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Will County committee narrowly rejects purchase of 10-acre site for DOT operations
Summary
A Will County committee voted on a proposed $545,000 purchase of a 10-acre site along Governors Highway for the county Department of Transportation; the authorization to approve the acquisition contract failed after discussion about costs, alternatives and timing.
The Capital Improvements and IT Committee considered a proposal to authorize the form of contract to acquire a roughly 10-acre parcel on Governors Highway in the Village of Monee but did not advance the measure. The committee’s roll-call vote failed to produce the support needed to move the matter forward; the purchase price in the proposal was $545,000, which the committee was told matched the appraisal.
The item mattered because county staff said the department lacks space to house current road equipment for the eastern zone and cannot expand the existing 4-acre site. Jeff, a county staff member presenting the request, told the committee, “We’re estimating 15 for construction at the moment,” referring to a preliminary construction cost estimate for a new operations facility; he also said design and other site work would add roughly another $1 million. Funding, he said, would come from the department’s road funds — a mix of motor fuel tax, county option funds and Regional Transportation Authority sources — and the project is accounted for in a multiyear plan for the 2027–28 budget cycle.
Committee discussion focused on whether to renovate or expand the existing site versus buying new land that would allow future growth. Members raised safety and maintenance needs at the current facility: failing electrical breakers, tuckpointing and worn floors that could require short-term fixes but would not add long-term storage capacity. Members also asked for a precise comparison of costs: the committee asked staff to produce estimates for (a) immediate maintenance costs and safety repairs at the current site and (b) total costs to acquire and build on the new parcel, so elected officials can compare a retrofit plan to a full replacement.
Presenters described practical constraints at the current location: grade changes, limited room to expand, and possible legacy well/septic infrastructure that might block adding heated storage. Committee members also discussed operational impacts: the eastern zone currently stores seven plow trucks and lacks warm-storage capacity, forcing equipment into cold storage or remote locations during winter operations.
Several committee members urged caution because the parcel is time-sensitive. Staff said the seller could withdraw the property from the market if the county does not complete the acquisition process; legal counsel confirmed a failed vote at this stage means the matter does not automatically advance to the executive committee or county board. After discussion, the committee did not approve the authorization; members requested a follow-up report comparing renovation versus acquisition costs, layout options for the existing site (including whether septic removal could allow additional building), an updated site survey, and clarification of the short-term safety items staff can address now.
Next steps identified by the committee: staff will prepare a cost-comparison and space-analysis package for the committee’s review and attempt to schedule the matter again if timing allows. Committee members emphasized the item is time sensitive but also asked for apples-to-apples financial comparisons before committing to a multi‑million dollar construction program.
