The speed of development in eastern Will County has some residents wondering if infrastructure can keep pace.
Today, the Will County Residents for Responsible Intermodal Development will host an informational meeting with local officials and residents to discuss the effects growth will have on roads and congestion.
Nick Markobrad, the group's spokesman, said the goal of the meeting is to raise awareness of the issues and to address elected officials about the need for a regionwide plan.
State Sen. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, and representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Will County Board, Washington Township and the Will County Sheriff's Department are scheduled to attend.
The Will County Residents for Responsible Intermodal Development was formed by a group of residents after the village of Crete approved an intermodal rail and industrial facility in March.
CenterPoint Properties of Oak Brook purchased about 850 acres north of Goodenow and south of Crete-Monee Road for the project. It still is in the engineering phase but if construction is started later this year, the facility could open in 2009, Crete Village Administrator Tom Durkin said.
However, the issue is regional and not just about Crete, Markobrad said.
New intermodal facilities are being planned in Northwest Indiana and Beecher, where a public hearing is scheduled before the village's Planning Building and Zoning Committee on Thursday.
"There are quite a few of these developments that are coming to our area and they will all create wear on the roads and congestion in the form of truck traffic," Markobrad said. "So what we are trying to do is let people know what's coming and urge our elected officials to plan for projects to deal with it."
The fact that development and growth can't be stopped is not the point, Markobrad said. Politicians can legislate fees that offset the costs of development and should monitor issues on a regional level early on, he said.
But people need to be careful about what they expect from developers and remember that they get benefits, as well, in terms of jobs, tax revenue and new streets, Crete Village President Michael Einhorn said.
"You can't have it both ways," he said.
With little other commercial and industrial development, Crete has one of the highest tax rates in the county, so the intermodal facility will bring in much-needed tax revenue, he said.
