Village Taking Residents to Court Over Price of Road Needed for Development

The village is taking residents to court because they couldn't settle a selling price with a developer who wants to build off Route 30.

Vancina Lane, which is just north of Route 30 opposite the and retail center, is the property in dispute. A developer wants to get moving on the project to the west side of the road, but first he needs to attain the roadway.

There are three families who each own a share of the road: Two of whom own a quarter of it, and the Vancinas, who own half. Their asking price was well above the developer's proposed $500,000, and because they couldn't come to an agreement the village has stepped in and will let the court decide a fair price.

Mayor Tim Baldermann said this action was required by because it was part of the the agreement with the developer when that land was annexed into New Lenox territory. The mayor added that the landowner, Insite Realty, asked the village to take the families to court years ago.

"He asked us to do this a while ago, but we thought there wasn’t enough serious negotiations," Baldermann said. "But now they've reached an impasse and we have no choice."

The families are scheduled to appear before a jury Jan. 30, and the jury will decide whether $500,000 (split three ways) is fair for the homeowners. Insite Realty would pay the full price and recapture half the cost from MB Financial, which owns the lot to the east of Vancina Lane, once that property is developed.

Insite Realty wants the entire 80-foot width of Vancina Lane, as well as about 420 feet north of Route 30 to accommodate cars backing up at the traffic signal.

Bud and Kitty Vancina, who live just north of the proposed development,said they've had issues with the vacant properties before. In June, .

Now, they believe they're entitled to more money than offered because of the devaluation it could have on their property.

"Imagine the road to our homes beginning at the backside of Lowe's or Target with it's delivery doors and dumpsters," Kitty Vancina said. "Who would want to purchase our home with an entrance like that? There is no doubt that our houses will be devalued immensely ... perhaps even make them non-salable. We can't afford to suffer a loss like that.  That the village would help them is unconscionable."

Original drawings for the property showed a 435,296-square-foot development with four anchor businesses, two retail outlots and a bank. Baldermann said no site plans have submitted, but the developer would likely want to get moving on the land soon.

"I don’t know what they’re planning to do, but it’s hard for them to determine that until they know what will happen with the proceeding," Baldermann said.