OSD308 has submitted engineering plans to the village of Oswego for the construct of a 70-space gravel parking lot on the grounds of Oswego East High School at 1525 Harvey Road.
According to village officials, the plans are currently under review by the village’s development services department, but school district officials say no decision has been made to build an additional lot.
The proposed lot would be near the southwest corner of Harvey Road and Townsend Drive, connecting to the existing lot on the south side of Townsend Drive and wrapping around the baseball field toward Harvey Road.
In a statement, Bridget Bittman, communications manager for the village, said village officials have not yet determined if the parking lot plans will require Village Board approval.
The Village Board and SD308 Board of Education have been at odds over student parking issues at OEHS and in the subdivisions neighboring the school.
Village Board members previously questioned and criticized District 308 Superintendent John Sparlin over the shortage of student parking spaces at OEHS during a June 14 Committee of the Whole meeting at Village Hall.
At the June 14 meeting, Village Board members voiced support for the school district constructing an 80-space parking lot on school grounds to accommodate overflow student parking, which the Board of Education had gone on record June 6 as opposing.
Instead, the Board of Education asked the village to impose additional parking restrictions in the subdivisions neighboring the school. The Village Board then voted Aug. 23 to adopt an ordinance restricting on-street parking in neighborhoods near the school.
Under the restrictions, on-street parking on school days is limited to village residents in five designated zones located within one mile of the high school (See map), with each permit costing students $400.
Also during the Aug. 23 Village Board meeting, the board approved an ordinance that included a provision allowing for the construction of gravel lots at Oswego high schools.
Village administrator Dan Di Santo said Tuesday, Jan. 3 the village had received no sign that the Board of Education was planning to build the lot prior to receiving the engineering plans.
According to Theresa Komitas, OSD308 director of communications and public relations, the district has no timeline to construct the lot and the project is not up for consideration at this time, but it has been added to the future facilities planning list.
“The board has not discussed, considered or voted on this project and does not have it on the agenda for a future meeting,” Komitas said.
Komitas said if a gravel lot is built in the future, it would be done so with the intent of eventually paving it.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
Be First to Comment