Daily Southtown
By Michelle Mullins | Chicago Tribune
UPDATED: July 25, 2024 at 12:17 p.m.
The Homer Glen Village Board narrowly approved plans for the Homer Township Civic Center Wednesday, over the objections of some trustees and residents who questioned the soil quality, sewage plan and whether the center was an appropriate use of open space.
The township intends to build a $2.2 million multipurpose building on the Trantina Farm, 15774 151st St., that was purchased for preservation under an Open Space Program voters approved in 1999. The pre-engineered building is expected to be 10,412 square feet with a potential future gym, kitchen and stage.
Because the farm was annexed into Homer Glen in 2022, the township needed village approval to proceed.
A request by Trustee Sue Steilen to table voting on the community center failed. Steilen said she had several questions, including whether the well-and-septic plan could meet the center’s needs and whether the soil was contaminated when clay fill was brought in last year.
Residents last year raised concerns excavation work began without proper plans in place. Township officials said they were trying to lower the price of the civic center by allowing a developer to move clay from a new subdivision in Orland Park to the farm. They said the clay was clean and free of any contaminants.
The township submitted its well-and-septic plan to the village, which still needs approval by the Will County Health Department, village engineer Brett Westcott said.
Township Supervisor Steve Balich said any delays in the project were politically motivated and puts the township at risk of losing a $500,000 federal grant for the center. He said the village has delayed the project since February and said he might try to de-annex the property from the village if permits were not approved.
Village Trustee Dan Fialko said the Plan Commission reviewed the plans and recommended them. Fialko was one of three trustees to vote in favor of the project, which passed by a vote of 3-2 with Trustee Curt Mason abstaining.
“We don’t have a park district building, and we don’t want to raise taxes to come up with a park district building for the village, so this fits perfectly in Homer Glen,” Fialko said.
Fialko said while the project is in Homer Glen boundaries, it affects more than just the village, noting there are about 41,000 residents in the township, which also includes portions of Lockport, New Lenox and Lemont.
Township officials said the center will host small, community-based recreational and social activities, such as senior events, wheelchair basketball and open gym.
Trustee Jennifer Consolino noted residents in 2020 voted overwhelmingly on a township referendum to pursue grant funds for a multipurpose pole barn-style structure for educational, environmental, recreational and social events.
“I see what the township is doing as a benefit to the community,” Consolino said.
Trustee Rose Reynders, who supported the project, said she also had questions and was concerned the township did not host workshops or town hall meetings.
“Although I believe a community center would benefit our residents, I have to wonder why was there no input from the residents, the village or Lockport on the design, the purpose, the uses or the economic impact it will have on our residents,” Reynders said. “Our residents did not have a say on what the vision was for this community center.”
She said she believes the township’s intentions are good, but the township needs to seek out community input for decisions.
“I want a community center for our area. I think it’s needed and I think the seniors and our handicapped children will benefit from it,” Reynders said. “But not done this way. Not without the input from our residents.”
Several residents urged the Village Board to deny the project.
Margaret Sabo, a former Homer Glen trustee, said relying on grants and donations to fund the project is unreliable, and hiring staff to teach classes and manage the property will be costly. She questioned whether the township could fund the project without raising taxes.
She said the 2020 referendum was for a more modest, environmentally friendly and inexpensive pole barn. Traffic, soil conditions and the septic system could be problematic, Sabo said.
Resident Regina Robinson said the property should be used only for public outdoor recreation, such as pavilions, bike paths and trails.
Resident Verna Konicek said the community center affects the integrity of the open space property.
“Maybe the public would be behind this if it would stay simple,” Konicek said.
Trustee Craig McNaughton, who opposed the project, said approving it would undermine the community’s trust and disregard residents’ voices.
“The development will result in a loss of valuable open space, which is a critical resource for the community,” he said. “The transformation of this land to a community center and parking lot contradicts the original intent of preserving open spaces.”
Brent Porfilio, the Homer Township Highway Commissioner, said the civic center is located in the center of the township and studies that examined traffic, stormwater management, soil, wetlands and accessibility for individuals with disabilities have all been submitted.
Balich said the township will plan a groundbreaking ceremony soon. A foundation has been created to raise funding, and the township continues to seek grants, Balich said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Originally Published: July 25, 2024 at 11:37 a.m.
