By Karen Haave
A special use permit and map amendment that would have allowed expansion of a Beecher mobile home park was taken off the agenda for a Will County Board vote last week.
The proposal, if approved, would have added 417 homesites to Pheasant Lake Estates, an all-age manufactured home community on 155 acres, with 613 lots at 96.4 percent occupancy as of December 2020.
The additional 417 mobile homes on 110 acres would have been within Will County code’s maximum density of 10 mobile homes per acre.
But it met with overwhelming opposition from residents of the existing park, who voiced ongoing concerns about flooding, foul odors, pollution with noise, gas, traffic, sewage, stormwater problems, hydrants that are not flushed, and lack of garbage pickup.
Moreover, the residents have said ponds are not maintained, wildlife and trees are dying, their homes have mold issues and no water pressure, sidewalks are cracked, sinkholes are causing injuries, roads and driveways are cracked and sinking, and there often is “so much water it’s like having a lakefront property.”
One farmer told the commission during a public hearing last fall he opposes the development because of drainage issues. He said he has farmed the parcel between the development for 50 years, and he feels the expansion would not be conducive to the area.
Residents asked that their names not be included in the commission’s 425-page report, for fear of reprisal. They said the management team never answers complaints, does not act or follow up on issues, and that they “are bullies and use scare tactics” on those who do complain.
Representatives for the developers said at that hearing in October they had a new management team and “would like to hear from the complainants and take care of these issues.” They emphasized they have hired a new regional manager, invested in a new wastewater treatment plant, and are dredging the ponds to clean them up.
The Vedette emailed the PLE office in Beecher for additional comment, but received no response.
Numerous photos were included in the report to illustrate conditions of the existing Pheasant Lake Estates community.
The planning and zoning commission report also included letters from unhappy residents, as well as a copy of a story published in the Vedette newspaper on December 15, 2020, outlining resident concerns.
The proposed zoning amendment would have gone before the full Will County Board for a vote on February 16, but developers MHC Pheasant Lake Estates Land, LLC, withdrew their request on February 8.
Will County Board Chairman Judy Ogalla (R-District 1) said she would not have voted in favor of the proposal.
“The owners were looking to get a special use permit for a mobile home park with variances for setbacks and zoning map amendment from A1 (Agricultural) to R5 (Residential),” she said. “I don’t support it because of all the known and continued issues at the existing park today.
“So, bottom line, voting (was) to remove both items. Issue dies. If the applicant wants to try this again in the future, they’ll have to start the process all over again.”
The designated expansion site was on 110 acres on the west side of Nacke Road, west of the existing PLE Mobile Home Park North and South developments.
The P and Z staff report also notes the site, described as prime farmland, is located within 1.5 miles of Bult Field, and is within the ultimate footprint of the South Suburban Airport. The State of Illinois is actively acquiring properties and pursuing demolitions within the airport footprint, but there are no plans in the immediate future providing a timeline of the next stages of development.
The report also points out the airport, at full build-out, is projected to have six runways and cover 32 square miles. Its development “will help provide the necessary future regional aviation capacity and access demanded by the growing south suburbs.” And while “there will be a need for housing if the airport is developed, the subject property would be developed as part of the airport’s ultimate footprint.”
PLE Homeowners Association President Jim Raby posted on social media after the Will County Board meeting that residents “presented to the board two books of photographs showing them the problems in this community.
“We also voiced our concerns. We now have an opportunity to build on this because (management) will go back to business as usual. We have plans in the works and, as soon as they are finalized, we will notify the community.
“I would like to thank everyone who was able to attend the meeting today in Joliet, also to the residents who were no able to attend this meeting, for their support. Stay tuned, we are not finished!”