Property Discussion
Thursday, December 30, 2021
The Glencoe Park District Board of Commissioners is considering selling a parcel of inaccessible land near Green Bay Road. The Board of Park Commissioners do not take the subject of selling Park District land lightly. This parcel, directly south of Park 11s, is not part of the park. Park 11s is located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Green Bay Road and South Avenue. The plot has no actual park name and is noted only as PIN #05-07-402-018-0000 in Park District records.
The parcel was initially a portion of an abandoned alley in Glencoe acquired by the Park District in 1933. The plot is 1,621 square feet, though residential garages located at 309, 315, and 319 Washington Avenue occupy 302 square feet (19%) of the plot. From the Park District’s research, the current owner of the private residences is not responsible for the encroachment onto Park District property.
Due to the current configuration of the Park District landscaping and past residential encroachment, the parcel is not currently accessible for public use. The parcel is only accessible via the adjacent private residences (309, 315, 319). In essence, it is a tax-exempt property unavailable for public use.
Historically, this parcel has not appeared on any of the Park District’s publicly available property maps, nor has the Park District maintained it. To add the property to Park 11s, healthy landscaping would need removal at the District’s expense.
The Board is considering selling the parcel, as the community may benefit from the immediate proceeds of the sale and the long-term benefit of property taxes from the land.
Illinois Park District Code, specifically the Park Commissioners Land Sale Act (Park District Code 70ILCS1235/1) authorizes park districts to sell any land it owns that is not larger than three acres and is no longer needed or useful. Per code, the Board must discuss and then consider the sale of this property during public meetings. In accordance with the code, the parcel will be the subject of discussion at the Board of Commissioners January 18 meeting, which will take place at 7 PM at the Takiff Center (999 Green Bay Road, Glencoe). The meeting is open to the public and will be listed on the agenda, which is posted on the Glencoe Park District website (glencoeparkdistrict.com) and at the Takiff Center.
After the discussion and upon Board of Commissioners direction, the following steps may be taken:
- The Board of Park Commissioners would need to adopt a resolution by four-fifths vote, describing the property and declaring that the land is no longer needed or useful for park purposes, and that it intends to sell the land. The earliest this can be done is the February Board meeting.
- If/when this is approved, then the Park District will apply by a petition in writing to the circuit court of Cook County, in which the parcel is situated, for approval to sell the property. The District must provide notice of the court hearing by publication in the newspaper in the County at least 10 days before the day of the hearing on the merits of the District’s petition. Any person who objects to the sale may appear before the court in person or by an attorney. After the hearing, the court may direct the sale of the property (70ILCS1235/1) upon such terms and conditions as the court determines are proper.
- If/when this is approved, the Board will follow the legal requirements in the sale of the property.
We invite you to share your thoughts at the January 18 Board of Commissioners public meeting. You can also share your thoughts with the Board via email at [email protected].