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Macomb Park District, slide owner reach agreement

Judges Or Auctioneers Walnut Gavel And Sound Block On The Empty Black Table In The Back Light. Overhead View.
AVNphotolab/Getty Images/iStockphoto
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iStockphoto
Judges Or Auctioneers Walnut Gavel And Sound Block On The Empty Black Table In The Back Light. Overhead View.

The Macomb Park District says a settlement agreement has been reached over a private water slide that extends into a public park.

The slide was built decades ago by Mark Seipel, who lives next to Derry Park.

The park board announced during this week’s meeting that Seipel has agreed to remove the slide at his own expense.

The board says once that’s done, the district will drop the lawsuit it filed over the matter.

The board voted 5-to-0 to accept the agreement.

Seipel brought the slide to the district’s attention this spring when he asked for an easement so that he could sell his property with the slide intact. He said a former park district director granted him permission years ago to build part of the slide on their property.

But the park district said it had no record of that agreement or any way to verify it.

The district also said state law does not allow park districts to grant an easement over their land for a private structure.

Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department, please consider making a financial contribution.

Rich is TSPR's News Director.