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For the Record
with Dave Niemeyer
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As many of you may remember, last year the Village was in talks to buy and annex the 114-acre parcel of property at the northeast corner of Vollmer Road and Harlem Avenue from developer Rick Heidner. While those talks ultimately fell through, I’m happy to report we’ve been able to work out an agreement that allows the Village to annex the land into Tinley Park and retain control over what will be developed there.
The land has always been in the Village’s planning area per the boundary agreement with Matteson in which both communities agreed the area should eventually become part of Tinley Park. The boundary agreement expired a number of years ago, and attempts to renew the agreement with Matteson have been unsuccessful. This is important because, without annexation, the Village would lose control over what’s developed there should another community such as Matteson try to incorporate it into their municipal boundaries.
In 2019, Mr. Heidner bought the property as a possible site for a racino. When those plans fell through, he sought approval for Office, Research and Limited Industrial (ORI) zoning, which would allow for various uses on the property. At that time, however, the Village Board was not supportive of his request.
The Village’s interest was renewed in 2020, however, when Amazon announced it was going to build a four-story distribution warehouse, with a 3.8 million-square-foot floor area, on the southeast corner of Vollmer and Harlem, thus changing the character of the entire area and making the Heidner property much more valuable for distribution warehousing. The Village negotiated with Mr. Heidner to buy and annex the property to control development of the site. Unfortunately, these talks fell through. After this, Mr. Heidner signed a contract with Scannell Properties to sell the land to them at a significantly higher cost than what we were discussing buying it for from him.
Recently, the parties met and were able to reach an agreement. Scannell’s plans propose a multi-phased industrial business park development with approximately 1.3 million square feet of floor space over three industrial buildings in the Office, Research and Limited Industrial (ORI) Zoning District.
One of the Village’s main priorities with this new development is to reduce the impact of noise and traffic on the surrounding neighborhoods. To this end, the Village’s planning staff has been working with Scannell to provide for a high-quality and safe business park. Features will include:
- A minimum three-foot-high landscaped berm along Harlem Avenue to screen the view of any future truck docks
- The extension of a public watermain beyond the site to create redundancy in the overall area’s water supply
- Space to locate a new Village emergency radio tower that improves emergency communication in the area
- A walkway/path along Harlem Avenue that will eventually connect to a larger path system along Oak park Avenue
- Street lighting
The business park’s layout was designed in a way to provide efficient and safe truck circulation inside the site and on the adjacent roadways, and it allows for truck and employee access to signalized intersections.
As always, I will keep you up to date on this and other developments around town in future For the Record columns and at Village Board meetings. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line at dniemeyer@tinleypark.org.
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Village demands Illinois address poor condition of State Property
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The Village of Tinley Park on Thursday held a news conference regarding the condition of the 280-acre State Property in the middle of town that was formerly occupied by the Tinley Park Mental Health Center.
During the conference, Mayor Michael Glotz, Village Manager Dave Niemeyer and Village Attorney Paul O'Grady discussed the property and called on State officials to address the numerous environmental hazards present at the site.
“The State completely abandoned this property in 2012 and left it to rot in the center of our town,” Glotz said. “The site isn’t just contaminated with toxins such as asbestos, but it’s an eyesore. It’s time our State leadership took responsibility for this mess, like they should’ve done years ago.”
See the video below for a more detailed account of the issues present at the property, and for information on how to contact your legislators to encourage them to take action.
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Village Board meeting highlights
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The Tinley Park Village Board held its regular meeting Tuesday in the Council Chambers at Village Hall. Highlights include:
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Mayor Pro-Tem: Trustee Bill Brennan was named Mayor Pro-Tem, and committee assignments were issued. Learn more on the Village website.
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Employee Actions: Steve Klotz was named Interim Fire Services Administrator to replace retiring Fire Chief Forest Reeder. Lori Kosmatka was also appointed as Associate Planner, and Heidi Twomey was named administrative assistant for the Fire Prevention Bureau. The Village also said goodbye to Planning Manager Paula Wallrich, who is retiring this month.
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Station Vendor: The Village approved an agreement with Harp 80th Ave Tenant, LLC to license the available space at the 80th Avenue train station for five years. The group plans to provide commuters with coffee, breakfast and lunch items, as well as host public and private events throughout the year.
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State Issues: The Village Board passed a resolution opposing SB2298, which amends the TIF Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. It also passed a resolution supporting restoration of the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF).
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Gun Violence: The Village Board issued a proclamation declaring June 4 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" in Tinley Park.
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Business Spotlight: The Village Board featured Station Pub and Eatery and Herman's Auto Center as part of its Tinley Park Business Spotlight series. Watch videos of each presentation below.
Watch the entire meeting on the Village's YouTube page or Tinley TV, which broadcasts on Comcast Channel 4 and U-Verse Channel 99.
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Station Pub and Eatery
6657 South Street
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Herman’s Auto Center
7250 Duvan Drive
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Village lifts mask mandate to align with State, CDC recommendtions
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In accordance with CDC and State of Illinois guidelines, the Village of Tinley Park has lifted the mask mandate it imposed last year to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Tinley Park residents who have been fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear a face covering in most situations. Masks are still required under certain conditions.
Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving either the two-dose series from Pfizer or Moderna, or the single-shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. The Village will rely on the State of Illinois' Executive Order 2021-10 - Bridge Phase for guidance concerning general mask use by the public.
All federal, state and regional public health metrics and associated guidance will continue to be monitored moving forward. The Village will review the resulting COVID-19 response protocols from these authorities and implement future public health recommendations as appropriate.
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Veterans dedication ceremony now showing
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The Village of Tinley Park and the Tinley Park Veterans Commission recently hosted a dedication ceremony for the Illinois Veterans of America Memorial and the M84 Mortar Carrier at the Gen. Patrick E. Rea Veterans Plaza.
The ceremony features music by the 484th Army Band from Arlington Heights, comments from Veterans Commission Chairman Dr. William Douglas Rasmussen III and Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz, and guest speakers Gen. Patrick E. Rea, Combat Engineer Thomas Dukes and Command Sgt. Maj. Fred Cagle.
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Village celebrates 20 years with Mallow
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The Village recently celebrated the 20-year anniversary of its sister city relationship with Mallow, Ireland. The partnership was established in 2001 for visits by governmental officials; historical, cultural, educational and economic development exchanges; and to assure a future of friendship and cooperation between the two communities.
Mallow has existed since the early years of the first millennium, when the area was developed at a point on the Blackwater Valley where the water was low enough to allow a "ford" crossing for passage north and south of the Munster River.
The Village of Tinley Park also enjoys sister cities relationships with Budingen, Germany and Nowy Sacz, Poland.
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Village announces Music in the Plaza lineup
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The Village will host the 2021 Music in the Plaza series this summer from 7 to 10 p.m. select Saturdays from June 26 to Sept. 11 at Zabrocki Plaza. Please note that each concert will adhere to the State guidelines in place regarding COVID-19 mitigation at the time of each concert.
2021 Music in the Plaza concerts include:
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June 26: Shock the System (hard rock)
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July 10: Whiskey Road (country)
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July 24: The Walk-ins (variety)
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Aug. 7: Five Guys Named Moe (classic rock)
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Aug. 21: 95th Street Band (horn band)
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Aug. 28: Reckless (variety)
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Sept. 11: Austin Edwards Band (country/first responder tribute)
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ComEd offering payment assistance
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ComEd is offering payment assistance options for customers, including extended payment arrangements and protection from disconnection, a one-time financial hardship grant, and other federal and state assistance.
Eligible customers may be able to spread out balances over 18 months, with 0% down, and be exempt from disconnection through June 30. All other residential customers with balances are eligible for an 18-month, 10% down payment plan.
ComEd’s CARE program also offers grants to eligible customers in need, including veterans and active military, while funds are available. See the ComEd flyer for more information.
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Village of Tinley Park
16250 S. Oak Park Avenue Tinley Park, IL 60477
(708) 444-5000
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