As NorthPoint takes it plan for a large-scale warehouse and distribution center in Jackson Township to the Will County Board, Manhattan officials said they still want a seat at the planning table.
And County Board Speaker Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort Township, whose district includes Manhattan, said he wants to make sure that community is now treated “respectfully and fairly.”
After Elwood’s mayor cancelled a public hearing on the proposal to annex and rezone 670 acres for NorthPoint’s Compass Business Park, claiming there was not enough support for the project, the Kansas City-based developer this week filed an application for rezoning in the county.
“Even before Elwood decided not to vote, it was not going to be kind to Manhattan,” Moustis said.
Manhattan was left out of talks between Elwood and NorthPoint, when the developer first planned its business park on 2,200 acres between the two towns, even though 1,200 of those acres were on Manhattan’s side of a boundary agreement between the two villages.
Manhattan sued Elwood for breaking that agreement, which prohibits each town from making any plans in the other’s area.
After that, NorthPoint reduced its proposal to 851 acres, all on Elwood’s side of the boundary. Of those, 670 acres are unincorporated and NorthPoint is asking the county to rezone that land from agricultural to industrial. The remaining 181 inside Elwood already is zoned for industrial use.
Despite NorthPoint taking its request to Will County, Manhattan’s lawsuit over the boundary agreement is not a moot point, said Kevin Sing, Manhattan’s village administrator, because the company has not rescinded its application in Elwood, and the Elwood Village Board never took any formal action on it.
NorthPoint also owns 730 acres of the 1,200 acres that are on Manhattan’s side of the boundary – “an indication that they will add on to the development at some point,” Sing said.
“We still feel that before any action is taken, all plans should be known, and all impacts should be known and mitigated,” he said.
This project should be “master planned with all parties at table,” including Will County, Elwood and Manhattan, he said.
NorthPoint officials previously said they would start the development from west to east over a period of several years, beginning with the 851 acres near Elwood.
Sing said he has not seen the application NorthPoint filed with Will County, and could not say if it affects land within one and a half miles of the village limits. If it does, the village could file a legal objection to the plan, which would require the county to have 20 out of 26 votes to approve the development.
“Our concerns are the same – how will this impact our quality of life, how can it be mitigated and at what cost,” he said.
“I have to make Manhattan happy,” said Moustis, adding that this does not mean he is denying the proposal.
NorthPoint’s application was incomplete and it could be a few months before any meetings are scheduled in Will County, he said.
Sing said he “appreciates” the support of Moustis.
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“We like good economic development, but we need to make sure it doesn’t negatively impact our community,” he said.