Acknowledging a difficult decision, a Will County committee Thursday recommended the County Board reject plans by a nondestructive hydro-excavation business to build an office and house its trucks on 159th Street in Homer Township.
The Badger Daylighting Corporation plan is opposed by Homer Glen and Homer Township officials and nearby residents. An online petition generated more than 660 people opposed to the project, resident Mark Gawron said.
The village of Homer Glen, which abuts the property, filed a formal objection.
In a split decision, four members of the county’s Land Use and Development Committee recommended Thursday denying the project while three members supported the plan. Several committee members said it was a tough decision.
The proposal will go before the full Will County Board at its meeting at 9:30 a.m. on July 16 at 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet.
Badger Daylighting Corporation is looking to relocate from Channahon to about 38 acres at 15202 W. 159th St., and seeks a zoning change to a highway commercial classification. The existing zoning is a mix of commercial and residential use.
The Land Use Committee last month tabled the project to allow the company more time to work out concerns of local leaders and residents.
Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said another piece of property along 159th Street would be better suited for the truck company’s use because it was away from homes and closer to the village’s future wastewater treatment plant, a more industrial use.
Badger’s attorney Cass Wennlund said the asking price for the property the mayor suggested was too high and the land wasn’t suitable for the company’s purposes.
Neitzke-Troike objected to the county changing the zoning to a more intensive use, which is against the village’s vision for 159th Street. She said the village relies on sales tax to fund its operations and wants to annex land along 159th Street for possible commercial businesses fronting the major road with homes behind them.
“In Homer Glen, we survive off sales tax, gaming and gas tax,” she said. “If Badger goes in, there’s no revenue for our residents. We don’t want trucks, but we want customers. We want people from other towns to come in and shop in our location.”
Changing the zoning could “open the flood gates” for more industrial uses, against the village’s comprehensive plan, Neitzke-Troike said.
Realtor Bonnie Willis said the Badger proposal would fit in well with existing 159th Street businesses, including a storage facility, an Amish furniture store, gas station, landscaping companies, a church and picnic grove. Willis said no big box or grocery store is interested in the land and utilities to serve the property, such as sewer, won’t be available for years.
Wennlund said Badger made several requests to accommodate local officials and plans to donate or sell a portion of the property to the Forest Preserve District of Will County.
Company officials estimate they will only need about 14 to 16 acres for its business.
Nearby residents said they were concerned about truck traffic generated from Badger as well as the company’s water use, because many surrounding homeowners use well and septic systems.
Badger excavates or exposes buried infrastructure through a highly pressurized water and vacuum system and uses about 20,000 gallons of water per day, officials have said. It is expected to park about 30 trucks on the property, most of which will be under roof, and the business is likely to generate 80 to 120 trips per day.
Wennlund said Badger is willing to fill its trucks with water off site, which it does at the existing Channahon location.
Joyce Hale, who lives in the nearby Cedar Glen subdivision, said water supply is a huge issue for homeowners, and she will likely have to spend about $20,000 to dig her well deeper.
The project does not belong adjacent to a residential neighborhood, she said.
“I have a problem with them being in our backyards,” she said.
Resident Kathy Reinhardt, who also lives in the Cedar Glen subdivision, said she is concerned about the wells keeping up with water demand. Other concerns include an increase in noise, dust, lights and traffic, she said.
“Every business has a proper place,” she said. “Next to our homes is not the proper place for this kind of business or any other industrial type.”
Will County board member Dan Butler, a Frankfort Republican, said the board should listen to local officials, who have a better pulse on their constituents and how they want their towns to develop.
“The mayor … is telling us her economic plan for her community,” Butler said. “We’ve heard from many people who live there who agree with her.
“When the people come forward, when local government comes forward, that should carry a lot of weight.”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
