Mayor Says Annexation Would 'Split Lemont in Half', Tells Residents 'We Need Your Help'

Lemont and Palos Park are locked in a heated, years-long land dispute, and Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves said Monday the village is on the losing end.

Reaves described before a standing room only crowd how the proposed annexation of nearly 2,000 acres would ”split the village in half.” The land would include Cog Hill and Gleneagles golf courses, in addition to Mid-Iron driving range and historic Ludwig farm.

“It is a true misappropriation of what belongs to Lemont,” Reaves said. “This belongs to Lemont. This has been in Lemont forever.”

Lemont officials in 2010 first learned of Mahoney’s plans to increase their sales tax base and gain access to major transportation routes, Patch previously reported. That vision includes Mahoney’s recent attempt to obtain a piece of Cook County Forest Preserve District property near Mid-Iron, which would fulfill the requirement that Palos Park be contiguous with any land it wishes to annex. The matter could go before the forest preserve board as soon as Sept. 8.

Reaves has written to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, pressing for the county’s intervention to stop the annexation.

“A cursory review of any map showing the boundaries of the municipalities in question will clearly show that Lemont is not only closer to this property but more readily available to service this territory,” Reaves said in the letter. “That annexation would cause significant waste of taxpayers’ resources as well as require duplicate services to an area already served by the Village of Lemont, Lemont Park District and Lemont Library District.”

Newly appointed 17th District commissioner Sean Morrison, who lives in Palos Park and whose district includes it and Lemont, has stated that he favors the annexation, calling the landowners’ case ”compelling.” Board President Toni Preckwinkle tends to defer to the commissioner tied to the relevant communities.

“I really would like everyone to call the commissioners, have your friends talk to people, say why this is not right,” Reaves said Monday. “This is splitting our town in half. This is just wrong.”

Reaves described a continually strained relationship with the landowners, dating back several years. One of the owners Howard Ludwig previously pitched a plan to develop the property with “very high density residential housing.” Reaves and the board rejected the plan, stating it did not meet the village’s development standards.

The landowners told the Daily Southtown’s Phil Kadner a different story—one of an ”arrogant” mayor who “turned [Ludwig] down flat.” That supposedly set in motion the landowners uniting and agreeing to annex into Palos Park.

It is a done deal. We all want to annex to Palos Park, we’ve signed the paperwork and Palos Park wants us. We would never, ever consider annexing to Lemont.

— Mike McNulty, a spokesman for the McNulty family that owns Gleneagles Country Club

>>more via Daily Southtown

The group wants Lake Michigan water, a wish Palos Park has agreed to grant by piping through forest preserve district land and connecting to their system, though Mahoney admits the cost is unknown. Mayor Brian Reaves offered to also fulfill the request with Village funds.

“Lake Michigan water increases the value of our properties and would make them much easier to develop in the future,” McNulty told the Southtown.

Mahoney has stated that he wants to give Palos Park the reputation of “the best place in the Chicago region for recreation” and that Cog Hill and Gleneagles would ramp up that effort.

Lemont residents at Monday’s meetings weren’t as thrilled at the prospect.

“I want you to get mad,” said one audience member, who formerly led a Lemont citizens advisory board. “I want you to get fired up. Stand up for Lemont, what we believe is best for Lemont, and it’s not Palos coming in here and taking over part of our eastern quadrant.”

Reaves pledged to fight the annexation, and called on residents to join by attending municipal meetings and contacting Cook County representatives to voice their disapproval of the plan.

“This is a community issue, that we need to fight as a community,” Reaves said. “I can guarantee you that I will do everything in my power to fight this.”

The Village of Lemont will provide maps, documents, Cook County Commissioner contact and meeting information, and other information related to the Palos Park annexation plan. Click here for more.

Monday’s Village Board meeting will be replay on Channel 6 TV on Thursday at noon, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.