Saturday, April 26, 2008

Another story over the use of a public park

There's a debate over whether or not a children's museum should be allowed to build in Grant Park. Now a private school wants their own stadium in a public park. For now at least it's been halted. Crain's:
In a rebuke to the Chicago Park District, a judge Friday afternoon handed a partial victory to a citizens’ group that has been fighting the district’s deal with Latin School of Chicago to build a soccer field in Lincoln Park.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird ruled that construction of the $2-million field, which is mostly complete, will be allowed to finish by the scheduled May 26 opening. But the judge put at lest a temporary halt to work on the field’s lighting, bleachers and scoreboard, and said that once work is complete, Latin will have to stand in line with any other group that wants to use the facility at about 1800 N. Cannon Drive — at least for now.

Judge Kinnaird described her decision to issue a temporary restraining order against the district and school as “extraordinary,” but said she concluded that plaintiffs were likely to prove their case that the approval of the field violated city and state law, the district’s own procedures and provisions of an anti-discrimination lawsuit the district settled several years ago.

“There is something troubling about this case,” the judge said in reading her decision. “It includes secrecy and lack of public hearings.”

When public land is involved, she added, “The public must be given an opportunity to know what is going on, and an opportunity to be heard.”

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