Mayor Urges Continued Protest as Palos Park Annexation Vote Nears

Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves believes that the 1,000 residents who have written to Cook County Commissioners to oppose a controversial annexation plan are making an impact—but they can’t stop now.

Reaves said during Monday’s village board meeting that the days leading up to the Oct. 6 meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners are crucial to having their concerns heard. Reaves also hopes to pack the board room with informed residents ready to speak out against what is being called a blatant land grab by Palos Park.

“This is the one that we need to have a huge showing at,” Reaves said. ”The commissioners are coming back, commenting that they’re glad the phone calls have stopped. The phone calls have to start again. ... We need to do it again. We need to make sure that they understand these talking points, the unnecessary stress on school districts, uncontrolled growth.”

The county’s real estate committee will consider the annexation plan early the morning of Oct. 6, and could then pass it to the full board for a vote. The plan includes allowing Palos Park to annex a small portion of forest preserve land in exchange for the municipality providing Lake Michigan water to a nearby police facility. That chunk of land would then connect the municipality to Lemont Township acreage, giving it the link needed to annex more than 1,400 acres including Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, Gleneagles Country Club, Mid Iron Golf Club and Ludwig Farm.

The annexation would “split the village in half,” Reaves has said, and open the door for unchecked development. Lemont officials believe Palos Park would “sell it off for financial gain.” Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney contends that there are no such plans; the recreational properties would stay as such, Mahoney said.

The landowners want in to Palos Park, Mahoney said, and he’s ready to welcome them.

“It’s an opportunity we simply can’t pass up,” he said.

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. That plan still exists, and includes “varying types of housing styles that could allow multiple generations of families to live within walking distance of each other ... for just under two housing units per acre,” reports Chicago Tribune.

“Please take the message, call and email commissioners again,” Reaves urged. “The more pressure, the more information we get to these folks saying that this is wrong—it’s going to work.”

The Village will provide transportation to the Oct. 6 meeting. Buses will be leaving from Lemont Township Community Center parking lot located at 16300 Alba Street at 7 a.m.

Read More:

• No Answers Yet as Forest Preserve Board Pushes Annexation Item to Committee
• Mayor Says Annexation Would ‘Split Lemont in Half’, Tells Residents ‘We Need Your Help’
• Golf Outing Relocated as Land Dispute Rages On
• Lemont School Districts Oppose Annexation
• Info on Village of Lemont Website