9 Responses to “We Sue the City, the Park District and the Latin School”

1. Mark Says:
   April 16th, 2008 at 05:32 PM Thanks for doing this lawsuit. I remember the fight in 2002 and was shocked when I learned that they were already under construction. This is an outrage. I also find interesting how the Latin school scored advertising rights. When I suggested to the people who organize the Montrose Dog beach to see if they can get a sponsor like PetSmart to help pay for the fences instead of begging for money I was told the Park district had a strict policy against advertising. Something is very rotten in Denmark.
2. Matthew Says:
   April 17th, 2008 at 03:46 PM YIKES! After reading the Crane's Chicago articles, it is clear this isn't in keeping with the City's heritage of 'forever free and clear'. The Lakeshore Drive/Freeway, the Chicago Children's Museum, Lake Point Tower, and now this?! I am worried what will happen to our parks and lakefront if Chicago wins the 2016 Olympic bid.
3. Private Enemy Number One Says:
   May 2nd, 2008 at 04:05 PM I just read the article in Carins today stating that your group will try to settle this dispute out of court. I think it is an out rage to settle this. If you do then your organization will have tried for not and there will be no case law to protect all our open land from being sold to the highest or most connected bidder for the Olympics and other things. Please consider NOT settling out of court. Your monetary supporters would be outraged.
4. CKLPP Admin Says:
   May 2nd, 2008 at 04:27 PM I just saw the article too. I'll let the core group know of your feelings.
5. Bill Says:
   May 2nd, 2008 at 06:46 PM First, congratulations on both big wins. It is a little too soon to pop the champagne corks, but you guys have run up a huge lead on the scoreboard in the first quarter of the game. The Latin School will now make a "sucker offer" such as offering to share the field with the Chicago Public Schools (and not just in the winter). Don't take the bait! It is worth the risk to continue to fight to truly preserve this as open space. Any soccer field means that you've lost; no soccer field is the only victory.
6. Allan Mellis Says:
   May 3rd, 2008 at 07:21 AM Just as the Chicago Park District did not have adequate hearings, KLPP shoud make sure that the public is involved with any negotiations. The negotiations should include the need to go before the Chicago Plan Commission which I brought up at the last meeting at Latin School after speaking with a former chariman of the Plan Commission. I would be happy to share some of the suggestions I have made six years ago and recently concerning the allocation of times and the redevelopment of the site. Other schools and the public who are in support of additional soccer fields should also be included in any talks. Allan Mellis Community Leader
7. Bill Says:
   May 3rd, 2008 at 08:47 AM Restoring the park to its natural state (keeping the status quo as an open area) should not require a public hearing. It is only development of the park that deserves a public hearing. Therefore, allowing the soccer field to be constructed for the use of the Chicago Public schools should require a public hearing whereas resoding it with natural grass and no soccer field should be allowed with no public review. Carving up precious park space is not the best way to give the public schools more facilities. Public soccer fields can be built in many other locations. Most of the opponents of the Latin School deal objected not only to the private use but also to the loss of open space when soccer fields can be built elsewhere.
8. Mark Says:
   May 3rd, 2008 at 07:36 PM IMHO, that is a terrible location for a soccer field and astroturf has no place in a park. But if you need astroturf then build the field out of sight like at Montrose by cricket hill. I taught all my dogs to play frisbee on that Lincoln Park site and if I were to make a suggestion, and this may be a little 19th or 20th century thinking, how about planting some trees there? That would make for a nice "compromise," let Latin school pay for and build at Montrose sans the scoreboard, big ugly stands, and billboards, and also make them pay for 30 to 50 young trees to be planted on the site they tried to steal from the public. The Latin school still gets a nice field to use and we get another patch of trees in a highly visible location of the park that we will really appreciate a decade from now. I'd even let them put up a plaque on that site in appreciation of the Latin school's tree donation.
9. Bill Says:
   May 10th, 2008 at 01:09 PM Below is a link to the agenda of the next meeting of the Chicago Park District Board. Based on this, it appears that the Park District plans to terminate their deal with the Latin School and then hire another company to complete the soccer field. Under this approach, the land would remain as public property rather than effectively being sold to the Latin School. However, it is still a loss of valuable open space to be replaced by ugly man made structures. Daniel Burham would still be weeping in his grave at the sight of the carving up of the park. Meanwhile other property in the city that would be great locations for soccer fields will be left undeveloped. http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/docs/df5a24fd-a731-4a19-961a-63521a20fb0e_document.pdf

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