District submits land purchase offer

Electors in the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District unanimously agreed to  allow the district to purchase land owned by the Village of Cedar Grove last week.

The district wants to buy a 4.4-acre parcel known as Calvary Field bounded by Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church on one side and district property on three.

A baseball diamond on the lot is used by the village for youth leagues.

A special meeting of the electors on Feb. 13 drew a small crowd that approved the purchase on a voice vote, aside from one Cedar Grove Village Board member who abstained.

The land purchase offer — the amount is not being made public — was mailed to the village on Feb. 14, Supt. Jeanne Courneene  said.

The village is expected to review the offer at a future meeting. Its next monthly meeting is March 11.

The resolution to purchase the land gives Courneene the authority to negotiate on behalf of the village but not to increase the purchase price.

The district has been seeking to buy the land for four years. Representatives last year met with village officials but didn’t reach a purchase agreement. The village was to discuss the issue at its November meeting. Minutes from that meeting show that the Park and Recreation  Committee’s recommendation was to continue the existing agreement with the school district until 2021.

Acquiring the land would allow the high school softball team to practice and play games on the campus rather than travel to Belgium, Courneene said.

The school district has been paying to rent the land for softball games.

“The Village of Belgium has been very gracious and helpful in allowing our softball team to practice and compete at their facility,” Courneene said.

The village had acquired land to the west of its border with plans to develop it for a soccer field, but it won’t be ready until 2020 at the earliest, School Board President Chad Hoopman said at last month’s board meeting.

The school district would consider additions to Calvary Field, such as  restrooms and a fence, Hoopman said, but it won’t make long-term improvements unless there’s a plan in place to own the property down the line.

Courneene said she is thankful for residents’ approval to move forward with the purchase.

“My fingers are crossed the offer will be accepted by the Village of Cedar Grove,” she said.