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This petition calls on Summit Park District to suspend inter-governmental agreement negotiations with Argo High School and reinvest in Argo park as a fully accessible community space for Summit residents. The Petition also calls on Argo Community High School (District 217) to suspend inter-governmental agreement negotiations with the Summit Park District and reconsider responsible partnership opportunities that respect community voice, legacy and public access. 

Argo Park is a publicly owned community space that has served as a cultural, historical, and gathering place for generations of Summit residents, particularly Black Familes in the Argo Summit area. The Park is more than land, it represents legacy, access and belonging.

The Core Concerns

The Summit Park District is currently considering an inter-governmental agreement with Argo Community High School (District 217) that could transfer, sale or restrict use of Argo park. While positioned as a park improvement, the proposal raises serious concerns about process, transparency, community access and equity.

1. Summit Park’s interest and motivation for pursuing the interagency partnership has not been clearly explained.
2. Community engagement occurred late, after discussions were already underway.
3. The proposed agreement would limit public access and reconfigure legacy features of Argo Park.
4. The plan appears to prioritize private or institutional interests over Summit residents.
5. A historically underinvested park is being considered for transfer rather than direct reinvestment.

What We Want

Summit Park

1. Suspend inter-governmental agreement negotiations with Argo Community High School as it relates to Argo Park.
2. Honor the historical and cultural legacy of Argo Park and its role in the Black Community.
3. Redirect focus toward reinvestment in Argo Park that serves Summit residents.

Argo Community High School 

1. Suspend inter-governmental agreement negotiations with Summit Park District as it relates to Argo Park.
2. Honor the historical and cultural legacy of Argo Park and its role in the Black Community.
3. As a public institution, partner with the Summit Community in ways that add value to the community, not remove it. 

Closing

Public parks belong to the community. Decisions about their future must reflect transparency, equity, and stewardship and not private or institutional convenience.