South Suburbs for Greenspace Over Concrete Organizes Demonstration at Homewood Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting February 11, 2021
HOMEWOOD, Ill. - February 7, 2021 —South Suburbs for Greenspace over Concrete (SSGOC) has organized a demonstration in opposition to the Village of Homewood’s Planning and Zoning Commission’s expected approval of an application to rezone the property that was formerly Calumet Country Club.
SSGOC is asking concerned residents and other stakeholders to show their opposition to the rezoning of the site formerly known as Calumet Country Club from open lands and greenspace to light industrial at Homewood Village Hall on Thursday, February 11, 2021. The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and the group is advising people to arrive early since space will be limited.
SSGOC believes this application should not be approved because the applicant, W & E. Ventures, LLC. (Diversified Partners) has not done its due diligence on the environmental, noise, and air quality problems that their proposal would cause. In 2019, Walt Brown, Jr., CEO of Diversified, told Chicago Business Journal that the company had done “18 months of due diligence” on the site. However, his application only includes one traffic study. Brown told the publication that the site has a “high decibel of traffic noise,” without providing any studies on the traffic noise in application to rezone.
The Village of Homewood has had no independent studies done on the prospective development, including environmental impact, air quality, flooding, traffic and noise. SSGOC believes that this site is not suitable to be zoned as Light Industrial because of the proximity of residential homes and the existing flooding issues area.
SSGOC believes that this property is unfit to rezone, based on the Village of Homewood’s own planning ordinance. The ordinance’s first listed purpose is “to protect and promote the public health, safety, comfort and welfare.” Allowing this area to be rezoned will be done at a detriment to the public health from increased pollution; a detriment to safety through increased truck traffic; and a detriment to the comfort and welfare of the community through increased noise and flooding.
About South Suburbs for Greenspace over Concrete
A multi-racial group of concerned residents of Homewood, Hazel Crest, East Hazel Crest, Flossmoor, Chicago Heights, South Holland and Glenwood formed in opposition to Diversified Partner LLC’s planned development of Calumet Country Club (2136 175th St, Homewood, IL 60430) into a fulfillment/trucking hub. The group is a campaign of SAFE.
About Illinois Southland Against Fossil Energy
Illinois Southland Against Fossil Energy was founded in response to the proposed gas-burning power plant in Glenwood. SAFE is building an inclusive, multi-racial coalition that believes the Southland needs and deserves a clean environment, clean government, healthy people, and a healthy economy.