Possible ruling in Coryell lawsuit at April 6 hearing

A Cook County circuit court judge this morning might said he will hear arguments April 6 on a motion for summary judgment filed by the Park District of La Grange in its effort to overcome a lawsuit filed by resident Orlando Coryell that so far has prevented the sale of 2.82 acres of Gordon Park to developer Atlantic Realty Company.

As a result, the developer and park district likely will amend their sale contracts, which call for closing on the two-parcel deal by March 31.

Judge Leroy Martin Jr said he had received the park district's motion and a subsequent response from Coryell's attorneys. Late yesterday, the park district filed its own follow-up response. The judge today gave Coryell's attorneys seven days to submit their final reply.

If the motion is successful, the judge likely would give the park district a green light to proceed to closing on the sale. However, if Martin believes that there are material facts in the case still in dispute, he could instead order prolonged arguments from both parties before making a ruling. A motion for summary judgment assumes that both sides agree on all material facts at issue.

There also is the possibility that the judge could rule in Coryell's favor. Although his attorneys did not formally make a cross-motion for summary judgment, they said their written response could serve in that capacity if the judge would allow it.

On Monday of this week, Martin set April 3 as the date for further consideration of an application filed by the park district asking the judge to directly approve the sale under a separate but related statute that allows park district land to be sold.

Comments

[Concerned La Grange Resident]

Orlando, what's your problem?!!!! The people of La Grange voted YES to the sale of the park district land!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are you trying to prove Orlando???????? Get a life and stop trying to get in the way of progress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kevin Shields]

Selling open space is not progress!!!!!!!!

[James H. Workman]

Sale of the land is most definitely progress. Transfer of the small parcel of park land behind the old rich port YMCA will allow that building, which has turned in to a decrepit and dangerous eyesore attractive only to vandals and vagrants, to be demolished and replaced with a new and aesthetically pleasing development that our town needs. More affordable housing, resulting in an increased tax base for our schools, as well as a fantastically improved Gordon Park, and a re-worked and improved intersection at Ogden and LaGrange roads are also part of the plan. How can this not be progress?

[WilliamDobias]

James -
Sorry, the logic in your comment does not track with the facts. Transfer of the small parcel of land immediately behind the abandoned YMCA building will allow ARP to build the large apartment and condo building in the La Grange Place PUD. Neither Orlando Coryell nor any of the rest of us oppose this sale. But, the Village of La Grange should have demanded a plan from the downtown YMCA board as to their intentions for demolition instead of allowing the building to sit for two years. Countryside and Brookfield have shown the way for this - making property owners demolish structures before the property in question is sold.

The northern portion of Gordon Park is unnecessary for this development - only for 26 townhouses. This is the sale that we all oppose. An improved Gordon Park could easily result from the almost $3 million the park board will receive for the small parcel behind the YMCA building - if they weren't, as they admitted at last Monday's meeting, facing a budget crisis with a recreation building that is barely making expenses (their comment) and that is saddled with a near $3 million revenue bond with debt service of almost $300,00 per year.

The developer (ARP) is only going to improve the northeast corner of the Ogden and La Grange Road intersection. The $1 million that the village set aside to improve the rest of the intersection has now been redirected to the La Grange Theater. Sounds like we're going to have an intersection with a widened right turn lane on Ogden, an island on the northeast corner, a widened La Grange Road and little other improvement to help those of us who walk through this intersection daily to safely navigate it.

Progress? I would label it more public official ineptitude.