By Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
Amid angry voices and calls for trustees to resign, a controversial plan to add a massive warehouse along Plainfield’s eastern border was given the green light this week.
On Monday, Oct. 1, the board of trustees voted 5-1 to approve the project, which includes annexation of 137 acres of land near the intersection of 143rd and Steiner. The applicant, Seefried Properties, will build a 1.5 million square foot warehouse for Diageo, to house additional operations for the spirits maker. Once built, the plan nicknamed “Project Jupiter” is expected to add more than 350 trucks per day along 143rd, where the road backs up to several homes in the Dayfield and Liberty Grove subdivisions.
Residents again lined up to deliver impassioned pleas, asking the board to vote no on the issue. Included in the public speakers was one young resident who said he was worried that pollution from trucks could aggravate his asthma, and noise could negatively affect his family’s quality of life.
“Once it comes to fall and wintertime, it gets hard for me to breathe because of my asthma,” 13-year-old Kyle Weeks-Asencio told the board. “That’s just right now. If you guys do approve this Project Jupiter, with all the trucks and the pollution that would be caused from that, it would be a lot harder for me to breathe, and that’s even in the summertime. So, I’d really like you guys to consider that.”
Since the proposal was unveiled over the summer, residents have objected to the scope of the project, citing concerns about traffic, pollution, noise, light pollution, and the possibility of affecting property values. Residents also circulated a petition against the project, gaining for than 1,500 signatures.
But, trustees said that while they recognized the passion behind those against the project, the board needed to look at the benefits to the village as a whole. Trustees also said that 143rd Street is the only available industrial corridor for the village, telling the audience that sooner or later, 143rd will be extended to service business traffic.
“It’s the only one that we really have in town that we can build up on,” said Trustee Bill Lamb. “Our biggest problem in bringing businesses to town has been transportation, and the nightmare that we have with the big highways going through the center of town. We need to correct that.”
Lamb went on to say that the 143rd extension both east to Ridge Road and west to Route 126 will alleviate the village’s biggest traffic issues. Seefried will dedicate a right of way for 143rd Street and will develop the roadway to the end of its property, and the village will take on the cost to extend the street to Ridge Road.
“I think that has a positive impact on most, not all necessarily, but most of the 43,000 people who live in Plainfield. They will benefit. There will be less stalling in traffic, there will be less truck traffic going through downtown, things will be better,” Lamb said. “From my point of view, this project is a work in progress… It’s one I think we can live with and continue to work to make improvements for the residents.”
Other trustees said they’d had engaged in discussions with residents throughout the community and found that while the residents of Dayfield and Liberty Grove had been vocal, overall, most residents did not lean one way or another in favor or against the project.
Several trustees said the need for additional business was too strong to disregard the application.
The annexation agreement includes a $150,000 traffic improvement fee, as well as $300,000 for installation of a light at 143rd and Meadow Lane. The agreement also includes a $400,000 payment for landscape improvements and screening between 143rd Street and the Liberty Grove and Dayfield subdivisions. Residents said that plan, currently in the planning phase, lacks details and does not seem to go far enough.
Those limited details were enough for one trustee to vote against the project.
“Because this is such a large project with the ability to change the character of our community, and because I believe there are several unanswered questions, I would like to ask the board [to table the issue],” said Trustee Edward O’Rourke, who was the lone holdout on the project. “I believe we owe it to ourselves as the policy setters and to our community who we’re elected to represent.”
The approval triggered vocal disgust from residents in the chamber, many of whom promised to vote the trustees out of office before exiting the board room mid-meeting.
Director of Planning Jonathan Proulx said the village is committed to working with homeowners in Liberty Grove and Dayfield on sound mitigation efforts, as well as adjusting speed limits along 143rd if necessary.
Residents leaving the meeting said their fight is not over, adding that they plan to press village staff on a regular or even daily basis in an effort to protect their property values and keep their homes safe.
A date for the start of construction has not been released. Construction of the facility is expected to last 18 months.