Orland Park Mayor James Dodge said he is all in favor of annexing an unincorporated area.
But he is willing to listen to residents in that area one more time before he and the village board put it to a final vote.
Dodge and the board were ready to vote at the July 20 meeting on annexing an area at 109th Avenue and 153rd Street. But the board tabled it shortly after Kenneth Krajniak spoke during the public comment section as he represented residents from the unincorporated area who did not want the annexation. He provided a petition with 21 signatures.
“I want to acknowledge the possible benefits of annexation, including the municipal services, infrastructure, and coordination – the advantages do exist,” Krajniak told the board. “But these potential gains should not outweigh the present concerns and the financial burden to our residents.
“In our view, this is not a minor administrative matter. Annexation affects the lives of people who live in this neighborhood.”
Krajniak added that the taxes, services, property rights and future character of the community make annexation something that “is not in the best interest in our neighborhood.”
He said some residents are on fixed incomes and may not be able to absorb the long-term impact of new taxes and fees.
One of the village’s concerns about the 27-home, 33-acre area is that some residences can be used as short-term rental operations, such as Airbnbs, which are not permitted in residential districts of the village.
There have been incidents in neighboring Orland Hills with homes being rented out. Shots were fired one night in the spring.
Orland Park officials did not want something like that to happen in the proposed annexed area.
The village says annexing would be a “win-win” situation for the residents.
“There are a number of benefits the residents in this area will get,” Orland Park Village Manager George Koczwara said. “We would look to cost-share with the residents to bring in water and sewer because we do know that there are septic (systems) there that will be failing very shortly.”
He said that the goal is to maintain a high quality of life in the area, however, the village does not want to see current residents eventually selling their houses to someone who would turn them into Airbnbs.
Trustee Cynthia Nelson-Katsenes assured the residents this would not be a “Big Brother” takeover, and the village would be providing valuable services.
Dodge wants the annexation to become a reality but wants the village to meet with the residents before moving on.
“I don’t think we’re 100% aligned with the residents on the facts,” Dodge said. “For the record and before anyone says anything else, I am in favor of this annexation. We would just as soon sit down with the affected residents and say ‘Ok, we could make it forced or we could make it voluntary.’
“We’re not in a rush. I think it’s worthy of another conversation.”