West Cook News

The Village of Burr Ridge Board weighed development plans while taking input from the community and Mayor Gary Grasso at a recent meeting.

"I also received calls about this, was asked to weigh in, even though, as noted, this is not within Burr Ridge," Grasso said at the latest meeting. "It’s a Willow Springs matter and an LTHS matter. However, obviously it impacts LT people that live in Burr Ridge. It's also, as Evan pointed out, adjacent to the Edgewood Valley Country Club, which is part of Burr Ridge. And so we did as much factual digging as we could. I also contacted the mayor of Willow Springs, Mayor Niedermayer, who I believe I can say told me that she believes she and her board will be against this proposed sale. It is for an industrial development in what should be probably a residential development."

At their Jan. 23 meeting, village officials of Burr Ridge were called upon to provide insight and feedback on a potential development proposal that would involve selling a 70-acre parcel located in the nearby village of Willow Springs. Village administrator Evan Walter laid out the specifics at the meeting, reporting that the land is currently owned by Lyons Township High School District and had been zoned for a planned unit development. In light of the size and scope of the sale, as well as its close proximity to Burr Ridge's residents, both Burr Ridge and its surrounding municipalities have been asked to voice their opinions about this pending transaction. 

The Burr Ridge Village meeting recently heard a proposal from one bidder looking to purchase a parcel of property from the school district. However, the bid was quickly denied after further review by the district because it called for a complete rezoning that would have allowed for commercial use of the land – something prohibited by existing zoning regulations. 

The Burr Ridge Council has unanimously agreed that the proposed bid for the plot of land for sale near their country club and an elementary school is unsuited for the area. 

Located on a four-acre site nearby Burr Ridge's Pleasantdale Park District, the land sits directly next to a country club and an elementary school which houses over 290 students from the community. 

The council made it clear that they will only back a quiet retail or residential development for this site, emphasizing that they will stand with the Willow Springs Board against any industrial or major commercial developments.