Oct. 23--Workers on Thursday began to take apart the football bleachers at Crystal Lake South High School, even as lawyers continued to bicker over the final details of an agreement to reduce the size of the 50-foot-tall grandstands.
Community High School District 155 built the towering, $1.2 million structure in 2013 without the city's permission. Neighbors complained that the bleachers, which they dubbed the Berlin Wall of Steel, hurt their property values and violated their privacy, and after a lengthy lawsuit, a judge ordered the stands to be taken down. His order takes effect Oct. 29.
But Thursday, school lawyer Robert Swain told McHenry County Judge Michael Chmiel that the district had had several meetings with the neighbors in recent weeks, and reached an agreement to downsize the bleachers to nine rows while enlarging the stands on the other side of the field. He asked the judge to revise the demolition order to reflect that plan.
"They are on-site today," Swain said of workers disassembling electrical components on the bleachers. "Things are moving along as we speak."
But Tom Burney, attorney for the neighbors, wasn't ready to sign off on that. He acknowledged that the two sides had reached an agreement in principle but said his clients wanted other issues addressed in the final demolition order, including landscaping, drainage and privacy screening.
The attorneys are set to return to Chmiel's courtroom with a revised demolition order Wednesday, though the judge said they could email it to him if they reach an agreement before then.
The major part of the work is set to begin by Nov. 1 and take up to six weeks. The new plan, including demolition costs, is estimated to cost $1.4 million, according to district officials.
The judge said he was concerned that taking apart the bleachers now would affect playoff football games. Burney said it is not likely that Crystal Lake South would host any playoff games this season, but if that were to change, the games could be held at another school.
In the coming weeks, Burney is expected to ask the judge to have the district pay his attorney's fees, which he estimated at $300,000.
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.
