LOCAL - Cedar Ridge Subdivision, Bloomington, IL

Saturday, May 27, 2006 - Developer reserves land for school, park - Pantagraph article by Michele Steinbachermsteinbacher@pantagraph.com NORMAL -- Unit 5 has accepted a Bloomington developer’s proposal to set aside 18 acres for a possible school and park. The agreement sets aside 10 acres for a school in the proposed Cedar Ridge subdivision in southwest Bloomington. An additional 8 acres, adjacent to the school area, would be reserved as a city park. “This agreement gives the option, but not the obligation,” to build a school at the site, said Scott Lay, school board president. Although the town of Normal has an ordinance requiring developers to set aside land for future schools, Bloomington does not. The McLean County Regional Planning Commission OK’d a preliminary plan Wednesday for the subdivision to be located east of Brigham Elementary School on the opposite side of U.S. 51. The subdivision plan must be approved by the Bloomington City Council. If Unit 5 decides to pursue the idea of building a school at the Cedar Ridge site, a referendum would need to pass, said Lay. Under to the agreement approved Wednesday by the school board, the developer, Snyder Corp., could cancel the agreement if a referendum doesn’t pass by July 1, 2008. Earlier this year, Unit 5 set up a similar agreement with developers of the Grove at Kickapoo Creek subdivision. In a separate matter, the school board also authorized the final paperwork for a 1.1-acre land swap proposed about a year ago. The land trade, near Prairieland Elementary School on Raab Road, was proposed to square up land parcels, said Lay. It involves Unit 5, the town of Normal and Twin City developers Jim Shirk and Bill Johnston. The pieces of land were on a small sliver of parkland owned by Normal and used by Prairieland students and another piece in Johnston and Shirk’s development Wintergreen East. Saturday, May 27, 2006 - Developer reserves land for school, park - Pantagraph article by Michele Steinbacher msteinbacher@pantagraph.com If you enjoyed this post, subscribe and get FREE updates! Appraisal , Real Estate , Bloomington , McLean , Illinois