2007-07-06 Quick Take

Indian Prairie School District residents voted by a significant majority to build a third high school. This is being held up by the lawyers for a trust looking to get top dollar for their land. Several parcels of land in the area were considered and the location determined to be best suited is farm land southwest of the Route 59 and 75th Street intersection known as the Brach-Brodie property. This land is owned by a trust because there are no living heirs.

The failure of our referendum in 2005 put us behind schedule in dealing with overcrowding, but even with the referendum passing in 2006 we are still falling further behind schedule and face dealing with greatly increased construction costs as we have not yet been able to obtain the land. The trust has been unwilling to sell at a price in line with area comparables for land zoned the same way, forcing the district to pursue land condemnation. The court has moved very slowly on this and is finally set to hear our case in September.

Over the past several months we had the opportunity to obtain the property immediately through quick-take in the state legislature (HB153). Quick-take was approved by a bi-partisan group in the house and went to senate, where it has stalled awaiting the nod from Senator Linda Holmes (D), whose 42nd district includes part of the school district. Holmes has held meetings to discuss the issue but has refused to support the wishes of many district residents and the school board.

Since Senate is still in session, there is still a chance that quick-take could be granted and we could begin construction as soon as possible, allowing the school to open on time in 2009 and saving the district money on construction costs. There is still a small window of opportunity for reducing our district’s overcrowding in a timely manner. This overcrowding is currently occurring in many of our district’s schools and is not conducive to providing an excellent learning environment.

With quick-take the land price would be set fairly by a jury using local comparable sales for the reference time-frame. It is reasonable to believe from the information available that the price should come in not much above the amount that the district has offered for the land, which is nowhere near the exorbitant amount requested by the trust.

Construction costs have been rising approximately 10% per year lately and on a $100 million building every delay is costly and runs the risk of forcing changes to the proposed facilities in order to keep costs in line.

The gamble of having to possibly pay a little more for the land with quick-take is more than offset by the sure thing of having to pay more for construction if we continue to be delayed.

Though the district could walk away from this land we would likely still have to pay a similar or greater amount for any of the other less desirable pieces of property and be even further delayed.

Area legislators and even the Brach-Brodie trust claim to be supporters of education and this is their golden opportunity to show that support. Joe Dunn (R) got this bill through the House, and Randall Hultgren (R) is sponsoring in the Senate. It is essential that the bill get support from Holmes in order to pass in the Senate. We have benefited from the support of Chicago Democrats, yet for some reason are unable to get the same and much-needed support from this one local Senator.

Sen. Holmes said "We all agree this is a necessary project. I have had several discussions with the Senate president regarding this issue and he understands my support for a fair and reasonable resolution."

Quick-take is indeed the fair and reasonable solution.
Fairness to the property holder - The land owner will be paid fair-market value for their property as determined by a jury.
Fairness to the students - Immediate access to the land allows the district to stay on schedule
and avoid overcrowding without reducing the scope of the planned facilities.
Fairness to the taxpayers -District taxpayers avoid escalation of construction costs
due to delays.

Quick-take is going up against reluctant legislators, lobbyists from various interests, powerful lawyers for a rich trust, and yes, people with honest concerns about overspending. I hope that quick-take will be approved and construction on the new school will begin in a timely manner. I urge the Illinois State Senate to take action on this important piece of legislation as soon as possible.