WAUKEGAN -- The park district has received mainly positive feedback on its proposal to build a sports complex at the Johns Manville lakefront site.On Tuesday, the Park Board voted to move ahead with environmental and health assessments of the property, proposals for architectural, engineering and planning, and a proposal for program development and financial analysis.
'We're getting the names of people with experience in those areas,' said Executive Director Greg Petry.
The program development and financial analysis will tell the board how much it will cost to maintain the complex, run a concession stand and operate fields, courts and rinks for baseball, softball, roller hockey, ice skating and basketball.
'Basically, it tells us what it will cost to build and run it,' he said.
Petry said community reaction has been positive for the plan.
The sports complex would take up 100 acres now occupied by the Johns Manville plant. Park commissioners liked the site because it is far away from densely populated neighborhoods and has enough room for parking.
'It will be a beautiful thing,' said board President Bill Biang.
The City Council and the mayor voiced their support of the plan last week. But 6th Ward Ald. Larry TenPas and 2nd Ward Ald. John Balen expressed reservations.
'That land is going to go off the tax rolls,' TenPas lamented.
Balen also said he couldn't jump on the bandwagon because he still believes the city should be fighting the Lake County Forest Preserve District for land near Orchard Hills Golf Course, the previous target site for the sports complex.
The city wanted to swap land to get that site.
Balen said the city gives too much money to the forest preserve and gets little in return.
'We should go back and do what we intended to do,' said Balen.
He had recommended that the city red-tag some forest preserve land that is being leased for farming to the Grinnell family because the land is not zoned for agriculture.
'We need to go to war with the forest preserve,' he said.
'There's no excuse for what they are doing.'
Seventh Ward Ald. Patrick Needham said he thought the sports complex was a good idea.
'I understand there are concerns over health and safety issues, but every inch of ground is going to be tested.
There will be no purchase unless it gets a clean bill of health,' he said.
Third Ward Ald. John Rickerd also supported the sports plan.
'Johns Manville is going to give them a perpetual insurance policy for the park district and the city.
'It should be a favorable price once they demolish the building and dispose of it,' he said.
'I think it's a great idea and something that is needed in Waukegan.'
