Mayor: Business Park 'is in My Backyard"

Editor's note: Considering the number of residents speaking at the meeting, I'm not able to get everyone's name. I am posting what is said from each resident. 

1 a.m. 

Abbott and Murphy were the only village officials to make impassioned arguments against and for the plan, respectively. 

Abbott said the process was unfair to residents, some of whom heard about the village meeting last minute. He questioned why there was nothing on the village website about the project and why nothing was said at last week's Town Meeting (Murphy responded that the village table at the Open House did have information on the development). 

Abbott said the amount of tax revenue the village will receive is not worth the burden the business park will place on nearby residents. 

"For $214,000 (the amount in sales tax the village will receive from Edward Don during the first year only) of $39 million (the village's annual budget), that's no benefit," Abbott said.

"It's unconscionable...I don't think it's fair to residents who put money into their houses. We're selling them out for $214,000...It's a great deal for McShane and Gallagher & Henry and a lousy deal for the people." 

Murphy said the Internationale Center business park is adjacent to some residential areas, and he has never had someone come up to him in the supermarket and say something negative about dropping property values. 

"In the eyes of many people this is less intense," Murphy said. "Many people have asked, 'How would you like this in your backyard?' I live up the street on the same side in Water Tower Reserves near Prairieview Lane."

That location puts Murphy right on the edge of the final phase of the business. When the building is built, he'll be right next door.  

"I'm not the least bit concerned," he said. 

12:30 a.m. 

The village board voted to approve the amendments to re-zone the area from just general office use to business park use. That gives the go ahead to Edward Don & Company to continue its construction for an office and warehouse facility and opens the door for the village to build out the entire business park, which will be 80 acres in total.

Trustee Greg Abbott was the only trustee to vote against the project and the economic incentive agreement in which Edward Don will keep portions of its sales and all of its utility tax.

Mayor Murphy also voted and voted in favor of both initiatives.

I asked the three trustees who voted in favor of the project why they did and this is what they said: 

Gina Cunningham-Picek: "I took the facts, all the information. I did read every single page. It's a benefit to the community. I appreciated what the mayor said because he does live in the neighborhood and I appreciated that he ended it on that note. I understand the feelings and emotions of residents."

Pamela Beavers: "It was the overall proposal. I looked at the concerns in the transcript and I thought staff adequately addressed those issues, like noise, the setback, the aesthetic buffering, traffic flow. From what options we had to put there, thi was the best option with what we had." 

Anne Banks: When asked for comment, Banks said she was tired and Patch should call her in the morning. 

11 p.m. 

Abbott: "I look at this and I shake my head. We're doing something really unfair to these people. There are 50-60 people who came out here on short notice. Many didn't know this was happening and managed to be here by 7:30. Hardly anyone has left...

This process is unfair. The Comprehensive Plan was created to determine the best use of the land with community input...There were four opportunities for residents to tell us what they wanted on that land and now they only have two opportunities to respond to this. There should be the same number of opportunities...

We have five business parks. I'd love to see Edward Don & Company there."

Abbott said it was unfair that nothing about this was on the village website and that this topic Mayor Murphy asked Mays, "Was information about this not posted at your table?" 

Mays said, yes, it was, and they answered questions from residents. 

10:50 p.m. 

My computer is running on reserve power, so I'm going to shut down for now. I'll update when I get back to power. I'll post on Facebook and Twitter what the vote will be. 

10:45 p.m. 

Trustee Gregory Abbott asked when box trucks (24-foot trucks, think UPS trucks) would be travelling north on Woodward Avenue. Mays said between 3 and 7 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. 

"3 to 6 a.m.?" Abbot said. "I guess those people can't sleep with the windows open, then?"

"There will be an opportunity for comments later, Trustee." Murphy said. 

"I'll keep it to questions then." 

Abbott asked that if four Edward Don & Companies were to come to the business park, if four times the number of trucks would be going northbound on Woodward Avenue. Mays said yes. Abbott asked if Edward Don is doing well and wants to use more box trucks (which would go north to Woodward Avenue) if there was a restriction to the number of trucks going. Mays said yes. 

10:40 p.m. 

A provision could be added to the ordinance passed by the village board that residents who submit their e-mail addresses to the village by Dec. 31 would receive plans for further development in the business park 15 days before those plans go before the Plan Commission. 

10:35 p.m. 

Mayor William F. Murphy asked if the berm in front of the property on Woodward Avenue could be raised a foot. The developer said another foot could be possible. 

He also asked if the development's internal road could go directly to Boughton Road. There are some barriers that would prevent this from happening. 

Murphy also spoke of a resident who asked if there could be trees in Woodward Avenue medians, which would prevent some shielding from the business park. Mays said there is an opportunity for 40 trees but they would have to look into it further to make sure there were no barriers to this. 

Murphy asked how much longer construction would raise dust. The developer said three more weeks. 

10:30 p.m. 

The portion of the meeting in which residents can speak is now closed. Now the board will ask questions and discuss before voting. 

The last resident to speak was former Village Trustee Edward McManus is addressing the board. He said he supports Edward Don & Company and would like to see the company comes to Woodridge. 

But he opposes the plan for three reasons: 

1. It's inconsistent with the Woodridge Comprehensive Plan (not enough buffer between single-family residential development and business park).
2. It might hinder success of commercial development at Boughton Road (office space use would mean more trips and more people driving past Woodridge businesses). 
3. Additional warehouse and distribution facilities is not someting that's needed in the village of Woodridge. 

10:15 p.m. 

Resident: "I won't take my kids into my back yard. I will barely take them into my front yard." 

"I paid $500,000 for my house, and I can't sell it," she said. "I can't even get it refinanced because it's worth $350,000. One of the comments was noise. Another was a strange growth in my yard. I've put $20,000 into landscaping that was ruined. I'm all for it if it's a good thing.

When are you going to do a good thing for us. Do something to show us that you care and do something for. I'm surprised we're getting heard today, and I appreciate it."

*applause*

Resident: "I hear the semis at night. I have hearing aides. I have 40 percent loss hearing in both ears, and I can hear the semis." 

10 p.m. 

Resident: "I'm up here to state the obvious. There are a lot of residents here who are against this. No one has stood up and said they support this...

It looks like instead of looking out for residents, we're looking out for a chain, looking out for Gallagher & Henry and looking out for Edward Don & Company...

If you've already made up your mind, fine. But before you vote tonight, I hope you look hard and ask yourselves, should I be looking out for the residents of Woodridge instead of the largest landholder." 

*applause* 

9:50 p.m. 

Resident: "What are the costs to the village?" 

Mays: Annual revenue from Edward Don will be $416,000. There will be $177,000 in costs for a net of $214,000 to the village. To the other taxing bodies based on full build-out, there will be a benefit of $1.1 million.  

Resident: Trucks will be stopping and starting; they won't be going 40 miles an hour. Does your sound study reflect that? 

Mays: There is no additional data for that. 

Resident: So you're ready to proceed without full data? 

Mays: That will be the decision of the village board. 

9:40 p.m. 

Resident #1: "I told my husband, 'I know you hate the noise in this house, but we have a beautiful view. Then I went out of town and came back a few days later and it was all gone.

You can't go in your yard now and certainly can't once these trucks are running 24/7 out of there."

Resident #2: "Where are the EPA studies? Where is the sound study?"

Resident #3: "I can hear the trucks in 3 a.m. 'Dum, dum, dum.' Now you're adding more traffic.

I've seen the trees change season. I've seen animals, fox in there. That justifies to me that those trees are not in poor condition. We bought my house because we liked the view. 

If you're living in the village, you'll definitely see those warehouses."

9:30 p.m. 

Kim Szalkus is speaking. "I do not feel like my voice has been heard," she said. As an accountant, Szalkus said a company would not take the financial risk especially at this time without confidence the project would go forward. 

"Even if that wasn't the case, it looks bad," she said. 

She brought up the concern of electrical outages. "My power goes out 10 times a year," Szalkus said. "Some are short blimps. Some are longer." How will the new development affect her power, she asked? 

Another resident up to the podium. What about the environmental impact? Will there be contamination of the groundwater? Has a core sample been taken? What about air quality? 

9:20 p.m. 

As Mayor William F. Murphy responds to residents voicing their concerns, at times he sounds frustrated and angry. For instance, a mom said she's afraid for her son about increased traffic on Woodward Avenue. Murphy responds that another proposal (which would not be developed currently due to lack of interest) would make more traffic. 

Some residents are becoming visibly frustrated that as residents ask questions of the board, no one responds. The officials have responded to questions after the person is done speaking but this has not happened with everyone.  

9:15 p.m. 

"We voted for you. Please be our voice. Please listen to us." 

"We can't all pick up and move out of Woodridge. It's unfortunate that we are not being heard. We voted you to be our voice. Think of the families and the little kids riding their bikes." 

A male resident: "I've heard this was a done deal. I don't believe it is. I think you'll make the decision to protect the residents."

Resident Mike Gormley wondered why the developer would take the risk if they didn't know it was a done deal.

"I believe what you say that it was not, but that's the perception that I'm walking away with," Gormley said. "If the developers were willing to take a risk to start development without village approval, how can I believe what they are saying."

Village Attorney Tom Good said this is not an uncommon occurance in municipalities, especially going into the winter time. 

Another female resident up. I worked 30 years for this house, she said. We bought a larger lot. We were told it would be a subdivision. I grow vegetables. We hear everything, she said. Her family can't hear each other in their home. 

"Please help us," she said. "The village is supposed to help us." 

9 p.m. 

Another resident speaking. She said both of her children have trouble sleeping because their walls vibrate with the noise levels along Woodward Avenue. Her son has medical issues. 

"When he's in the hospital, I want to tell them to keep him an extra day so he can get some rest and get his health up," she said. 

"I invite you to come to my home. I'd like you to see it. I'd like you to experience it. And to invite more noise into this community." 

Mayor William F. Murphy asked Mays to confirm that the decibel levels would be 60-70 levels higher with the development for a home about 800 feet away from the development. 

The levels would be lower for homes farther away, Mays said. 

"Not to mention a home a quarter of a mile away," Murphy retorted. 

8:45 p.m. 

Village officials are responding to Gormley's many questions. 

Police Chief Steve Herron said the police department would have the responsibility of policing the trucks. The department has several truck officers who have scales and the proper equipment to enforce village guidelines. 

The McShane/Gallagher and Henry representative said there is interest from other companies in the rest of the business park, though conversations remain superficial at this point (during the Plan Commission it was said it was estimated it would take three to 10 years to build the rest of the park). 

Gromling asked about a potential sound barrier for residents. Director of Public Works Chris Bethel said the village discussed a sound barrier for I-55 in 2007 to be funded partially with federal dollars. There was, however, a $600,000 shortfall, $300,000 of which the village committed to pay. 

Building a sound barrier for the residents near the business park would not be beneficial, Bethel said. 

"Noise barriers only are beneficial for properties within 500 feet," Bethel said. "It would not have any benefit to Woodward Avenue. The building proposed is taller than a sound wall would be and will provide a sound barrier solution."

The village can prohibit engine braking in certain areas, Mays said. 

8:20 p.m. 

We've moved to the portion of the meeting in which residents are addressing the village board. Karen Gormley is speaking. She's pointed to several concerns, from exhaust to noise and the size of the sign outside of the development. 

"How is it possible development began one day after the Plan Commission vote?" Gormley. "Isn't that the cart before the horse?" 

Gormley also indicated her concern with the noise of engine braking as trucks turn into the business park. 

"(The building) is not going to buffer engine braking of trucks to access or collective road," she said. "It's not going to deter air braking of the trucks." 

While Mays compared semi-truck decibel levels to living room conversation and TV. 

"There is no living room conversation at 3 a.m.," Gormley said. "There's no TV." 

The village has touted that Edward Don & Company employees will spend their money in Woodridge. Gormley questioned that. 

"They can go to Costco. Bolingbrook," she said. "They can go to Meijer. Bolingbrook. They can go to the Promenade. Bolingbrook." 

"I think many times Mayor Murphy has risen to the cause," she said. "This perplexes me. This I don't understand." 

8:20 p.m. 

The development is set back four times farther than the village requirement and trees will be planted in a staggered fashion so people will see trees more than the facility, according to an official affiliated with the developer. 

Trucks coming in and out of the park will be going 5 to 10 mph and be directed to the back of the park, so noise will be reduced, he said. 

8 p.m. 

Mays is covering some of the most prominent resident concerns, including traffic, light pollution, noise and construction. 

Woodward Avenue was designed to handle more traffic than it does, May said, including industrial traffic. However, semi-trucks are supposed to only travel south and travel around to I-55. 

Light and noise would also be limited, he said. Construction is limited by village code from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. 

In terms of the claim that the land is incompatible with its proposed use, Mays said the orientation of the warehouse and office facility shields nearby residents from truck activity. The park will serve as a transition between the tollway and neighborhoods. Landscaping and a berm detention will separate Woodward Avenue from the development. 

The proposal would be "consistent" with the village's other "successfull business parks" and would "help fulfill one of the village's objectives." Residents said one of the primary goals of village was to attract businesses. 

"Woodridge is a built-out community with limited availability of land," Mays said. "To accomplish this goal, we're looking to areas like this business park to bring corporate headquarters and businesses to the community." 

7:36 p.m. 

Two of the six Woodridge village board trustees are missing from Thursday's meeting. Trustees David Pittinger and Joseph Kagann are both absent. 

That leaves Trustees Gregory Abbott, Anne Banks, Pamela Beavers and Gina Cunningham-Picek. 

Michael Mays, director of community development for the village, is giving a presentation regarding the location of the development, the separate parcels of land under consideration and what exactly the village board will be voting on. 

He's also going over the zoning and the intended purpose for the land (general office use) for the land pursuant to the Woodridge Comprehensive Plan, last adopted in 2007.