Board committee lays out three options for Willow Springs parcel, recommends more study after April election

An administrative committee for Lyons Township High School District 204 presented three principal scenarios for the future of the district-owned Willow Springs property and recommended pausing any final Board action until after the upcoming board election and reorganization tentatively scheduled for April 28.

Superintendent Dr. Waterman said the committee, which met Jan. 29, brainstormed several options and narrowed them to three paths: (1) set terms and conditions and conduct a sealed-bid sale at current zoning; (2) pursue land-swap or donation discussions with Pleasantdale Park District and/or Pleasantdale School District and then conduct a sealed-bid process; or (3) set terms and conditions and conduct a sealed-bid sale that is contingent on the buyer securing any necessary zoning changes and entitlements or conducting their own negotiations with neighboring entities.

The committee also discussed deed restrictions, impact fees and other contractual considerations the board would need to weigh. Committee members and the board expressed concern that the timeframe before the seating of new board members was too short to complete in-depth negotiations or to finalize complex terms. For that reason, the committee recommended delaying whole-board decisions until after the April election to give new members time to review history and options.

Board attorney James Levy said the options vary significantly in time and complexity: a straightforward sealed-bid process could be drafted quickly, while coordinated land-swap or donation discussions with neighboring entities would take longer and require more internal analysis on parcel reconfiguration, ingress/egress, and cost allocation. Levy advised that scenario 3 — requiring the buyer to pursue entitlements — can be drafted faster but shifts substantial negotiation responsibility onto the purchaser.

Several board members said they want to keep the process moving without making irreversible decisions before new members are seated. Some favored continuing investigations now (to avoid delays later), while others supported the committee’s recommendation to pause final action and return with more detailed proposals, cost estimates and pros/cons for scenarios 2 and 3. The committee was directed to return with further analysis and an action plan, including estimates of likely steps and costs if the board wants to prioritize scenario 2 (land-swap/donation) or scenario 3 (buyer-contingent entitlements).

No sale, donation, or contract was approved at the meeting; board members did not vote to sell the property. The committee’s recommendation to continue work on scenarios 2 and 3 passed by consensus among members present.