Clarendon Hills Park District officials are stepping up their monitoring of the construction of a controversial new middle school in Prospect Park amid allegations that Hinsdale School District 181 is not living up to its end of the bargain that led to the school.
About 20 area residents who came to a special park board meeting Thursday night contended that the district has destroyed playing fields in the park, has cut down two trees, has not abided by a grading plan, and is not keeping the area safe for children.
In response, the Park District board decided that Trustee Ken Nolan would attend weekly meetings held by Gilbane Building Co., the school district’s construction manager, to review progress of work on the school.
Residents were visibly angry about the work in progress.
“They’ve raped the land. They’ve dug it out to the point where it’s not usable,” said one resident, Val Ottaviani.
School Supt. David Hendrix acknowledged that the school district has not followed a plan for regrading that was part of an intergovernmental agreement reached in September between the school and park districts.
The regrading has put holes in playing fields, said another park board member, Paul Flood.
“But we expect them to fill in those holes and bring our soccer field back,” he said. “We will not accept any (permanent) grading out there that has a negative effect on athletic fields.”
The school district offered a letter that outlines a time line for the next couple of months of school construction. For example, the letter calls for the replacement of two trees, for a temporary path to baseball fields to be built, for fencing to be installed around holes and for a construction entrance on Chicago Avenue.
Hendrix said he hopes that residents will realize that the park will be restored as construction progresses.
“We’re at the ugliest point we can be right now,” said Hendrix. “There’s nothing green out there. We encourage the community to hang with us.”
Some residents, however, said they do not trust the school district and urged the park board to consider legal action.
