HO_070519

4 | July 5, 2019 | the homer horizon news
homerhorizon.com
Homer Glen Village Board
Officials approve gas station plan in midst of resident opposition
Jessie Molloy
Freelance Reporter
The Homer Glen Village
Board approved a plan for
a gas station at the corner
of Gougar Road and 159th
Street off Interstate 355
on June 26 that was met
with some opposition by
residents.
After a proposal to build
a Gas N Wash station was
voted down by the Village
Board in October 2017,
many residents said they
thought the issue was
settled.
Yet, on the recommendation
of the Plan Commission,
which approved
the proposal 5-1 on May
16, a 24-hour Amoco station
and Pride Cafe was
approved by the board this
week on the same margin.
Trustee Sharon Sweas cast
the lone vote to deny the
plan.
Before the issue came
to vote, seven residents
spoke out against the construction
of the station,
which includes bays for
semi-trucks to park and
refuel.
“I’m definitely not opposed
to a gas station going
in on the corner,” said
Shady Lane resident Kathleen
Lauren. “I think most
of my neighbors are in
agreement on that. I’m opposed
to the truck fueling
bays because it’s a definite
risk to the children of District
92.”
The residents argued
that increased semi-truck
traffic on Gougar Road
would create a hazard with
the school buses headed
into Will County School
District 92’s Oak Prairie
Junior High. Residents
noted slippery weather
conditions already create
hazards on the hilly portion
of Gougar near the
school, along which there
are several bus stops.
Trucks are legally prohibited
from being on
Gougar; however, this has
not deterred them from
using the route as they
enter and exit the growing
number of warehouses
and industrial sites in
Lockport. While the plan
includes new signage to
deter trucks from turning
North onto Gougar, residents
are not convinced
this will make a difference.
Resident Tim O’Meara,
who lives at Shady
Lane and Gougar Road,
claimed to have on multiple
occasions counted
between 30 and 40 trucks
per day coming down the
road, many he said travelling
at unsafe speeds.
Another concern posed
by residents beyond the
safety and noise issues
created by an increase of
trucks of Gougar Road
was the possibility the
truckers would use the
station as a resting place
overnight. While the
agreement to develop the
gas station specifies that
trucks are not allowed to
idle or park at the station
overnight, residents expressed
concern that the
rules would be ignored,
especially as truck traffic
is anticipated to increase
drastically with the completion
of Lockport’s Prologis
development.
Village conducts open house for Comprehensive Plan Update
Informal session
informs residents,
invites feedback
Jessie Molloy
Freelance Reporter
Prior to the June 26 Village
Board meeting, the
Village hosted an informal
open house seeking
resident input on the new
Comprehensive Plan Update
process. Todd Vanadilok,
principal planner for
Egret & Ox Planning, one
of the firms responsible
for compiling the strategic
plan, was leading the open
house by fielding questions
and comments from
residents.
At the open house in the
Village Hall’s Community
Room, Vanadilok had five
bulletin boards assembled
dealing with five large topics:
transportation, core issues,
community feedback,
potential development areas
and a neighborhoods
map. Each station invited
residents to provide feedback
by placing pins, stickers,
or notes on the boards
in certain ways.
The community feedback
section was supplemented
by input which had
been received at a booth
during Homer Community
Fest. Residents were asked
what words they would use
to describe Homer Glen
and what things they would
like to see in the community.
One of the most common
requests on the board
was for either a public pool
or a children’s splash pad.
These accompanied a variety
of other requests for
things like concerts in the
park or a band shell, more
community parks (especially
in the northwest portion
of the village), more
activities for senior citizens
and activities for families
and children.
“I don’t want to have to
drive to Orland Park every
time my kids want to do
something fun,” one anonymous
comment read.
On the transportation
board, requests were made
to make the community
more walkable, to connect
the existing bike trails to
the I & M Trail and to expand
equestrian paths for
families with horses.
“One of the Plan commissioners
actually made
the suggestion for the
equestrian access, which
could take some work, but
we thought was a good
idea,” Vanadilok said.
While recreational activities
garnered broad support
throughout the comments,
one area of contention
showed up across multiple
boards: the concept of adding
more diversified housing
options.
While numerous comments
called the city “expensive”
and called for
more affordable housing
options to be made available
for single parents or
people on fixed incomes,
others vehemently opposed
such residences.
“More condo, multifamily,
and age in place opportunities
are needed,” read
one card. Another said the
high water rates and taxes
created a “stigma” and that
the village “needs to be
more competitive.”
Still more comments
expressed openness to expanded
housing options, as
long as it retained low density
standards.
Other ideas proposed
by residents included trying
to develop a main
“downtown” area similar
to cities like Naperville
and attempts to draw in
more high-end businesses
or medical or professional
offices. Residents seemed
united in disapproval for
large industrial developments
like those brought in
by Lockport.
“I think our plan really
needs to be updated, and
we need to focus on bringing
businesses in at 143rd
and Bell, not by 159th,”
said Lynn McGary, of the
Heritage Corridor Business
Alliance. “We need to put
businesses where the people
go.”
McGary also noted she
was pleased to see how
much input the Village was
receiving from the public.
While a desire for new
business seemed prevalent
in the comments, there was
also an emphasis from certain
residents to not lose
sight of the Village’s commitment
to nature.
“I would like to see the
plan stay true to our Village
motto: ‘Community
and nature in harmony,’”
Homer Glen resident Russell
Knaack said. “I would
like to see a comprehensive
trail system and
high-quality commercial
developments that look attractive
and would stay in
the village.”
Work on the Comprehensive
Plan began in the
past month and is set to
be completed in October
2020. The goal of the plan
is to set long- and shortterm
goals for Village development
over the next 30
years in the areas of economic
development, financial
stability, growth, intergovernmental
partnerships,
recreational amenities and
infrastructure.
According to the presentation
playing during the
Please see village, 8
open house, the goal is to
develop these plans while
maintaining the Village’s
commitment to a rural atmosphere,
inclusion and
managed growth density.
“Basically, it’s a document
of strategies and policies
the Village can adopt
to decide which direction
to take developments in,”
Vanadilok said. “It gives
them a stronger leg to stand
on when picking developments
or turning down a
project.”
The Village’s current
plan is from 2005 and in
need of updating in light of
the growth the area is experiencing
in the aftermath of
the 2008 recession.
Further events are
planned for the coming
months and will be announced
as they come
closer.
Residents are encouraged
to “join the conversation”
on the project website
myhomerglen.org or
by using the hashtag #My
HomerGlen on Facebook
and Twitter.