With the belief that any legal uncertainty over the ownership of a small swatch of wooded land along Thatcher Avenue has been resolved in its favor, Dominican University will move ahead with zoning applications to build a parking garage and classroom building on the west side of its River Forest campus.
Dominican officials formally submitted their application for a Planned Development permit to the River Forest Development Review Board Sept. 7. The thick and detailed application will be considered by that body Thursday evening at what Dominican Vice President for Business Affairs Amy McCormack said will likely be the first of two sessions.
At the heart of the matter is village approval for a driveway curb cut along Thatcher Avenue between Division Street and Greenfield Avenue. If that driveway is OKd, it would allow new access to the west side of the campus and lead to construction of a 550-car parking garage and a new Academic Building.
McCormack said that as far as the university is concerned, the issue over ownership of the 4.5-acre parcel along Thatcher Avenue on the university’s western boundary has in fact been resolved.
"We’ve retained attorney Mike Igoe to give an opinion on the legal aspects of the property," said McCormick. Igoe, she said, has conducted "exhaustive" research into the issue.
"I have a letter from the Forest Preserve attorney indicating that the Forest Preserve doesn’t have ownership of the property," McCormack said. In addition, she said, Igoe has met with the Forest Preserve’s Litigation Committee, which is chaired by Ninth District County Board Commissioner Peter Sylvestri of Elmwood Park.
"I don’t think there was any disagreement with the legal findings," said McCormack.
Sylvestri, who also is vice chair of the Forest Preserve District’s Real Estate committee, said Tuesday that he concurs with that opinion.
"It appears to me, from all indications, that the [Forest Preserve] district has no ownership interest in the property," he said.
Sylvestri said that the district’s lawyer had made a presentation, along with Igoe, of all pertinent legal facts regarding the property, and determined that there was no ownership interest. That attorney did not, however, make a formal finding.
"Has it been said officially?" Sylvestri asked rhetorically. "No."
Village Administrator Chuck Biondo also agreed that River Forest did not own the property, but said that the village does have a legal easement on the property. He saw no problem with the village approving a curb cut for the driveway, should the rest of the project be approved.
"We would grant a permit for them to go across our easement [on their property]," said Biondo.
McCormack said that despite previous controversy surrounding the use of the Thatcher Avenue parcel, the university’s immediate neighbors remain supportive of the proposed development.
"We’ve reached out to the neighbors within 500 feet of our property," she said. "All of the neighbors see the value of a parking garage."
The only concern Sylvestri expressed Tuesday was that any development of the Dominican parcel be limited to the installation of the driveway.
"It’s our [hope] that the overwhelming majority of the property will remain open space," said Sylvestri, who added that he believed that River Forest Village President Frank Paris has expressed support for such an approach.
