Residents protest senior housing
Meeting packed beyond capacity as crowds gather to oppose the proposed housing development
Fire officials told residents they had to leave the Homer Township Board meeting Monday as crowds of people lined the board room and hallways to protest a potential 55-year-old and older senior housing development.
Residents said the proposed Autumn Ridge development, which would consist of 93 single-family homes and 20 duplex buildings, is on Welter farm property designated as open space.
About 10 residents spoke against the proposal, while many in the standing room only crowd clapped or interjected during the meeting. Many of the residents against the development live in the Old Oak South neighborhood, which is near the Welter Farm, just west of Bell Road near the existing Homer Townships Founders Crossing senior housing community.
Greg Fisch, who was a Homer Township trustee for 16 years, said residents passed the open space referendum in 1999 to preserve land during a time when Homer Glen did not exist as an incorporated village. Homer Township residents were concerned Lockport was aggressively grabbing its land.
“People that sat on our board were really compelled to do everything they can to minimize high density housing,” Fisch said. “We fought with every statue that we had … to try to control dense housing so that we could maintain the rural nature of the township.”
Fisch said the referendum that included approving $8 million in bonds was passed to “maintain the natural beauty of the township.”
The senior housing proposal is counter to what voters had in mind when they approved the open space referendum, Fisch said.
“Putting housing on the Welter property is an idea this board should discontinue pursuing,” he said. “I ask you to be stewards of
our open spaces. I ask you to protect the property that we all pitched in to buy.”
Joe Tomasek said he is not against a senior housing development, but it should not be on open space land.
“This property is not privately owned, and it’s definitely not owned by a handful of elected officials,” Tomasek said. “It’s owned by all of us, the taxpayers. The property was purchased by Homer Township as part of an open space initiative that was voted on via referendum. Our founding community leaders felt it necessary to procure these open spaces as many of the surrounding properties was and has since been purchased by real estate developers.”
Mike Campabello told township officials that once the land is developed, it cannot be reverted back to its natural state.
Township officials have said the land is zoned residential and their legal teams do not believe the development is breaking any open space laws or ordinances.
John Walters, who frequently leads the invocation at the township meetings, said there is a demand for senior housing in Homer Glen, citing more than 400 residents who are on the waiting list for the Founders Crossing senior community, which has 30 units.
He said former Homer Glen Mayor Jim Daley told him that eventually all land in Homer Glen will be developed and leaders can only control how it gets developed. Walters said politics are one of the reasons that people are against the proposal.
Township officials in support of the housing development said the homes would benefit local taxing bodies and help businesses.
“Our board passed it,” Township Supervisor Steve Balich said. “Now it’s at the village of Homer Glen. The village of Homer Glen has to approve it or not approve it.”
Residents plan to protest the development at the board meeting at 7 p.m. May 25 at the Homer Glen Village Hall, 14240 W. 151st St.