The Peotone Village Board approved at their Jan. 12 meeting a resolution to apply for grant funding, signaling improvements on West Avenue between Wilmington-Peotone Road and Corning Avenue will be coming once funding is made available.
Improvements won’t be made anytime soon, likely for years, thanks to lengthy waits for federal funding, but the benefit is the village will have access to a significant amount of funding, Village Administrator Nick Palmer explained.
Palmer advised there are three roads within the village that are eligible for federal funding, and West Avenue is one of them.
In a memo to the board and Mayor Chris Vieaux, Palmer noted the reconstruction of the road has long been on the village’s list of capital improvements, as it serves as a critical access point into the village, an exit point for the middle school, and the fairgrounds.
Planning ahead to secure federal funding for the multi-million dollar project is crucial to maintaining the village’s infrastructure, Palmer explained.
Robinson Engineering’s estimate of probable costs for the reconstruction project totaled $3,275,000, which was itemized and provided to the board.
Funding would be secured through the Surface Transportation Program, which leverages federal funds under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.
“The federal share for STP is generally 80 percent, with a 20 percent local match but is subject to a sliding scale adjustment,” Palmer’s memo stated.
The village would pay $655,000 as its “local match” portion, with the federal share totaling $2,620,000.
There are limitations to accessing FAST Act funding — funds can only be used for roadways connected to the Federal Aid Highway System, classified as a collector, or bridge projects.
Palmer explained the local arm that essentially acts as a custodian of the federal funds is the Will County Governmental League. Although the grant funding has changed names over the years, the funding is still the same with an 80/20 split, Palmer said.
“It’s a whole process,” he stated, noting, “It’s a good thing, a good project that will help a lot of people; I just wish it would happen faster,” Nick Palmer said.
The resolution requests STP funding for Federal Fiscal Year 2027-2031.
Overlay District meetings
Additionally, the Overlay District planning that has been discussed the past few years is finally making progress. The overlay district is a separate plan from the downtown streetscape project that was recently wrapped up.
“This came out of people’s desire to preserve historic buildings and have some regulatory guidance for those who want to develop in this footprint,” Palmer said.
“And it’s small, primarily just in the downtown area,” he explained.
The investment isn’t much beyond what it costs for the staff and consultants to develop the district, Palmer added, noting it allows private businesses to be aware of what Peotone wants to see in its historic downtown.
“This preserves the quaint, quiet part of Peotone that people love,” Palmer said.
The Village of Peotone will hold a public open house for its overlay district concept January 21, from 5 to 6 p.m., at the village board chambers, 208 E. Main Street.
The open house is for the public to learn about the district, what it is, its geographical boundaries, and how it can help the community preserve its character. Robinson Engineering, along with other staff, will be present to answer questions.
Immediately following the open house on the same evening, the village’s plan commission will meet to review past changes that have been incorporated into the current iteration of the plan, as well as discuss feedback from the open house.
No formal action will be taken at that meeting.
“The key goals of creating an overlay district are preserving and enhancing the historical character of central downtown Peotone by preserving the original structures, while accommodating compatible new developments through implementation of a set of design guidelines and standards aimed at upholding historical integrity, elevating design quality, and maintaining the human-scale development characteristics of downtown Peotone,” the event page on the village website explains.
If the plan commission chooses at its next meeting, it may recommend the overlay district for approval by the village board. The plan commission serves only as a recommending body to the village board.
If recommended, a formal public hearing must be published and held. A vote approving the district would then follow before the overlay district becomes official.
“This has been talked about for a long time. It’s been working its way through the process,” Palmer said at the January 12 board meeting.
Other Peotone business
Outside of the overlay and capital improvements, business was quick and fairly standard.
A new business license was approved for Clover Coffee and Pilates, which will be located at 427 S. Governors Highway in Peotone. The opening is anticipated in March.
The board approved bill payments totaling $146,790 for the period ending December 19, all from the general fund. For the period ending January 9, a total of $111,136.73 was paid, which includes $101,774.74 from the general fund, $3,387.39 from the motor fuel tax fund, and a TIF payment of $1,502.
Additionally, two payroll period payments were approved. The first, from December 20, 2025, included the village board at $2,235.54, administration at $11,420.19, police at $49,236.76, and public works at 14,316.78, for a total of $77,209.27. The second payroll period ending January 3, 2026, included administration at $11,643.15, police at $51,370.62, and public works at $13,444.24, for a total of $76,458.01.
Two raffle licenses were approved by the board. The first was for the Will County Farm Bureau and the second for American Legion Post 392.
The Farm Bureau will be conducting two hog raffles, with a maximum value of $3,000 — the first winner will be awarded on January 24, and the second on August 30. Both will be awarded at 7 p.m. at the Will County Fairgrounds Atrium.
The American Legion will be conducting monthly raffles, with a maximum value of $200. Prizes will be awarded at the Peotone American Legion, 109 E. North Street, at 6:30 p.m., on the second Saturday of each month.