of trustees signals support to proceed with sale of surplus parcel at 922 School Street with pedestrian-easement condition
Summary
In committee-of-the-whole discussion trustees directed staff to pursue option 2 for the surplus lot at 922 School Street: allow the purchaser to close now while the purchaser prepares required zoning entitlements, conditioned on a perpetual pedestrian easement to preserve a cemetery path. The petitioner said it is ready to close.
At the Village Board Committee of the Whole on April 21 trustees reviewed next steps for the village-owned surplus parcel at 922 School Street and gave staff direction to proceed with a sale under conditions requested by staff and the petitioner.
Background: The parcel was offered for sale to a developer under a prior contract and the purchaser’s zoning-approval period and related contractual extensions have expired. In March the purchaser submitted a waiver of village zoning approvals and asked to proceed directly to closing.
Board direction: Staff presented two options: (1) prepare a second amendment extending the zoning-approval deadline to a date certain so the purchaser completes entitlements before closing, or (2) accept a purchaser-prepared plat of easement that would perpetually provide a pedestrian path to the cemetery and proceed straight to closing. Trustee Olson said option 2 was her preference and noted the purchaser’s willingness to acquire additional real estate before final zoning approval reduced financing risk. Trustee Mullin and Trustee Lesniak similarly voiced support for option 2. Trustee Greco said he remained concerned about placing residential development adjacent to a cemetery and said the board should weigh long-term implications.
Purchaser readiness: The petitioner’s representative, Mr. Whitaker, told the board the purchaser was prepared to go forward. “Yes, absolutely,” he said when asked if the client was ready to proceed with purchase and closing.
Outcome: The committee of the whole indicated concurrence with option 2: staff will prepare closing documents consistent with the purchaser’s request and bring any necessary plats of easement for board approval that will preserve a pedestrian connection to the cemetery before final recording. No formal vote was taken in the COW; the item will return in the form required for closing and recordation.
Why it matters: The direction moves a downtown redevelopment parcel toward closing while preserving public pedestrian access to the adjacent cemetery, but trustees flagged land-use and long-term maintenance concerns that staff must address in the closing documents.
Next steps: Staff will work with the purchaser to prepare the plat of easement and closing materials and return to the board for final approvals and recordation.
