County Board Member 'Falsely Attacking' Village: Homer Glen Mayor

HOMER GLEN, IL — At the Wednesday Village Board meeting, Homer Glen Mayor George Yukich addressed "misinformation that is circulating throughout the town" regarding discussion of the village's new comprehensive plan.

The village's plan commission recently held a meeting to discuss the 2020 comprehensive plan, and it prompted a large turnout of residents who are against apartments in the community.

Yukich said one of the primary people "falsely attacking the village" is its own Will County Board member Steve Balich, which Yukich said is "unfair and very unprofessional." Balich has created several social media posts, including posting a community member post on Patch, stating, "It is imperative that as many residents show up and again make their voices heard, if we want to stop the change which will allow for apartments in or close to where you live."

Patch reached out to Balich about Yukich's statement and Balich responded, "The Mayor of Homer Glen says I am spreading rumors and misinformation/lies about the Village with no basis in truth. I call him out for saying false things about me in an effort to defend the things the vast majority of the Village do not want."

Balich added that the village saw the number of people who were angry, "so they tabled the plan for revision."

Yukich said the village is not proposing new multi-family land uses or Section 8 housing in its 2020 comprehensive plan.

"In fact, there are less multi-family proposed in this draft compared to the 2005 plan," Yukich said. "What we are discussing is consideration of a mixed-use area, along the 159th Street corridor."

Mixed use allows for properties to be developed into restaurants, retail, office and residential, Yukich said.

"Typical downtowns are mixed use areas," he said during the meeting. "There are many in the Chicago area that you can visit, including La Grange, Frankfort, Wheaton and Glenview, to name just a few."

The village has also created "The Rumor Mill" to help combat misinformation and rumors around town. Residents can send in questions directly to the village, and the village will answer it on their website.

On the village website, the village states there are no projects under review by the plan commission or Village Board that include multi-family housing. As for Section 8 housing, the village said it "does not have the legal authority to deny or prohibit low-income residents from seeking housing in Homer Glen."

The comprehensive plan is still a draft, the village said.