Timing will ultimately determine whether District 99 has to build a storm water management project that would increase the cost of the Downers Grove North High School campus expansion by $500,000.

Over the past month, officials for the Downers Grove-based district have met with DuPage County and village officials to explore ways to avoid building a water detention pond required under current storm water rules.

They had thought a modified county storm water ordinance would have been approved by now, eliminating the need for the project, district officials said.

The problem for the district is that a new bus parking lot needs to be constructed by the beginning of the next school year. To avoid building the storm water pond, district plans have been altered in a way that would allow construction of the pond to be the last step before wrapping the project up this summer, said Marty Schack, director of physical plant and operations.

“It’s a tight timeline. There’s a little bit of risk in there,” Schack said.

While the district initially budgeted for the project, Superintendent Mark McDonald said officials did not anticipate spending the money because they believed the new storm water ordinance would have changed by now. A new draft of the ordinance is scheduled to be released to the DuPage County Storm Water Committee in March.

“The problem is timing – the county approving (the ordinance) and then (the district) going to the village for (project) approval,” Schack said.

Under the expansion plan, which is part of a larger $25.2 million improvement project for both of the district’s campuses, a soccer field and bus parking lot will be built on the west side of school grounds where houses and trees currently stand. Residents in the area are protesting the plan, which they say will place an eyesore in front of their homes.