Lisle board approves sale of village parcel at 922 School Street after weeks of public concern

The Village of Lisle Board debated and recorded votes March 4 on an ordinance to sell village‑owned surplus property at 922 School Street to BSP 3 LLC, a proposed developer for downtown redevelopment. Village staff reported an appraisal in the packet valuing the lot at $161,500 and presented a purchase offer of $171,500 that would include a perpetual pedestrian path easement to preserve public access to the Lisle Cemetery.

Why it mattered: Residents and trustees framed the question as a balance between protecting a small downtown green space with mature trees and enabling a larger redevelopment project that officials say will make downtown more cohesive and finance additional retail opportunities. The RDA tied to downtown redevelopment has prompted repeated public interest, with residents asking for clearer, timely RDA reporting and tangible milestones.

Public commenters raised concerns about the parcel’s history, trees and possible cemetery boundaries. Bill Smith urged the board to require surveys and due diligence, noting he measured large silver maples on the lot and cited state legal protections he described as the “Human Remains Protection Act.” Sister Mary Bratasovsky and other residents called for preserving open green space and honoring local heritage. The developer’s representative, Russ Whitaker, said the parcel is not essential to the planned development and that the project could proceed without it; he emphasized the proposed easement, the plan to incorporate accessible pathways and that the offer exceeded the appraised value.

Trustee debate split along those lines. Trustee Mullin said the easement and improved ADA‑compliant path offered by the developer would provide safer pedestrian connectivity and help finance a broader mixed‑use development that could increase retail opportunities downtown. Trustee Duffy said the current mulch path is not ADA compliant and favored requiring developer‑funded improvements, while Trustee Saima cited an arborist report indicating trees on the parcel were rated in average-to-poor condition and described the sale as a compromise. Trustee Grama and Trustee Lesniak urged caution, expressing concern about the parcel’s history, the petition circulated by opponents, and the possibility of unmarked burials near the cemetery; they urged surveys and monitoring if the sale proceeds.

The roll call was recorded on the transcript: Trustees Mullin, Duffy, Lesniak, Olson and Saima voted “Aye”; Trustee Greco voted “No”; the mayor stated “No.” The purchase price on file was $171,500; staff noted municipal code procedures were followed for appraisal and public notice. The ordinance as presented required a two‑thirds vote of corporate authorities to accept a purchase offer and staff noted the board may only accept an offer at no less than 80% of appraised value. Based on the recorded tallies, the vote achieved the threshold identified by staff for acceptance of the purchase offer.

What’s next: The agreement attached to the ordinance, including the pedestrian easement and any required due diligence (surveys, mitigation for tree removal, and protections if remains are encountered), will be handled per the real‑estate sales agreement and state law. Staff and the developer will continue coordination about plat and plan submissions per the RDA process.

Quoted: “If Clarity and Collins comes back and wants to scale back retail and build even more apartments, I say no,” Cathy Moran told the board as part of public comment, urging trustees to demand substantive quarterly reporting on the RDA. “We’re paying more than the appraised value for the property,” Russ Whitaker said, describing efforts to align the project with the downtown plan and to incorporate an accessible path.

The board recorded the votes and the related documents remain on file with the village clerk; staff also noted that public notices and the appraisal were included in the meeting packet and available on the village website.