The sixth-month grace period the Village of Peotone extended to the Peotone Sportsmen’s Club property, located at 29913 S. Harlem Ave., has come to an end.
“The water is now off. This was done with consultation with our village attorney. Everything is proper there,” Mayor Chris Vieaux reported at the Sept. 28 board meeting.
In late February, the board said it would not renew the lease that allowed the club to operate half of the club on village property. The club spanned two parcels: one village-owned and one owned by the Peotone Sportsmen’s Club chapter of the Will County Sportsmen’s Clubs.
The once popular members-only club provided access to many outdoor recreation activities, including fishing, shooting, and a pavilion. Then it stopped operating as a club, and the president barred access to it with a no-trespassing sign and a locked gate.
No formal communications were sent out, fueling rumors that a squatter had taken over.
The club ended up being turned into the president’s residence as farm animals, gardens, and an RV appeared.
The village determined the club wasn’t operating in good faith and terminated the lease on its half of the property, forcing the club owner to consolidate to the privately owned side.
The well and sewer that serviced the club remained on the village side of the site.
After the lease was terminated, the village gave the resident a six-month grace period to secure his own well and septic. He didn’t, and now the property has no running water or sewer.
Officials said the next step is to red-tag the property as uninhabitable.
No further updates were provided at the meeting regarding the club.
Other Peotone News
In early 2022, the village decided to hire a financial consultant rather than a full-time employee. The contract with MGT Impact Solutions LLC expired in April but was extended to August. Since then, the village and the contracting company have been working to finalize terms.
The board approved the contract renewal, which will run through the end of the next fiscal year.
Public Works Supervisor Bob Hennke reported the MFT resurfacing project has concluded, though some driveways were still awaiting restoration at the time of the meeting. Sidewalk work has begun, and he expects it to continue over the course of the week.
Will County recently held a stakeholder meeting for its latest long-range traffic planning project for 2050, Village Administrator Nick Palmer reported to the board. It includes planning along I-57 and Manhattan Monee Road, both of which run through Peotone.
“They note that I-57 is actually classified as an Illinois priority freight network. So, any improvements will need to accommodate large trucks and allow potential access to the freight hubs, such as the distribution centers and other priority freight network orders,” Palmer said.
He added that he was hopeful it would have a positive impact with regard to improvements at the interchange, noting while it has improved some, there are still safety concerns to be addressed.
Palmer reminded any candidates in the upcoming election to keep signs off the parkways and ensure they’re on private property and not limiting sightlines for drivers.