After months of tense meetings and hallway debates, Lisle trustees voted unanimously on April 6 to approve a major rebuild of Benet Academy’s Baumgartner-Gilbert Stadium, wrapping up a months-long review that split the village between school supporters and nearby homeowners. The ordinance clears the way for new turf, a rebuilt home grandstand and stadium lighting, with trustees layering on design tweaks and operating limits meant to tamp down noise, light, and traffic near the Oak Hill South neighborhood. The vote followed more than six public hearings and months of negotiation.
What the trustees approved
The plan signed off on by the board allows Benet to install two synthetic turf fields, a new track, a 1,400-seat home grandstand with a press box, visitor bleachers, two scoreboards, and stadium lighting. Several features were scaled back from earlier designs, including a reduced scoreboard and a smaller home grandstand, after neighbors pressed for concessions, as reported by the Daily Herald.
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