The Compass Business Park/NorthPoint proposal is an example of industrial sprawl, skipping past vacant industrial land serving the existing rail yards to forever change and pave over the landscape miles east of Illinois Route 53. Joliet and Will County should instead strive for developments that enhance rather than destroy the region. NorthPoint wants to pave over good farmland.
Key concerns have not been addressed:
- No water study: Without a water study as to how the project will impact the region’s depleting aquifers, the project should not be approved.
- No wildlife studies.
- No documentation of needed approvals—or even an exact location—for the Illinois Route 53 bridge and closed loop pathway.
- No true connectivity required by law for annexation.
And, most importantly, no traffic study for handing the influx of both truck and employee trips. A study should be required to see the impact on existing local roads, as well as Interstates 55 and 80. Anyone traveling in the area knows the impact of already overburdened infrastructure and gridlock in the Joliet region.
The members of the Will County Environmental Network urge the City Council to require necessary study before moving forward with approvals. A fresh eye is needed. This time, it is the hope of the Network that votes be decided only after members have all the necessary data to judge the true impact of the project.
Mary Baskerville
For the Will County Environmental Network
