Illinois High Court Will Hear Dispute Over Crystal Lake South Bleachers
(CBS) -- The state supreme court will hear arguments over the Crystal Lake South High School bleachers.
It's a case that could affect all future public school construction projects in Illinois.
No date has been set yet, but the high court agreed to consider an appeal by District 155, which contends it does not have to get local zoning approval for the project.
The district rebuilt the bleachers in the summer of 2013, adding five feet to the height and more than tripling the length.
Seating capacity on the west side of the stadium went from 600 people to 2,960, according to a district spokesman.
Kim Maselbas-Gurba's backyard borders the school, and says her family has had to seal some windows after they noticed people on the bleachers looking into her children's bedrooms as they were getting dressed.
The lower courts have sided with Gurba and other homeowners, including McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi, who say District 155 should have gotten zoning permits first.
Gurba says her property has lost value and she hears the steel popping as it expands and contracts in the hot and cold.
The district has retroactively applied for zoning permits and in a statement, the board of education president says they're "pleased and grateful" the court will hear the case because of its potential to affect school construction projects all over the state.
Supporters complain those objecting waited until the bleachers went up and the district now is spending taxpayer money to defend itself.
The district says its lawyers are working on the case pro bono.