Dixon School Board to vote on park land

DIXON – Dixon High School students and visitors park there. Some of the school’s band equipment is stored in its band shell.

But that triangle of land surrounded by Lincoln Statue Drive and Page Drive is owned by the Dixon Park District.

That’s why Dixon School Board President Tom Balser proposed that the school district become the owner of the small stretch of land in Page Park.

“As the entity that really occupies the space, it might be more elegant to have the entity that uses the space own the space,” Balser said.

The school board will vote this evening on a resolution requesting the transfer of ownership.

Regardless, the park district isn’t likely to go along with it – something that the board’s agenda noted.

“Of course, the resolution means nothing unless the park district agrees to it, but it does provide them official notice that the Board of Education is interested,” said the note from Superintendent Michael Juenger.

Juenger did not return calls for comment.

“What’s nice about the resolution is it gives them a formal chance to respond,” Balser said.

Balser ran the school board’s “ideal situation” by the park board at the last joint meeting held by the two government bodies, and the response was lukewarm.

Despite budget concerns and a tax cap, park board members didn’t want to risk losing the green space.

“The consensus was that the park was given by the Page family as a green, linear park space along Rock River, and to convert it to a paved parking lot would not be within the wishes of the original gift,” park district Executive Director Deb Carey said in an email.

Another issue, a board member pointed to at the joint meeting, is the agreement the park district has with the Illinois National Guard Armory, which uses Page Drive for parking.

If the two boards decide on a long-term lease, which is what Park Commissioner Ron Pritchard proposed, Balser said he wouldn’t be too disappointed.

“The whole goal here is to find the common mission between the two organizations, and I think we could do that with a rental agreement,” he said.