If the warnings of River Forest Village Board member Carmela Corsini are true, residents may not have heard the last from River Forest School District 90 on the contentious parking conditions placed on a plan to redo the school’s exterior.
Shortly before becoming the hold out Feb. 23 in the 6-1 after-midnight vote favoring the Development Review Board’s recommendation, Corsini said she believed the village could open itself to a lawsuit.
“I have a problem with telling a school district operationally how to use their property,” said Corsini, who is defending her seat in the April 7 election.
The Roosevelt Exterior Project, expected to cost about $1.4 million, was intended to streamline wayfinding for visitors, manage stormwater and provide outdoor gathering space for student recreation.
But the elimination of parking spaces in the north parking lot, also used by the River Forest Public Library and visitors to Centennial Park, has led to controversy because of the effect on traffic along Lathrop Avenue and on library usage.
District 90 officials declined to comment following the vote, which took place after what seemed like a four-hour rehearing of the issues by District 90, supporters and opponents of the plan as well as an hour of deliberations by the village trustees.
However, during the comment period, District 90 Board President Patrick Meyer said though the district was able to compromise on public use requirements of the north parking lot, it could not compromise on the 10 additional spots bringing the total to 30 required by the Development Review Board. He added that the legal responsibility for the safety of students lies with District 90 alone.
“The district is entitled to deference. The decision by this body cannot frustrate the essential function of the school district,” District 90’s lawyer Kenneth Florey told the trustees. “This is simply not an appropriate use of zoning powers for a private applicant, let alone a public applicant … the DRB and this board should not substitute its decision for that of the school board.”
More than 100 residents, some dressed in blue and carrying signs that read “Roosevelt Bulldogs” and “Kids Not Cars,” came into the auditorium at Willard Elementary School over the course of the evening. They included dozens who offered comments in an effort to sway the trustees’ final decision.
“The public comment is not evidence. The hearing has been closed and remains closed,” Village Attorney Lance Molina said before the comment period.
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Most of the Village Board members said approving the Development Review Board’s recommendation was a sign of respect for the thousands of pages of evidence the committee members had read and the 15 hours of testimony they listened to over three months.
“The DRB came up with a plan that’s balanced and in the interest of the community,” said Village Board member Susan Conti, who also is defending her seat in the April 7 election.
Over the course of the evening, supporters and opponents commented on issues, including safety, storm water management and the need for an area where students can congregate.
Among the most talked-about issues regarding safety was District 90’s contention that the proposed plan followed guidelines set forth by the Department of Homeland Security. Opponents accused the district of 11th-hour fear-mongering to get their way since Homeland Security wasn’t mentioned in the documentation as it was presented to the Development Review Board and never mentioned until the Feb. 5 hearing.
“It just appears this is something someone thought of at the last minute and said, ‘This looks pretty good,'” said River Forest Public Library Vice President Thomas Smedinghoff, a cyber-security specialist by trade. “Security is a relative topic … There are no fixed rules.”
Rebecca R. Bibbs is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.