Schools

Group Opposing Memorial Lights Gears Up for Plan Commission Meeting

Our Field Our Town members hosted a press conference Wednesday evening detailing their plan to stop the installation of lights at Glenbard West's Memorial Field.

The members of Our Field Our Town are doing all they can to stop the installation of lights at Memorial Field.

The group is gearing up to debate their side of the lights issue at village hall next week, in addition to collecting signatures to get the issue put to referendum on the March ballot.

At next week’s plan commission meeting OFOT and Glenbard High School District 87 will square-off, each group presenting their side of the argument, hoping to sway commissioners' votes on the issue. Like District 87, OFOT has enlisted the help of experts. OFOT has hired lighting engineers and zoning experts to speak out against the installation of lights at Memorial Field.

The group is hoping to convince the plan commission to strike down the district’s request for variances that would ultimately allow for the installation of lights if approved by the village board.

The district's request for variances to install the lights comes after the completion of phase one construction at Memorial Field: finished in the summer of 2010, the installation of a synthetic turf allows for increased usage. Among the many enhancements, part of that $1.4 million project included installing an underground conduit for future lights. District 87 officials cite the need for a field that can operate longer due to the limited field space at the Glenbard West campus. The $300,000 project to install lights will be funded by donations, not taxpayers.

But the group is out canvassing the village hoping to collect at least 622 signatures, which would send the issue to a March referendum vote.

However, the referendum would be non-binding, so the village could proceed with the issue and vote before residents could on the March ballot.  

But the group members want to do all they can to preserve the character of the community before it is too late. 

“We believe that a referendum is a fair and appropriate way to capture the community’s and the taxpayer’s opinion. It’s a true democratic vetting of an issue that impacts so many,” said Don Pydo, OFOT group member.


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