Will County Board votes down industrial zoning for 159th Street near Homer Glen

By Michelle Mullins | Chicago Tribune

UPDATED: October 17, 2024 at 3:43 p.m.

The Will County Board voted unanimously Thursday to deny rezoning two vacant properties along 159th Street near Cedar Road in Homer Glen to an industrial use, siding with Homer Glen officials who objected to the proposal.

The two pieces of land total about 10.3 acres just east of 14928 W. 159th St., along South Cedar Road. One is zoned for agricultural use and the larger parcel, which is nearly 9 acres, has a commercial designation.

The property owner wanted to zone it industrial to market it for development, but no specific site plans are in place, said Joseph Hammer, the owner’s representative.

More than 100 residents from the Cedar Glen, Glen Walk Estates and Cinnamon Creek subdivisions submitted petitions in August opposing the zoning change because it was near already established residential communities.

Cedar Glen resident Kathy Reinhardt said there are two schools and neighborhoods near the proposed site, and an industrial use could lower property values and make homes difficult to sell. Other areas would be more appropriate for industry, she said.

“Help us avoid crime, noise pollution, soil contamination and much more,” she said.

Resident Brandon Voight said his family moved to Homer Glen 10 years ago knowing the nearby property in question was zoned for commercial use. He said his family would welcome new businesses.

But approving the rezoning case puts the rights of one landowner over the health and safety concerns of the existing residents, Voight said.

“The current zoning, in our opinion, provides plenty of possibilities for the property owner to sell this land without requiring changing the zoning to industrial,” he said.

Homer Glen has a vision for the vacant property that does not include an industrial use, said Janie Patch, the village’s economic development director. The area has prime potential for growth, she said.

Because the village’s corporate limits are located within 1.5 miles, it has a right to file an objection with the county, which would then require a supermajority of the County Board to approve the rezoning.

“From day 1 with our comprehensive plan, the 159th Street corridor has been envisioned as a mixed use commercial opportunity for the village, to become the economic engine of the community,” Patch said. “The fact that we have the tollway on the western side makes this possible as we continue to grow. Industrial (use) is not in the picture anywhere in that vision of the community.”

Homer Glen village manager Joe Baber said a neighboring piece of land has been used for semitruck parking and some of garbage has spilled over onto the properties requesting to be rezoned.

The county is working to correct these violations, officials said.

Will County Board member Steve Balich, a Homer Glen Republican who represents the area, said the county set a zoning precedent about two years ago when it approved industrial zoning to allow for a boat and recreational vehicle storage facility in the 15300 block of 159th Street. Balich objected to the project because he was concerned other vacant properties would request to be zoned for industry.

Since then, the county adjusted its zoning regulations for storage facilities back to a commercial zoning with a special use permit, Balich said.

Balich said the industrial zone would affect both Homer Glen and Lockport.

He said the zoning would allow for warehouse development, which residents oppose. Residents also do not want the truck traffic and noise that could come from an industrial zoning designation, Balich said.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

Originally Published: October 17, 2024 at 3:38 p.m.