A vote allowing Orland Park to supply water and sewer service in an unincorporated subdivision was delayed by the Village Board this week.
Trustees decided to hold up the vote until they are assured developer Bob Gallagher cannot raise the population density of the proposed Brittany Glen subdivision.
At issue is an agreement negotiated with Gallagher, developer of the proposed subdivision on the east side of Wolf Road between 131st and 135th Streets.
Under the agreement, the area would remain unincorporated, but the village would extend sewer and water lines to the area in exchange for a reduction in the number of subdivision units as well as payments of $3,000 a unit in addition to the standard tap-on fees.
Additional fees would include $65,000 for the redesign of the intersection of 143rd Street and Will-Cook Road, $50,000 to buy and plant trees on village property, and the usual road and school district fees, Mayor Dan McLaughlin said.
Residents of Brittany Glen would pay out-of-district rates for water, McLaughlin said. “I just don’t know how we lose with this agreement,” he said.
The smaller number of units in the development means more green space and single-family homes in the development, he said. The $3,000-per-unit fees can be set aside to pay for future repairs, and the extra cash from the developer could speed up needed improvements at 143rd Street and Will-Cook Road, the mayor said.
Trustee Bernard Murphy disagreed. The benefits to Orland Park do not justify extending sewer and water service outside the village, he said. “This developer never lets up,” he said. “There is nothing in it for the village except problems,” Murphy said. “You’re setting a precedent here. We’ll be nothing more than a utility company.”
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