Although Homer Township’s plan to preserve green space is making one neighboring municipality see red, the Township Board has voted in favor of a November referendum asking voters if they would endorse a proposal to spend $8 million on open land.
Over the last few months, the board has been identifying parcels in an effort to retain open space and prevent development by neighboring municipalities. After a recent public hearing, the township trimmed a list of about 400 properties to 92.
The $8 million being sought would buy about 300 acres.
Although there are 92 properties on the list, the township may purchase only a handful of those.
“We don’t have the money to buy all the land,” said Township Supervisor Ron Svara. “We may purchase five or six pieces; it depends on who wants to sell.”
Trustee Russ Petrizzo said he supported the open space plan because the township has grown to more than 25,000 residents in the last 10 years and needs more parks and ball fields.
“We’re bursting at the seams,” Petrizzo said. “And this is a good way to keep land from being developed.”
But Lockport officials contend that the township is more concerned about preventing the city from annexing land than they are about providing open space.
Lockport City Atty. Ron Caneva, who was among about 25 residents at the meeting, said the city would be reviewing the list of 92 properties.
“We agree with having open space,” said Caneva. “We just don’t think it should be in commercial or office/research areas. It harms both the citizens of Lockport and of Homer Township.”
Township officials said they have assured Lockport that some parcels the city wanted removed from the list are no longer there. They include unincorporated land on which the city’s police station and a water tower are situated and a 13-acre parcel at Farrell Road and Illinois Highway 7, the site of a proposed Jewel Food Store.
However, the deletions may not be sufficient to ease Lockport’s concerns, particularly if the purchase list includes land near the proposed Interstate Highway 355 extension.
According to Lockport’s comprehensive plan and Homer Township’s land-use map, the land near the highway extension should be developed as a commercial and office/industrial corridor.
Mitchell said a proposal to purchase prime real estate in the corridor and preserve it as open space would deprive local governmental bodies of sales and property taxes.
“Many of those parcels (could be) revenue-producing. Having them as open space would have negative consequences for the city of Lockport and other taxing bodies,” Mitchell said.
But John McIntyre, the township’s economic development director, said it is not just about taxes. Some parcels in the corridor are not suitable for development because they are prone to flooding; other parcels are not near the proposed interchanges.
