Home Care In Willow Springs, IL

A consultant said the village's zoning for the high school's land was proper and consistent.

Patch Staff

|Updated Wed, Nov 29, 2023 at 7:33 am CT

WILLOW SPRINGS, IL – Willow Springs' handling of zoning for Lyons Township High School's land in the village has been proper and consistent, a land-use consultant said Tuesday.

At a town hall on the land, consultant John Houseal pointed to zoning regulations and long-term plans for development over three decades that he said showed consistency for the area in question.

The zoning for the 70 acres allows residential and light commercial uses, but not industrial, he said.

Given the allowed uses, Houseal said, the village is not impairing the value of the high school's property.

"I have not seen any evidence that the property is vacant because of zoning," he said. "The zoning accommodates a wide range of uses. If it only allowed one-acre single-family houses, you could make the case it should be loosened up."

Find out what's happening in Burr Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Houseal was hired to examine the land's zoning. This was in response to the high school's effort earlier this year to sell the site to an industrial developer, which neighbors and village officials opposed.

In January, the school's lawyer advised the board behind closed doors that Willow Springs would be "hard-pressed" to deny a zoning change. He said village trustees were likely fearful of litigation if they rejected industrial uses. (The board later ousted the lawyer.)

At the town hall, Burt Odelson, an attorney for the village, noted the possibility of litigation.

"If we were sued by a large industrial company and the school, it would be extremely expensive to defend by our small village," Odelson said.

After Houseal's presentation, Odelson said the consultant's report would serve as the village's defense of its zoning in court. He said the high school would be wasting taxpayers' money to sue Willow Springs.

School officials were present.

The board's vice president, Jill Grech, was among the speakers during public comments. She said the board wanted to make a decision on the land that positively impacts all students.

"It is our intent to work with all municipal partners as we consider the future use of the property based on shared needs and priorities of our school, students and community," Grech said, but she said nothing about the possibility of litigation.

When she concluded her speech, Grech was applauded, as were those who denounced school officials.

The land in question is next to Pleasantdale Elementary School, houses, parkland, a country club and a UPS facility.

The recordings of the high school board's closed meetings in January revealed members talking about how they kept the village and Pleasantdale School District 107 in the dark about its plans to sell to an industrial developer.

During public comments, Arlene Cabana, president of Pleasantdale's board, said the high school board's actions caused much "angst and trepidation" for residents. She said the school was 25 feet from the high school's land.

"Industry does not belong next to a school," she said.

She said the health and safety of students and the community trumps any financial duty that she said the high school claims to have.

The Village Hall's meeting room was filled with a standing-room-only crowd, which spilled out into the hallway.

The first couple of rows were reserved for officials from nearby towns and public bodies that supported Willow Springs in its battle with the high school.

The officials were from Countryside, Indian Head Park, Burr Ridge, McCook, Lyons Township and Pleasant Dale Park District.

High school officials, including Superintendent Brian Waterman, did not sit in the reserved section, but were among those standing in the hallway. Waterman watched as a number of speakers denounced his effort to sell to an industrial developer.

Last year, Village President Melissa Neddermeyer called for Waterman's firing.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

PALOS HILLS, IL — A popular horse stable and pony party venue on Kean Avenue has been put on notice by the Forest Preserves of Cook County to accept an offer to use a forest preserve-owned driveway or lose access, which could potentially put the stable out of business, the owner claims.

Sarah Halladay, 53, the owner of Sarah’s Stables and Ponies at 8220 and 8236 S. Kean Ave., Willow Springs, said she was given ten days notice earlier this month to agree to a proposal to pay a permit fee for the forest preserve-owned driveway that runs down the middle of her one-acre property. What she doesn't agree to is the county's purchase option to buy her property at a future date.

On the north side sits her barn and stable, on the south side, a former biker bar with a gravel parking lot, which Halladay purchased that is now used as a party room for children’s pony parties.

“What we have here is something wonderful for the community,” Halladay told Patch. “Police officers come here to de-stress. We have children and young adults with special needs in therapy programs. People come here in tears and leave with a smile after petting the animals. We bring people to the forest preserve.”

The forest preserve-owned driveway, Halladay claims, has been used as a public parking lot for decades. Losing the driveway would shut off parking access for guests who are disabled or have special needs.

Find out what's happening in Paloswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We’ll have absolutely no parking,” she said. “Therapy programs and family parties will have to park on the side of the road and cross the street.”

The Forest Preserves of Cook County has offered to lease the driveway to Sarah’s Stables for an annual permit fee of $10,000 for the next four years, with an option to renew the lease for ten years or more. The agreement also gives the forest preserve the option to buy the property prior to any sale, based on three independent appraisals (which Halladay says she would have to pay for), minus $130,000 for the last 13 years of “unauthorized use.”

“The offer allows Ms. Halladay to continue to maintain her business while fairly compensating the taxpayers of Cook County for use of public land for her company’s benefit,” forest preserve spokesperson Carl Vogel said in an email. “It does not require her to sell Sarah’s Stables now, nor ask her to give us a counteroffer of what the property is worth.”

Vogel added that nobody associated with Sarah’s Stables has “reached out in any way to clarify or discuss the offer, or even acknowledge receipt of the forest preserves’ Dec. 13 email.” He called the proposal to Halladay a “compromise,” and a departure from the forest preserve’s usual cease-and-desist orders to private property owners encroaching on public land.

“The forest preserves has no plans for a meeting and/or hearing to further discuss this issue," Vogel stated.

According to 2021 property tax records on the Cook County Treasurer website, the estimated combined value of both parcels was $541,190.

Halladay said her 2023 assessment nearly doubled the estimated value of her land at $1.1 million, even after she demolished part of her barn in an attempt to reduce the assessment. Property owners are required to pay 10 percent of the assessed value. In past years she paid around $50,000.

“I will have to pay $110,000. I can’t afford that,” Halladay said. “No barn can. As soon as I sign the agreement, then the lease price will go up along with the property tax, and then I’ll be forced to sell.”

Halladay said she’s willing to enter a permit agreement, even offering to pay ten years in advance, but not the option for the forest preserves to buy her land. Her attorney is making a counter offer on Wednesday, the final day to respond.

“You can’t buy what I have to offer. [The forest preserve] can buy my property anytime they want," she added.

For the past decade, the Forest Preserves of Cook County has been cracking down on property owners across Cook County who’ve encroached on public lands for private use, such as installing sheds and swing sets, planting gardens, or enlarging back yards into natural ecosystems. This includes using the land between 8220 and 8236 S. Kean Ave. for customer parking for the horse stables.

“They said I have an unofficial trail behind my barn,” Halladay said. “Up until three months ago my barn was on all the maps. The trail has been there for over 100 years.”

If there is “encroachment” it is from cyclists and hikers parking their vehicles in the forest preserve-owned driveway to access the trailhead behind her property to enter the forest preserve, Halladay said.

This isn’t Halladay’s first go-around with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, whom she alleges has threatened her with eminent domain in the past. In addition to pony parties, Sarah’s Stables boards horses and offers trail rides and a petting zoo. Many of the animals she keeps – goats, sheep, ducks, Alpaca llamas and ponies – are rescue animals that she’s pulled from kill pens or saved from neglect and abusive situations.

“Most are little rescue animals,” she said. “We’ve turned them around through therapy and rehabilitation.”

Over the years, Sarah’s Stables has become a haven for children, teens and adults who are wheelchair-bound or have special needs. A certified therapist from Healing Hearts Animal Assisted Therapy runs a therapy program out of Sarah’s Stables.

“I don’t charge for that,” Halladay said.

Karyn Richter credits Sarah’s Stables, where she board-shares a horse, with allowing her to bond for the first time with her son, Michael, 37, who has autism. Her son has befriended one of Halladay’s horses, Titan, who she said has transformed her son’s life.

“If [Halladay] shuts down her horses go with her,” said Richter, who added a video clip to a Change.org petition to save Sarah’s Stables. “It's not just the emotion that Mike has from his horse, we are a family there. I don’t have to worry about people being mean to him. If Titan gets taken away, it would be devastating for him.”

Meanwhile, the area’s equestrian community has rallied to support Halladay, creating a Facebook group – Save Sarah’s Stables – and starting a petition, gathering over 1,000 signatures online and on paper. Her supporters call the forest preserve’s alleged attempt to force Halladay out “a slap in the face to the equine community.”

“I’m not going to fold like the other stables,” Halladay vowed. “I’m going to stand my ground. Everything we do here is good.”

LA GRANGE, IL – An Atlanta-based developer has offered to pay $18.8 million for Lyons Township High School's property in Willow Springs.

In letter to the school Friday, Pulte Group proposed to build 97 ranch homes and 96 townhomes on the school's 73 acres.

The developer said the subdivision would be age-restricted, meaning a majority of the residents must have reached a certain age.

In a public statement Thursday, the school board released the letter from Pulte Group and its response. It said the offer was unsolicited.

This openness is a far cry from the school's approach when it received an offer of $65 million for the property from an industrial developer nearly two years ago. (The developer's later bid was $55 million, beating out one other bidder.)

Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In response, the school engaged in behind-the-scenes talks with the developer, Bridge Industrial, for eight months before announcing to the public it was looking to sell the land.

Even then, officials kept secret Bridge's original offer and the school's desire to sell to an industrial bidder. The land was zoned for housing and small retailers.

In late January 2023, Patch published a story about the school's secret plan. Willow Springs residents and others were enraged. After a couple of months of tumultuous meetings, the school board backed off its plan weeks before the April board election.

This week, board President Dawn Aubert responded to Pulte's offer. She said the school was legally barred from selling its property based on letters of intent to a private party. It must comply with state law, she said.

Aubert told the company the board would discuss the property at its meeting Monday.

Pulte Group said it has closed on more residential development properties than any other builder in the Chicago area. It provided a list of such properties, but none are in Lyons Township.

The company also said it was one of the top five home builders in the country.

For more than 60 years, the high school has owned the forested land in Willow Springs. It bought the property with the expectation that the school would need a third campus, but enrollment stabilized after the 1960s.

School officials said that based on studies, they see no need for a third campus. They said the proceeds of a land sale would be used to upgrade the school's two campuses.

"We understand that some residential neighbors and municipal partners nearby have concerns about the development of this property," the school board said in Thursday's statement. "At the same time, we have heard from others that we must consider the potential for this vacant and unutilized asset to support the District’s ability to maintain and enhance our schools and deliver the excellent education our community and students deserve and expect from (the high school)."

A top official called for "collaboration" with Willow Springs. The village was kept out of the loop before.

Patch Staff

|Updated Tue, Aug 8, 2023 at 8:05 am CT

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School officials on Monday made no admissions of mistakes they may have made in trying to sell the school's land in Willow Springs to an industrial buyer earlier this year.

But the school board president called for a "fresh start" and a "collaborative relationship" with Willow Springs. This is a far cry from the school's documented efforts to keep the village and other public bodies out of the loop.

The school owns 70 acres of wooded land in Willow Springs. It bought the property more than six decades ago with the expectation that it would build a third campus in light of surging enrollment.

However, enrollment stabilized, so the land went unused. It is zoned for residential and small retail purposes, with industrial uses prohibited, though the school secretly courted industrial buyers last year.

The school's attempts to sell the land to industrial developers drew protests from residents and local public bodies.

Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For the first time in more than six months, the board brought the issue to the table. Board President Dawn Aubert said the board did so because Willow Springs earlier this summer enacted a moratorium on new development on the property through March. The village said it is studying the "highest and best use" of the land.

Aubert said Superintendent Brian Waterman, in consultation with the board's attorney, recommended the board take part in the village's process by conducting its own study of the land and its potential uses.

She said the board was advised to hire a land-use consultant to examine the current zoning and help the board better understand its options. She also indicated the board could commission an appraisal of the property based on current zoning.

Last year, without letting the public know, the board appraised the land for industrial uses only. Once the appraisal came to light, Willow Springs officials and residents objected.

In her speech, Aubert said the board's approach was "reactive" previously. She may have been referring to the process that began after Bridge Industrial expressed interest in the property.

Other board members agreed with the idea to hire a consultant. Aubert said the board could vote on that issue as early as Aug. 21.

Board member Tim Albores, who took office in the spring, said his stance on the property remained the same: It should not be sold to an industrial buyer. No other board member took that position.

Based on the appraisal, the school set a minimum price of $55 million for the land, geared toward an industrial user. The land is next to houses, a school, a country club, a park and a UPS facility.

What was likely embarrassing for the board was the release of its January closed session recordings on the land issue. In May, the attorney general ordered their release because the board broke state law by closing the doors to the public.

In the two hours of closed session recordings, members generally agreed that the sale would hurt nearby Willow Springs residents. They bashed Willow Springs officials and said the village would be hard-pressed to deny an exception to zoning. They talked about their strategy to keep information about the sale away from Willow Springs and other public bodies. And one board member detailed what he called a conspiracy theory involving the opposition to the land sale.

On Monday, more than 80 people showed up for the board session, a high number for a summer meeting.

During public comments, officials and residents welcomed the high school's apparent change of approach. All the speakers opposed industrial uses on the land, receiving applause from the audience.

"Serious, honest community engagement will go a long way to regain the trust that this board lost with this community," said Guy Franzese, a village trustee for neighboring Burr Ridge and a Lyons Township High graduate.

Willow Springs Village President Melissa Neddermeyer, who previously called for Waterman's ouster, said her village supports the school's desire to sell the land for the benefit of students.

"Zoning exists for a reason, and industry is prohibited on this site for good reasons," she said.

Village Administrator Ryan Grace said he welcomed an open discussion with the high school. He detailed why the zoning code would not allow industrial uses for the land.

He said the entire Village Board and its lawyer were on hand at the meeting.

"We were prepared to engage if you so wished," he said.

Resident Jim Distasio, who lives next to the school's property, said the school board should have worked with the village a year ago on the sale.

"We asked for a more collaborative approach, and I can see the nascent stages of that here," he said.

At the same time, he said, "You don't need a land-use study to tell you industrial facilities don't belong anywhere near schools... Ultimately, people would breathe much easier if the board would just commit to not selling this property to an industrial buyer."

Willow Springs resident Jim Distasio on Monday welcomes the Lyons Township High School board's new approach to selling its land, which is next to his house. (David Giuliani/Patch)

LA GRANGE, IL – After months of protests, Lyons Township High School announced Friday morning that it was abandoning its effort to sell its land in Willow Springs for its minimum price, which was set for an industrial buyer.

The school board released a statement to the community, breaking its public silence on the issue after nearly six weeks.

In its statement, the board said it set out to achieve the highest value possible for the land, calling that its responsibility.

"At this time, the Board is no longer soliciting or considering bids at the minimum price and under the current approved terms and conditions," the statement read.

The minimum price of $55 million was based on an appraisal for industrial uses of the 71 acres.

Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That was in spite of the land's zoning, which barred industrial uses. Willow Springs officials vowed to keep the zoning in place.

The board said Friday it still was committed to using the Willow Springs property as an "important asset" toward achieving its goals. The board has pledged to use the proceeds for building improvements at its two campuses.

"The Board will continue to explore options on how to maximize the property’s impact for our entire (school) community," the board said. "When that time comes, new terms, conditions and pricing would be established."

The announcement comes less than a month before the April 4 school board election. Among the candidates are board President Kari Dillon and member Jill Beda Daniels. They have defended the board's handling of the matter, while their five challengers have questioned it.

Five towns, a school district and a park district have come out against the plan for industrial uses on the property. Next to the land are houses, a park, an elementary school, a country club and a UPS facility.

Last month, Patch revealed Superintendent Brian Waterman's emails with the eventual top bidder, Bridge Industrial, about selling the land. This lasted for eight months before the board announced in late November of its interest in selling the land.

The revelation of the emails upset residents. And Willow Springs Village President Melissa Neddermeyer called for Waterman's firing, citing the communications.

Signs emerged this week that the school board was looking to back down. In Facebook messages Monday, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Newman, a La Grange resident who endorsed the re-election of Dillon and Daniels, said she knew with "certitude" that the board was not selling.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the school bought the Willow Springs land in two phases with the plan of building a third campus. That was during a time of expanding population, but enrollment has stabilized over the last four decades.