Western Springs Debate Over Ads On Park Sign

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – The Western Springs Little League failed to get a sign permit for placing sponsors' ads on a sign at Spring Rock Park.

Now, village trustees are debating whether to approve the league's after-the-fact request.

A couple of years ago, the league got a village permit to construct a sign, called the Champions Wall, for advertisements. The ads were only allowed on one side, facing a ball field.

In the last year, the league posted a couple of ads on the other side, so train commuters can see the sponsors' messages.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Tom Olk, the league's president, said the money, in part, goes into investing in the fields in Spring Rock Park, owned by the local park district.

With rising costs, he said, the sponsorship income is crucial to keep players' fees where they are.

The league's sponsorship coordinator, Catherine Lopez, told the board, "This was not an intentional slight in any way."

But Trustee Karen Martin said the village would see unintended consequences if it allowed the sign. She questioned how the village could deny someone else if it approved the park sign.

"It's a bit of a slippery slope in my mind," Martin said. "Can I sell off the side of my house? Are we going to be putting signs all down 294?"

Trustee Nicole Chen said she was disappointed the sign went up without the village's approval.

"I get that you're trying to raise money – everyone is," Chen said. "I don't know how to react to it."

However, Trustee Al Fink said the Little League helps the community by putting money into the park district's fields, where others can play when the league isn't using them.

"There's already advertising on one side of the sign," he said.

Martin noted the park district's support for the Little League's request.

"That relationship has put pressure on our ordinances, which makes me uncomfortable," she said. "If the village has ordinances, everyone has to abide by the ordinances."

Chen agreed.

The board is expected to decide on the sign request at its Dec. 1 meeting.

The league is also requesting to build a new multipurpose softball field on the northwest corner of the park.