The Committee to Keep Lincoln Park Public - Home

Local News Investigates Artificial Turf

2008-11-23T02:29:00Z

"Turf War" Feature in Chicago Magazine

2008-11-20T22:49:00Z

Chicago Magazine reporter Debra Pickett spent hours interviewing POP members and researching the series of events that led up to the Latin School Lincoln Park land grab. Her story is a fair account and asks the question we’ve been asking – who wins from a fight like this? Read the story

Artificial Turf Field Opens, Rule of Law and Safety Be D**ned

2008-11-12T12:52:00Z

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Over objections of Protect Our Parks, POP, the Park District has steamrollered an artificial turf soccer field into existence in Lincoln Park. The location was selected to benefit its original sponsor, the Latin School. Construction was sped up before the pending POP lawsuit could be heard.

Our suit asked that construction or use of the field be halted until independent experts could conduct routine health and safety testing of the materials and assess health impacts of the site’s location. Multiple public warnings about artificial turf products have given parents, neighborhood groups and environmental experts across the country serious concerns about exposing children to the variety of toxic substances identified in these synthetic products. Remember – none of these routine tests were done because the site was selected for one reason and one reason alone – to benefit the Latin School.

Official warnings have come from the United States Centers for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Great Lakes Center for Children’s Environmental Health, affiliated with the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. The Great lakes Center has urged that a natural grass playing surface be retained until a comprehensive Risk Assessment Study could be performed.

The California Attorney General has sued the very turf manufacturer paid by the Park District to install it here. A study by the nonprofit Center for Environmental Health, which triggered the suit by the California attorney general’s office, showed that some turf samples it collected contained lead levels 150 times the limits outlined in the new federal standards for toys. The Connecticut Attorney General and distinguished doctors and scientists all over the country who specialize in preventing harm from environmental poisons. are calling for a halt to further installations of artificial turf until these claims can be fully investigated. The Park District answer to all this is to install more artificial turf fields.

So what now after the Park District’s reckless disregard for due process and public safety? The health and safety issues do not conveniently disappear. The secret deal that spawned the artificial turf field in the heart of Lincoln Park continues to stink. The offense to public interest does not get swept under the rug and allow the Park District do the same deals in parks in other neighborhoods. The legal challenge has not ended and will not until this historic meadow in Lincoln Park is restored to its original natural grass.

Therefore, the need for your outspoken support and contributions to the legal fund remains greater than ever. We need your support in order to show the Park District that we demand they follow due process and due diligence when they build facilities in our parks. No more secret deals. No more land grabs. No more reckless disregard for our health and safety in laying down synthetic turf.

Please contact us if you would like to know more about what is happening or would like to read for yourself all the warning documents that have proliferated on the subject..

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If all this makes you fighting mad and you want to make your voice heard, visit the POP website (WWW.PROTECTOURPARKS.ORG) and make a contribution to the legal fund, AND volunteer to help! Email us at info@cklpp.org and call us at 312-276-5165.

You can also send letters or make calls with your comments to:

Mayor Richard M. Daley – City Hall 121 North LaSalle Street Room 507 Chicago, IL, 60602 Phone: 312-744-3300 fax: (312) 744-8045

Ald.Vi Daley(43rd Ward) – 312-744-3071, 773-327-7103, vdaley@cityofchicago.org

Head of Latin School, Donald Firke – 312-582-6000, dfirke@latinschool.org

Park Superintendent Tim Mitchell – 312-742-5366, tim.mitchell@chicagoparkdistrict.com

POP Proposes Independent Testing of Artificial Turf Safety

2008-11-05T22:34:00Z

In a letter to Legal Counsels representing the Park District and the City, defendants in POP’s pending lawsuit challenging the safety of artificial turf in the south field of Lincoln Park, POP urges that in the interest of public health and safety concerns the defendants agree to expedited testing by an impartial public health agency before public exposure to the artificial turf Latin Soccer field, which is being dedicated on Saturday.

The United States Centers for Disease Control; Environmental Protection Agency; the local affiliate Great Lakes Center for Occupational and Environmental Health & Safety, located at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health; the Attorneys General of California and Connecticut; and prominent physicians all over the country have issued urgent warnings about the dangers to child health and safety that exist in artificial turf fields.

Because Latin School, the Park District, the City and Alderman Vi Daley have all refused to act to secure the public safety, a lawsuit was the only recourse possible to compel them to submit samples of everything for independent testing before children are permitted on the field. Although hundreds of stories detailing the various toxic components of artificial turf abound in the news media and on the internet, no precautionary testing was deemed necessary. Like the original illegal secret deal with Latin school, overturned by POP court action, their attitude remains: “the public be damned.”

Toxic artificial turf a hazard to Latin School children and the public alleges latest lawsuit

2008-10-15T02:32:00Z

The Chicago Park District and Latin School have been sued again by Protect Our Parks, POP, the neighborhood park watchdog organization fighting construction of the Latin School artificial turf soccer field in the formerly open, grassy meadow of South Field Lincoln Park at the foot of the bridge crossing Lake Shore Drive to North Avenue Beach. The new complaint alleges that the artificial turf and scrap tire crumb rubber infill contain dangerous lead and other harmful chemicals that endanger the health and safety of young children exposed to it on a regular basis.

The complaint further alleges that the designated site immediately borders the heavily traveled lanes of Lake Shore Drive traffic, which further exposes children to the cumulative toxic effect of constantly breathing exhaust fumes from automobiles as well as polluted contaminants from factories carried by prevailing winds and deposited on the lakefront park.

The matter has come to the attention of the Great Lakes Centers for Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health, located at the University of Illinois, Chicago, which is a local affiliate of the US Center for Disease Control which has issued the following statement: “We advise that the City of Chicago should conduct an assessment of the environmental health risks of the artificial turf field in Lincoln Park before continuing with its installation. We believe that the data collected by multiple researchers and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrate the need to conduct such a risk assessment, Until a risk assessment is conducted we strongly urge park planners to stick with regular grass fields instead of installing a product that may harbor bacteria, function as a heat sink and may contain chemicals which are hazardous to children”.

POP alleges that the defendants have totally ignored the recent safety warning from U.S. Center for Disease Control that cautioned persons exposed to existing artificial turf fields not eat or drink anything on the field, shower and scrub vigorously after play, turn their clothes inside out and launder separately from other clothing, and leave their shoes out of doors, all to limit the exposure to the contaminants in the dust emitted from the turf fields.

POP alleges that the Park District and Latin School have disregarded all warnings and made no effort to conduct independent tests of either the soil, ambient air, or the turf product, before picking the site solely for its convenience to the Latin School, located at the edge of the park, which is used by Latin as a virtually private playfield.

The suit alleges that the installation of this artificial turf product is in violation of the Chicago Lead Bearing Substances Ordinance, and asks for an immediate Injunction preventing its installation.

Earlier this month the state of California filed suit against the three leading manufacturers of artificial turf, including FieldTurf, the company contracted to install its product in south Lincoln Park. Artificial Turf is also currently under attack by the Attorney General of Connecticut and prominent physicians in New York and New Jersey.

Download the press release.

Download the complaint.

New Lawsuit Challenges Park Payment to Latin School - Oops, Too Late!

2008-09-23T16:37:00Z

The law suit proved too late as the Park District has already secretly paid the Latin School back, despite a court settlement mandating public disclosure! Will the law breaking and arrogance at the Chicago Park District ever stop?

Our reaction:

The Park District performed one of its trademark slight of hand tricks on September 23 in the courtroom of Judge Arnold. When Clint Krislov, prominent class action attorney, representing the taxpayers of Chicago, presented his Petition to stop the payment of public money to the private Latin School and its contractors in furtherance of the secret and illegal Agreement to build Latin an artificial turf soccer field in Lincoln Park that was struck down by a previous court action, the Park District surprised everyone by saying it has already secretly paid Latin. No information was disclosed as to the amounts actually paid and all the recipients of the Park District largesse. The Park District was obligated by the earlier court settlement to publicly disclose a schedule of these payments.

In a perfunctory hearing, Judge Arnold then brushed aside the Krislov Petition accepting the position that it was too late to lock the barn door, although Krislov argued that the Park District should be enjoined from continuing to pay money for illegal no-bid construction contracts taken over from Latin.

Although the lawsuit will continue, on behalf of taxpayers, to pursue the moneys that were illegally paid to Latin and its contractors, the next legal step is an immediate application to the Appellate Court to overrule Judge Arnold and enter an injunction to prevent further waste of taxpayers money.

The original press release:

The Chicago Park District and the Latin School were sued again on September 22 in the Circuit Court of Cook County in another round of litigation arising as a consequence of the secretly negotiated deal to build a reserved use Latin School soccer field in Lincoln Park.

Today’s lawsuit is a Taxpayer’s Derivative action challenging any attempt of the Park District to pay public funds to the Latin School or its contractors for the illegal soccer field construction which was stopped in a previous court action filed by Protect Our Parks, the volunteer community watchdog organization.

The new lawsuit alleges that an Agreement of the Park District to pay Latin School over $ 1.35 million of public tax money as reimbursement for the Court voided original Latin Agreement is a violation of taxpayer’s constitutional rights and the Park District’s own rules with respect to public contracts.

The exclusive, private Latin School itself does not pay the real estate taxes which support maintenance and improvements in the park, which Latin School monopolizes as its private playground.

Protect Our Parks hailed the taxpayer action and repeated its contention that the Park District is trying to complete its private deal with Latin School, now with public money, and that three or four soccer fields could be build in needy underserved neighborhoods with the money that the Park District wants to give to Latin. If built, the Gold Coast Latin soccer field would become the most expensive soccer field in Chicago and crowd out all the open, clear and free public uses previously enjoyed in this park meadow.

The motion for a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) to enjoin repayment to either Latin School or contractors will be heard on September 23 at 9:30 in Chancery Court, Daley Center, Room 2502, by Judge Arnold.

Download this press release.

The End of Chapter One...

2008-09-06T15:49:00Z

The Chicago Park District has spoken. At a special session of the board called solely to deal with the Latin School soccer field, commissioners unanimously voted to complete the soccer facility in Lincoln Park and repay the Latin School for its construction costs. WE MUST NOTE THAT THE DECISION TO REPAY THE LATINS SCHOOL WAS NOT COMPELLED BY OUR LAW SUIT – IT IS THE DECISION OF THE CITY TO DO SO.

At this meeting POP offered to raise finds to restore the site to a grass meadow but was rebuffed. POP board President read this statement. POP had gone to court earlier that morning protesting the special session as well as unauthorized work on the site from August 19 that violated our court order. The judge let both actions stand.

So, look for construction at the site to swiftly resume and conclude.

What’s next?

Protect Our Parks is not finished. We see a number of issues still unresolved with the Latin School Land Grab. For one, we don’t think the Latin School should be repaid since the contract that called for them to be repaid was corrupt and voided. The Park District is facing a $24 million deficit and looks to cut up to 300 jobs”. So where do they get the funds to lavish on this project, spawned by the Latin School – and which we think WILL STILL be the main beneficiary of it?

Next, we’ve been contacted by park groups around the city who are facing land grabs, privatizations and shady deals which end up freezing neighbors out of their own parks. We are working with these groups to get a full picture of park abuse and fashion a response.

Thank you to the thousands of people who have signed our petitions, emailed us and grabbed us in restaurants and on the streets to wish us well and urge us on. Also to the hundreds of donors who supported our legal fund – we could not have come this far without you! To all Chicagoans who love open space and good government and who detest cronyism and back-room deals – stay tuned – we’re not done fighting for you!

A local paper got it right with this headline. Lincoln Park is renamed Latin Park!

Play Our New PSA

2008-08-24T14:06:00Z

Listen to our new public service announcement. <iframe allowtransparency="true" src="http://www.evoca.com/myrecordings/recBlogForIFrame.jsp?rid=164605&teu=http://www.evoca.com/" background-color="transparent" marginwidth="0" height="100" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="100" marginheight="0"> </iframe>

PLAN COMMISSION RUBBER STAMPS, AS EXPECTED

2008-08-06T17:43:00Z

The Chicago Plan Commission met on Thursday, August 21 at City Hall and unanimously approved the Latin School artificial turf soccer facility in Lincoln Park.

Members of POP testified that no site plans, no environmental studies, no engineering studies and no marketing studies were done before construction because the project was the result of a secret and illegal deal made with the Latin School. Several commissioners commented that they were not interested in the origins of the construction.

The experts called by the city included the Vice President of Marketing for Field Turf, the firm that is supplying the artificial surface for the project. According to him, there are no health risks associated with playing on synthetic turf. We hope he’s right.

Alderman Vi Daley testified for the project because “thousands of people play soccer.”

Also testifying for the project was Lincoln Park High School Principal, Dr. Betsy Karvelas, who said their soccer teams had to play on a pitted Oz Park field. Why Oz park field can’t be maintained properly was not addressed. Dr. Karvelas and the parents who coach for the Lincoln Park High teams should contribute to POP’s legal fund. Without our intervention, Latin School would be monopolizing this field when completed and her students would never have access to it.

No commissioner asked us a question or conceded one point of our argument. Commissioner Doris Hollub did admonish the Park District. “It is our role to look at uses of the lake front. It was inappropriate not to have come before us before decisions made and contracts let.” Her position on the soccer field? “I’m very much in favor of a field there!”

The highlight of this charade was the arrest of POP co-founder Peter Zelchenko. Peter’s testimony was interrupted and his mike turned off. He completed his remarks without the mile and scolded the commission by asking how they could sleep at night. After he was finished he stood in the back of the City Hall chamber silently watching the proceedings. He was hustled out of the chamber by two policemen and he was held in a stairway for 40 minutes before being handcuffed and arrested. He was booked, finger printed and had a mug shot taken. He was released after about seven hours in custody. He was charged with disorderly conduct and will return to court on October 15.

What a joke. This was Chicago city government at its worst. On the same day that the Chicago Plan Commission slavishly rubber stamped the illegal construction project, local Democratic operatives put Emil Jones III on the ballot to replace his father as the Democratic nominee for the State Senate from the 14th District. Also in the news, a former Chicago electrical inspector was sentenced to 3 years in prison for taking bribes. Chicago, the city where clout talks and the citizens are screwed.

Protect Our Parks co-founder, Peter Zelchenko chides Commissioners, “How can you sleep at night?” He refuses to leave after watching silently from the back of the chamber. He is arrested and booked. Photo by Felicia Dechter.

DOWNLOAD OUR OFFICIAL SUBMISSION TO THE PLAN COMMISSION

READ A SUMMARY OF OUR OBJECTIONS TO THE ILLEGAL SOCCER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Read the latest news coverage:+

Chicago Reader – It’s Not Illegal to Be Obnoxious

Sun-Times – Latin soccer field back on track

Skyline – Peter Zelchenko Arrested

Chicago Tribune editorial – City Hall’s Soccer Rules

Skyline Press editorial – Menial Moves – Why did the park district take the scoreboard out? -

The Reader – An Artificial Battle – The latest round in the soccer wars is about turf – in more ways than one

Chicago Journal – Replies to Alderman Daley’s support for the continued destruction of Lincoln Park

IF YOU WERE IN THE PARK TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 19 AND SAW THIS ACTIVITY IN THE SOCCER STADIUM CONSTRUCTION ZONE – PLEASE CALL US AT 312-276-5165 AND LEAVE A MESSAGE WITH YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER.*

THIS WAS ILLEGAL ACTIVITY ON THE SITE AND VIOLATED OUR COURT ORDER THAT PROHIBITS ANY ACTIVITY ON THE SITE UNLESS WE ARE NOTIFIED AND GIVE OUR PERMISSION.

POP Says "Yes!" to Soccer (but not in the North Meadow)

2008-08-04T04:03:00Z

IS “PROTECT OUR PARKS” AGAINST SOCCER? NO WAY!!!

Protect our Parks is the grass-roots organization which successfully sued the Chicago Park District, the Latin School of Chicago and the City of Chicago to stop construction of an artificial turf soccer field in the North Meadow of the South Field in Lincoln Park for the reserved use by the Latin School.

Does this mean Protect our Parks is against kids? Against soccer? Against building new athletic fields for soccer?

The Answers: NO – NO – and NO!!!

There is a misinformation campaign underway about our position, falsely alleging to the soccer community that we have our sights set on stopping AYSO from using the fields that they’ve been playing soccer on for over 20 years so that they can be “returned” to meadows. This is patently UNTRUE!! The only field we want returned to a meadow is South Field because it is the wrong structure in the wrong location for the wrong reason.

Protect Our Parks has never opposed improvements at Foster or Montrose or the many inner city locations where there is dearth of recreation facilities. And POP has repeatedly said that the Park District should use the $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 that the Park District wants to give Latin School instead for those truly needy locations where multiple fields would benefit and expand use for the public, instead of for a wealthy private school

WHAT WE’RE FOR:

We’re all FOR soccer fields! BUT – where they are appropriate. We’re also for transparency and democracy in public process We’re for equal opportunity and access, not just for the wealthy

The fact is that the present location in south Lincoln Park is, arguably, the MOST INAPPROPRIATE place possible to insert a soccer field! It was selected SOLELY because of its proximity to the Latin School, for their convenience. No studies were undertaken to determine where the need for new facilities was greatest and would serve the greatest number of people. The only criterion applied in this case was that LATIN WANTED IT THERE FOR THEIR USE.

The Park District now says it has $2,000,000 to give to Latin School. That money would build or improve at least three new public use soccer fields in the neediest locations. And when the Park District withholds the money already promised to those other locations and tries to hold the soccer community hostage to the Latin School, they are deliberately injuring the innocent in order to force support of a wealthy, PRIVATE school!

Yes – the kids – and more of them, deserve to be able to play, regardless of where they live in Chicago and what their economic circumstances! Our Fight against the soccer field in South Field is not a fight with children nor with the soccer community. It is with the Park District, whose decisions and priorities too often are in the service of special interests, and whose modes of operation are too often dishonest – and with the Latin School for selfishly attempting to make Lincoln Park their de facto Athletic field, because they did not plan adequately for their own outdoor needs. They are a private school and their problems should be solved in the marketplace, not at the expense of Chicago’s park goers and taxpayers.

What do you think a soccer player should do when he or she is the victim of a foul? Be conned into supporting the foul or insist that the referee play fair?

Soccer, YES! In the North Meadow: NO!

Protect Our Parks – info@cklpp.org – www.savelincolnpark.org – 312-276-5165 – Donate to our legal fund -

Even a Second Grader Knows What's Right

2008-08-01T14:44:00Z

A proud parent sent us this editorial her very smart second grade daughter wrote for her school newspaper. Tim Mitchell, are you paying attention?

Tell the Park District and Alderman Daley that "No Means No!"

2008-06-16T13:06:00Z

Superintendent Tim Mitchell said to us at the June Park District board meeting “You know, we intend to complete that field!”

We say: ‘NO MEANS NO!”

CALL THESE OFFICIALS AND TELL THEM TO RESTORE LINCOLN PARK NOW!

Park District General Superintendent Tim Mitchell

312-742-4786

Alderman Vi Daley (43rd)

email: vdaley@cityofChicago.org

City Hall phone: 312-744-3071

The background…

Notwithstanding its defeat in court, The Chicago Park District has announced its intention of completing the illegal structure, and also served notice that it (the taxpayers) will pay the Latin School up to $2 million dollars, along with its legal fees for attempting to defend its illegal actions.

Residents could not disapprove more strongly. They have, in fact been rejecting the Park District/Latin deal for over six years, but each time the project is rejected by the public, it somehow re-emerges like the many-headed mythical Hydra. For years this has been among the most popular and scenic areas of South Lincoln Park, serving the community in a myriad of uses by citizens of all ages. “You might as well put a soccer field smack in the middle of Daley Plaza” said Tom Tresser, president of POP. “There is space there, too. It just so happens that a few hundred thousand people use it for other things. Same thing in South Field. It is the wrong structure in the wrong place” Its proximity to the Latin School would appear to be the only reason that location was chosen, and the courts have ruled Latin’s priority use in that space to be illegal.

Additionally, the South Field has been designated as “open space”, by the Lincoln Park Framework Plan, which states that policies should “Respect and enhance existing land uses of historic significance and prohibit new facilities and land uses that are unrelated to historic land uses and that are not dependent upon being in Lincoln Park”. A soccer field or stadium clearly violates the guiding principles so carefully spelled out in the Framework Plan.

In fact, the site has never been subjected to any objective studies that could establish either the need or suitability for this construction. The Lincoln Park Framework Plan states emphatically that this area of Lincoln Park is already overburdened and that opportunities should be taken to DECREASE. NOT INCREASE built space and paved areas that are unessential to the park’s primary recreational and leisure activities. Added to all this is the environmental impact of increased noise and light pollution, along with the chemical and temperature hazards of artificial turf. Its infill, made from ground up rubber tires, has been found to contain carcinogens, along with harmful levels of lead. Following the lead of many states which have called for Moratoriums on any further installations of artificial turf until the long term safety of these facilities can be definitively established. by objective scientific examination, POP has called for a similar halt throughout Chicago.

We Sue, We Win (the first round)

2008-05-17T17:19:00Z

On May 14, in what the chairman said was the longest meeting in the history of the Chicago Park District, its board of commissioners voted to cancel its contract with the Latin School of Chicago. As part of a settlement with Protect Our Parks (your humble servants), the Park District also agreed to halt all construction on the soccer facility until a hearing can be held before the Chicago Plan Commission, and to grant the General Superintendent, Tim Mitchell (profile – PDF file), the authority to complete the artificial turf facility. If such a field is ever built, the Latin School would stand in line like everyone else. Also, the city will pay Protect Our Parks $40,000, which represents just a portion of our legal fees. This settlement did not cover all our costs by a long shot and we’re not done fighting. Donate to our legal fund now.

Under the terms of the original contract between the Park District and the Latin School, if the contract is canceled, the Park District must pay the Latin School back for its construction costs. The Park District also voted to do that, with a cap of $2 million. This project should never have been started in the first place. When the community had a chance to debate a similar construction project for the same site in 2002, there were petition drives, public meetings, extensive newspaper coverage, a citizen’s committee was formed and money was raised – the result was a loud and clear “NO!” to an artificial turf, special use sports facility on the meadow. So, now we have a construction project that was started as a result of a secret deal – one that the courts have repudiated. We think the field should revert to a grassy field – that’s what the community wanted in 2002. That’s what it was before the illegal construction project started. What do you think should happen now?

LISTEN & READ

We Sue the City, the Park District and the Latin School

2008-04-16T06:02:00Z

NEWS FLASH! FRIDAY, MAY 9 – THE CASE CONTINUES. WE’RE BACK IN COURT THURSDAY, MAY 15 at 9am.

The judge ruled Friday, April 25 on our request for a temporary halt to construction while the full case is being heard. The judge ruled at that time that the Latin School may continue to lay down artificial turf but may not put up lighting or bleachers for the time being. On Thursday, May 1 The Illinois Appellate Court halted all construction. Read the order Crain’s – Talks to begin after Latin School field blocked

If the case is not settled, all parties will return to court on Tuesday, May 20 for hearings on our request for a permanent injunction. The case is being heard by Chancery Court Judge Kinnaird, Room 2403 in the Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington. Donate to our legal fund now. Read the Latin School’s position.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS: Our original complaint The judge’s 4/25/08 order 4/25/08 transcript

Coverage of the case:

Crain’s – Judge raps Park District over Latin field

Chicago Tribune – Judge won’t halt Lincoln Park soccer field

Reader – Latin School soccer field isn’t the only one Stop that bulldozer - Worse Than We Thought

Skyline – Latin School soccer field enters litigation

The Committee to Keep Lincoln Park Public, a project of Protect Our Parks, has filed a lawsuit to shut down the construction of the Latin School soccer facility on the South Meadow of Lincoln Park and to void the secret deal that created it. Our first hearing was Friday, April 18, 10am in the Chancery Court, 50 W. Washington, Room 2403, before Judge Dorothy Kirie Kinnaird. Download the press release. Download a summary of the issue and our work to date.

This is going to be a costly fight AND WE NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTION NOW to sustain this battle to keep our parks free for all.

Please donate via PayPal

Please mail a contribution, check made out to “Protect Our Parks”, to:

Protect Our Parks 333 W. North Avenue, #209 Chicago, IL 60610-1293 312-276-5165

We have filed for our tax exempt status with the I.R.S. and contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

MEDIA COVERAGE

Chicago Reader – No Permit Necessary

Chicago Tribune – Foes of Lincoln Park soccer field sue city, Latin School

Crain’s – Suit against Latin School says soccer field too exclusive

WBBM TV News – Lawsuit filed in Latin School Soccer Fight

FOX-TV News – Neighbors fighting Latin School soccer field in Lincoln Park

Chicago Sun-Times – Group sues over Lincoln Park soccer field

WBEZ-FM – Group sues Latin School over soccer field

WIND-AM – Listen to us on John & Cisco In the Morning – 4/17 show, Hour 2

MSNBC – Neighborhood Group Says No To ‘Priority Use’ Soccer Field

A RELATED STORY FROM WTTW-TV – Children’s Museum Zoning Application Seeks Liquor License

Chicago League of Women Voters & Sierra Club Chicago Say "No" to the Land Grab

2008-04-14T21:35:00Z

From the Chicago League of Women Voters:

“As a resident of the 43rd ward and President of the League of Women Voters of Chicago, I oppose the construction of the planned soccer field in Lincoln Park. It is a situation where a private institution, the Latin School of Chicago, wants control over a portion of public space: some acreage of south Lincoln Park. The “control” is that The land will be designated for what the school wants, the construction and design of the playing and seating area, advertising and hours of use. Nighttime activities will necessitate lights.

This land borders a residential neighborhood. Was there an impact study on the effect of the increased amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic? Residents in near-by buildings will look out on advertising, bright lights and the stands. They will hear crowd and car noises. Other groups will have less desirable hours available for their use, particularly teams with school-age children like the scouts. The terrain will be covered with Astroturf which is supposed to be toxic. Should children or adults be exposed to this? An additional environmental issue is that birds and other small animals will come in contact with it. Neighbors and visitors from outside the neighborhood will find the area more congested. Perhaps those who wish to sell their homes a short distance away will find out that their property is lower in value and more difficult to sell. This could produce less tax revenue.

In accordance with the League of Women Voters position on land use and parks, it must be said that this proposed plan goes counter our philosophy that park land be clear of obstacles, that parks be well-maintained and available to all residents of the city.”

Yours truly, Esta Kallen President League of Women Voters of Chicago

From the Spring newsletter of the Illinois Sierra Club:

“Lincoln Park Land Grab: Protest Letters Needed ASAP to Mayor Daley

As part of a deal cloaked in secrecy, the Chicago Park District sold the exclusive rights to a four-acre chunk of the south end of Lincoln Park to the Latin School of Chicago.

There’s no other word to use regarding this deal except “sold.” The Chicago Park District Board approved a contract with minimal public notice that gives the school the right to build a $900,000 artificial turf soccer stadium at the very south end of Lincoln Park. Email Mayor Daley to express your opposition.” Read the full call for action.