Homer Glen neighbors say Bankston's carnival has driven noise, parking and drainage complaints

Resident Sue Foster told the Village of Homer Glen Board of Trustees on May 14 that a carnival operated at Bankston's Pumpkin Farm has “eliminated the quiet enjoyment” of about 60 nearby properties and caused repeated noise, parking and drainage problems.

Foster described “blood‑curdling screaming” from rides that runs from opening to close, car alarms that sound when visitors cannot find vehicles, and what she called “noxious odors” from animals at the site. “Bankston's has eliminated the quiet enjoyment of our properties,” she said during the meeting’s public‑comment period.

The dispute drew several neighbors to the podium. Resident Cindy Greenie also said she heard repeated loud noises at her house and that a posted summer‑fest schedule surprised some neighbors. “My summer last year was completely ruined,” she said, describing music and “pig races” that she said played in June through August.

Susan Bankston, who identified herself as representing Bankston's Pumpkin Farm, responded at the meeting, saying the operation is “a very clean, family friendly environment.” Bankston said the farm is working to resolve noise and odor complaints, that the animal vendor has been instructed to change practices, and that the farm previously installed a six‑acre retention pond and an engineered berm in compliance with the village’s permit requirements. “We planted a ton of trees — 300 trees we added last fall,” she said. She also told trustees the farm plans parking signage and timed lighting to reduce overnight lights and car‑alarm triggers.

Board members and staff said they had reviewed available meeting minutes and permits. Village Manager Joe Baber told the trustees he would compile historical records, planning commission minutes and permit paperwork so the board and residents could review what Bankston's is and is not allowed to do under existing approvals. Mayor Natsuki Choyke said she planned additional meetings with neighbors and Bankston's representatives to try to resolve remaining differences.

Trustees and staff described some points of disagreement as matters of interpretation — for example, what activity a special event permit allows and which nearby structures affect watershed flows — and said there are differing legal views between the village and the farm's counsel. Village staff said they are attempting to resolve the items without immediate litigation and will share the compiled records with residents and the farm. Manager Baber said he would distribute the historical material to trustees and residents before follow‑up meetings.

Residents at the meeting also alleged an increase in auto break‑ins and other criminal incidents they tied to the farm’s events; a trustee said he had not observed a confirmed crime trend and urged residents to coordinate with the Will County Sheriff’s Office. At the meeting, Bankston's acknowledged some parking and traffic control problems and said it would add signage and other measures to help visitors find parked cars.

The village did not adopt a new ordinance or take a formal enforcement vote at the May 14 meeting. Instead, trustees directed staff to collect historical permits and minutes and to facilitate further, mediated conversations between neighbors and Bankston's ahead of the farm’s planned summer events, which the farm has indicated may begin in early June.

What happens next: Village staff will deliver compiled records to trustees and neighbors; the mayor said she would convene follow‑up meetings with Bankston's and affected residents to seek voluntary solutions. If disagreements persist, the village could consider permitting or enforcement actions after review of the records and applicable approvals.