Homer Glen Residents Fights Lockport's Plan

September 10, 2007

By Tony Graf

Tom and Heidi Williams moved into the Stately Oaks subdivision in December and are expanding their home. They enjoy the rural setting, the mature trees and the wildlife in their backyard west of Lemont Road.

They vehemently oppose the large Lockport warehouse and office park being proposed for land just south of Stately Oaks -- just south of their backyard.

"I'm definitely concerned about the effect on the property," Tom Williams said. "I'm definitely concerned about the truck traffic."

"It's very peaceful, and that seems to be going away with this plan," Heidi Williams said.

ML Realty Partners is proposing a 288-acre complex for land south of 143rd Street and east of the future Interstate 355 tollway extension. The project would be in Lockport, but would affect many Homer Glen and Homer Township neighbors.

The Lockport City Council could vote Wednesday on the concept plan for the warehouse and office park.

The complex would include a large stretch of land directly east of the tollway - from 143rd Street on the north to 151st Street on the south.

Gougar Road would be extended north of 147th Street to reach 143rd, near a tollway exit.

East of the Gougar extension and north of 147th Street, another section of the complex is planned. This part would be just south of Stately Oaks.

Lockport city planner Kimberly Jones recognizes that some of the development would have proximity to homes. In a staff report, she has recommended that the developer "consider a lower-scaled and designed layout and heavily landscaped screening for lots that abut existing residential properties."

Jones also has recommended "a 50-foot minimum transitional yard for all those lots that abut to existing residential properties."

"The 50-foot buffer would be insignificant compared to the large-scale buildings," Tom Williams said.

He also questions the effect of truck traffic on the area.

"There are a lot of bus stops around this neighborhood, around Gougar Road and up Lemont Road," he said. "And now we're going to be adding truck traffic on these rural roads."

Neighbor Dave Sniegowski added: "We just don't want these big trucks running down our roads. Some of these roads are in bad shape."

Sniegowski said he and some neighbors were expecting smaller professional office buildings in the development -- not a project with the capacity to generate truck traffic. He bases this expectation on the Lockport Plan Commission's vote to recommend against the more intense office and warehouse use - with some commissioners favoring lighter development.

"In talking with my neighbors, we would much prefer having the smaller professional type buildings and some type of retail as opposed to big-box warehouses," he said.

The city council meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the third-floor council chambers of the Central Square building, 222 E. Ninth St.

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