On the surface, the Landings of Oak Forest appears to be just what city officials had wanted: a premiere subdivision.
Homes valued at more than $250,000 sit along the banks of two man-made lakes, not far from a park and tennis and basketball courts. Children play in their backyards and neighbors chat across fences.
But dig a little deeper, talk to a few of the nearly 100 homeowners, and the picture darkens.
Residents cast a wary eye at the rapidly eroding banks of Lake Emily and keep their kids far from a steep gully they call the “west ditch.” They drive on streets that they say are improperly surfaced, past an increasing number of “for sale” signs and a handful of vacant lots littered with debris.
For nearly a decade, residents and Oak Forest officials have been struggling against Wiegand Builders and Developers, which maintains an office in a model home in the subdivision. They say the father-and-son owners, Carl and Dennis Wiegand, are unresponsive.
Carl Wiegand says the city is demanding more work now than was included in the original development agreements.
“It’s ridiculous,” he says. “They get in their minds that they want to change things. You can’t do that.”
The city has filed a lawsuit against the company, which has countersued.
Now, after years of waiting, many residents believe they are about to see some results.
“We’re close to an end. We’re close to an agreement to at least get things done,” said Hank Kuspa, president of the Landings-Ridgewood Homeowners Association. “I honestly feel that it’s going to come soon, if it hasn’t come already and just not been made public.”
The rumor mill has been going full force, but city officials aren’t disclosing much.
Mayor Pat Gordon said he sent a work outline and timetable to the Wiegands about two months ago, but they only recently responded with revised figures and a new schedule.
“One way or another, in the next month, I want to see this thing moving,” Gordon said. “This thing has dragged on for 10 years. The biggest thing I don’t want to happen is to lose another building season.”
The ideal situation, according to Gordon, would be for the Wiegands to complete the work on their own. As a construction firm, Wiegand Builders has access to cheaper subcontractors and materials than does the city.
But if they continue to lock horns over a deal, Gordon said, the City Council is prepared to seize the developers’ letter of credit, worth nearly $265,000. Then Oak Forest would use its own work crews and outside contractors to get the job done.
“We have the opportunity to seize that money, and I think that’s what has gotten (Wiegand’s) attention,” Gordon said.
Yet the money may not be enough. According to estimates, the city would spend $340,000 to complete all the work at the Landings.
“(Wiegand)) claims not that much money is necessary. He’s right, probably, if he does the work himself,” Gordon said. “But I wanted to give him some incentive and be able to get the work done on our own if he doesn’t come through.”
Ald. Belinda Olszewski (5th), whose ward encompasses the Landings, said of Wiegand Builders’ work: “It has moved very slowly. Right now, it’s at a standstill.”
Olszewski estimates it will take about two years to complete all the jobs, from regrading Lake Emily and the “west ditch” to sodding, planting and weeding common ground.
As head of the Homeowners Association, Kuspa has helped organize residents. Their priority is fixing the hazardous ditch before someone falls in after a storm and drowns. And then Kuspa would like to see the land and a walking path restored around Lake Emily.
