TP_022218

4 | February 22, 2018 | The tinley junction News
tinleyjunction.com
Tinley Park Plan Commission
Tinley Park bank gets nod to put up open fence
Mental health center
RFQ discussed
Cody Mroczka, Editor
“We wanted to have a developer’s
forum as an opportunity to instill
some excitement in the project.
We just want to see how much
interest there is. We don’t have
ownership of the property, which
is giving pause to some people.”
Paula Wallrich — Village of Tinley Park, interim
community development director
An obscure state statute
that went into effect in 1996
is forcing one Tinley Park
bank, and likely more, to
comply with additional security
regulations for automated
teller machines (ATMs).
The Tinley Park Plan
Commission met on Feb. 15
to hear a request from petitioner,
Lin R. Rogers, of Lin
R. Rogers Electrical Contractor
on behalf of Bank of
Americia, for a minor site
plan exception for the branch
located at 16301 Harlem
Avenue. The site is located
within the Maple Grove Center
planned unit development
(PUD), an amendment to the
Brementowne PUD, and is
zoned B-4 PD.
The request, unanimously
passed by the five commissioners
present, seeks to install
a six-foot open-style
fence in the front yard of the
property as a consequence
of the Automated Teller Machine
Security Act, an Illinois
State Statute, that requires
proper lighting levels at
ATM locations for protection
of patrons. Commissioners
Tim Stanton, Angela Gatto,
Chuck Augustyniak, and Lucas
Engel were absent.
“The design is to give a 15
second head start, that’s about
the explanation they gave me,
just to give you a little time to
run,” a Lin R. Rogers representative
said over a conference
call. “We don’t want to
close the area: that makes the
problem worse.”
Paula Wallrich, Interim
Community Development
Director, said compliance
with the state regulation
would result in excessive
light spillage onto adjacent
right-of-ways for Harlem Avenue
and 163rd Street as well
as the removal of existing
vegetation north and west of
the ATM area. The property
was permitted and built in
1989.
“In an effort to minimize
these undesirable results, the
bank has elected to erect an
open style fence along the
north boundary of the ATM
stations,” according to a staff
report. “However, fences are
not allowed in a front yard
of commercially zoned property,
therefore an exception
to the Village Zoning Ordinance
is required.”
Because it is considered a
minor deviation, as opposed
to major, the Commission
voted to approve the request,
waiving a second reading.
The statute requires a minimum
of two foot candles for
an unobstructed 50-foot distance
in all directions.
“Barring any objections
from the rest of Commission
or the public,” Commissioner
Shaw said. “I’m comfortable
taking care of this in a single
meeting.”
Wallrich said it was important
to the note the bank was
currently not violating any
village ordinances, except
for not having trees planted
25-feet apart on 163rd Street
in the public right-of-way. To
remedy this, Bank of America
has agreed to plant two
three-inch caliber trees.
Mental Health Center Site
The request for qualifications
(RFQ) from potential
developers interested in the
former mental health center
site in Tinley Park is due on
Feb. 23.
Wallrich updated the Plan
Commission on the status of
the RFQ process. Village staff
held an online developers
forum on Feb. 8 attended by
approximately 25 interested
parties, she said. Additional
investors have also downloaded
informational packets
available from the Village.
“We wanted to have a developer’s
forum as an opportunity
to instill some excitement
in the project,” Wallrich
said. “We just want to see
how much interest there is.
We don’t have ownership of
the property, which is giving
pause to some people.”
Commissioner Shaw clarified
that the RFQ process
was more informational than
a binding selection, a way for
the Village to engage with
prospective developers and
share ideas. The price tag
from the State of Illinois is
January 2016 was $4.1 million,
according to the webinar.
The Board of Trustees
will have the ultimate say
on who the Village contracts
with, if it acquire the property,
as planned.
“We want to see some experience
in developing a property
of that magnitude,” Wallrich
said. “It’s a good process
that we’re going through.”
TP tax law seminar provides insights to businesses
Megann Horstead
Freelance Reporter
The Village of Tinley Park
and the Women’s Business
Development Center hosted
a tax law seminar called,
“Good for My Small Business?”
Feb. 15 at Village
Hall—Kallsen Center.
By design, the program
aimed to inform residents
about how federal changes to
the tax law will impact their
personal tax return filings, as
well as engage with established
and prospective business
owners to give them insight
on what to expect when
they file taxes.
Last year, President Donald
Trump enacted reform to federal
tax codes, which are to
impact 2018 taxes.
“There’s a lot of different
ways that we can do economic
development,” Economic
Development Manager Patrick
Hoban said. “Everybody
loves the shiny, new restaurant
or the big building, but I
firmly believe that 80 percent
of our group is going to come
from our local businesses.”
To equip established and
prospective business owners
with the information and
technology necessary for success,
the Village of Tinley
Park partnered with the Tinley
Park Chamber of Commerce
and the Women’s Business
Development Center to
satisfy this aim.
Kathryn Humecki and Associates
certified public accountant
Kathryn Humecki
spoke to those on hand for the
program and said the taw law
impacts almost all businesses,
including C-Corporations,
S-Corporations, and partnerships
and sole proprietorships.
A change of note to the
law includes a flat tax of 21
percent for C-Corporations.
Previously, the rate ranged
anywhere from 15 and 35
percent.
“It’s a major impact on the
entire economy,” Humecki
said. “I think you’ve kind of
seen that a little bit. You see
a little bit stock market stuff
going a little crazy because
people [are] concerned for
inflation, but it seems like
things are leveling out.”
There is no longer an alternative
minimum tax on corporations.
A protection used
to be in place if a business had
many deductions, enabling an
owner to pay $0 in taxes. Under
the new law, there is no
measure in place making an
owner pay more in taxes, as
there is a 21 rate assessed to
C-Corporations.
Humecki said with corporate
taxes, the Illinois state
tax is higher at 7 percent and
stressed that it’s important
to note that you would have
double taxation, which means
that if you take money out,
it’s taxed as a dividend.
Humecki wanted people
to know that as a small company,
an owner may want to
look into converting from an
S-Corporation to C-Corporation.
“You do the math on certain
things, it might work out
for you depending on how
much income you have in
your account,” Humecki said.
A pass-through deduction
of 20 percent was instituted
for all other businesses.
“It’s not a business deduction,”
Humecki said. “It’s
taken on your [IRS Form]
1040.”
This credit does not apply
to investment income,
the owner’s wages and other
forms of revenue.
The pass-through deduction
is not available to certain
businesses in various industries.
After the law was passed
last year, the IRS still is required
to create a technical
corrections bill with corresponding
regulations.
What’s more is the technical
correction bill will need
60 votes to pass. The tax code
was approved with a simple
majority.
To apply for the 20 percent
pass-through deduction,
however, anyone who
has a specified business that
makes less than $157,500 for
a single person and less than
Please see Tax, 11