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April 14
News: District 112 Rejects Development!
"We also have heard concerns, particularly from nearby residents, about the
specific site proposed relating to safety and traffic congestion, the environment, wildlife impact,
effect on neighborhood character, open space and cost."
Michael Lipsitz, President, NSSD 112 Board of
Education |
This is great news, and everyone who helped stop this destructive plan should take a few
minutes and feel proud!
However, we can't stop yet. The Red Oak School wetlands and woods are still suffering from previous damage caused
by the school district. More damage could occur if we do not secure protection for these valuable lands.
Please attend the April 15 meeting (tonight) or contact the school board:
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Thank them for rejecting the proposal to develop this local wildlife area.
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Ask them to bring back the frogs by reversing or limiting the drainage affecting the
site's wetlands.
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Ask them to seek permanent protections for this native remnant and its hydrology.
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Ask them to appoint a committee of school and environmental advocates to prepare a
preservation plan.
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Tell them that the natural environment is an essential part of a good educational
environment, and to protect these resources on all of their properties.
Please also thank members of the Highland Park City Council who vowed to protect this
site:
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Red Oak School to Sacrifice Wetlands
and Woods
Thanks to all those who printed this page and attended the Tuesday, March 18 meeting!
New information below is marked.
Please attend the next meeting:
Tuesday, April 15, 8:00 p.m.
1936 Green Bay Rd., Highland Park
in the School, in its Board Room or Gym
Send an e-mail to:
CFC claims it is concerned about the environment, but has chosen to
present a plan for the Red Oak School north lot that replaces its wetland and woods with buildings and
parking lots. Apparently their "concern" is that the environment might disrupt their plans, which also lack
any compensatory stormwater retention. They say that this will "enhance the environment." They are required
to avoid the wetland and retain their stormwater, and this will result in a much different plan. Rather than
present plans that answer some of our questions, CFC has chosen to attack our member volunteers. The W&W
leadership is proud of the efforts by local members to protect this valuable open space, and encourages CFC
to re-use and renovate existing and available buildings rather than tear up public open space.
Don't let them destroy Red Oak School Woods.
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Has District 112 been building hard surfaces and draining wetlands without compensatory stormwater storage and permits since 1992?
The songs of frogs in the upper wetland were silenced when the playground drainage was installed.
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Ask about:
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Destruction of rare wooded wetlands.
Wetlands should be avoided (and this is a legal requirement), but the new facility (reddish in the
bottom picture) is planned directly on top of this valuable
wetland (bluish in the bottom picture). Wooded wetlands like this one are rare, and the plant communities they support are
special. Healthy wetlands and swales attract frogs and other wildlife that are a threatened but important
part of the learning environment for Red Oak School. Even if narrowly avoided, drainage of the site for
construction would destroy this wetland. In addition, soils on the entire site remain wet for much of the
summer, and support an incredible list of 85 plants, many of them rare. Rather than destroy it, District 112 should apply to have it
protected as an Illinois Natural Area.
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Deceptive loss of hundreds of oak trees.
Is the school exempt from the Highland Park tree ordinance? If so, should that extend to this CFC
facility? Why are trees tagged across the south lot, unless they are in harm's way?
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New storm sewer wrecks woods.
There is no stormwater retention shown on the CFC plan. With lots of
new roofs and parking, stormwater retention should be required. Without it the plan they're showing is
misleading. Where will they put the stormwater? Where will the water leaving the site go? For that matter,
why hasn't District 112 built retention for the rooftops they've built since 1992, when the WDO went into
effect?
There is a string of storm sewer grates heading west behind the south school along the interpretive trail, toward the Chicago
River Middle Fork. We've shown a new storm sewer pipe to it (shown as orange line on the map below) from the new CFC
development, slashing through the heart of this woodland where trees are tagged. Will CFC choose a different
way?
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Interpretive trail to be ruined.
The trail near the Vernal Pool follows a string of existing storm sewer
"bee hives", and
trees tagged there would be ripped up if a new storm sewer is connect there.
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Loss of habitat for deer and other wildlife.
This chunk of open space is a valuable asset to the surrounding neighborhoods. The CFC plan slices and
dices it. They say it was originally a farm, but it was a woods, sedge meadow or savanna before that.
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Degradation of Chicago River’s Middle Fork.
More stormwater runoff from the new buildings (reddish in the bottom picture), roads and lots (white in the
bottom picture) means more untreated pollution into the Middle Fork river. Runoff could also end up
polluting the Skokie River.
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Poor stormwater planning impacts Deerfield.
The homes across Carriage Way will be more prone to flooding of the river if stormwater is piped to the
existing Middle Fork storm sewer. Contrary to the claims by members of the School Board, the map below shows
that the storm sewers on the W side of Red Oak Lane (S of the school) drain unabated into the Middlefork
(lower left). Actual drainage documents for the school are unavailable from the state and local authorities
responsible for oversight: IL Fire Marshall, IEPA, and Highland Park. Is District 112 reporting their
stormwater changes?
Natural runoff will also occur from the CFC development, and enter drains across the street that flow into the Skokie
River.
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 Damaged Wetlands
Some have questioned whether the wetlands threatened by the CFC proposal were real, or
merely predicted. These photos, taken May 5, 2008, show inundation and emergent vegetation in the
location shown as the blue oval in the lower right corner of the yellow rectangle surrounding the lot
targeted by CFC. As this 1939 aerial shows, that parcel was cleared up to the lot line, and was likely
covered with savanna like the neighboring parcels. The upper right photo is a view along a path cleared
toward the playground to the South, which was drained in the mid 90's. No frogs have been heard there
since, and none were heard the day we took these photos. The lot north of the yellow rectangle shows
large wetlands too, and the 2007 aerial (not shown on this page) shows other buildings constructed there
since 1993 without compensatory stormwater retention.
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School District lacks authority to lease land to a non-governmental
entity.
Schools may only lease land to a "body politic and corporate" (per 1977 Union County case). CFC is not a
"body politic" that exercises a sovereign state power, so is ineligible.
In addition, if they choose to go ahead anyway, the school board must adopt a resolution to lease the
property, fixing the period and price, and put the question to referendum in a district election.
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Possible zoning violations.
The land is zoned R4>> by
Highland Park>>, and
"It is not intended to allow commercial, industrial, governmental, recreational, or like uses in this
district; however, facilities required to serve educational, religious, or other needs of the area may be
allowed within the district as conditional uses subject to restrictions intended to preserve and protect
the residential character." If that doesn't include the CFC type of facility, then the
zoning should be changed to protect other residentially zoned properties. Have proper re-zoning hearings
been held (Klaeren>>)?
Is a zoning change justified (Lake)?
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Loss of school revenue.
The school district needs money, but are offering to lease this land for only $100/year. Who pays
instead? Proper stormwater management costs money (and improper management costs the community even more
money). Destruction and mitigation of high quality wetlands is also expensive. If the developers can't afford to
buy the land, will they cut corners on trees and water too?
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Traffic
Bussing kids in and out of this neighborhood will burden this small street with more tailpipe pollution
and noisy traffic.
Don't let them destroy Red Oak School Woods.
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| Contact Victoria Oberman at ww-redoak@illinois.sierraclub.org
to help out. See Advocacy 4 Education>> for more information. |
