Orland Park commission rezones six village-owned parcels to Open Space

ORLAND PARK — The Audit and Park Plan Commission on April 1 unanimously approved zoning map amendments to reclassify six village-owned parcels from E1 (Estate Residential) to OS (Open Space), the commission said during its meeting.

The rezoning petitions, which staff described as village-initiated corrections to the zoning map, cover Mill Creek, two Lake Sedgwick shoreline parcels, Hoffman Woods, Stellwagen Farm, and Arbor Lake. A village planner told the commission the parcels were already held by the village and are identified in the village's open lands framework and the 2013 comprehensive plan; staff said the OS district prohibits private development unrelated to park or natural-area operations.

Commissioners and staff said the rezonings are intended to align official zoning with both how the parcels have been used and the village's open-lands goals. "These 6 cases that are here tonight are village initiated rezonings for the open land sites that are currently zoned estate residential," the planner said during the staff presentation. Staff repeatedly told the commission that no development is proposed with the petitions.

Public commenters spoke at two hearings. Christine Lang, who identified herself as the owner of 10300 W. 150th Street, described family ties to Lake Sedgwick and said she was concerned about how rezoning adjacent village parcels might affect her privately owned lot; she also proposed a boardwalk to improve continuity of the park path and pedestrian safety near 150th Street. "The property has been in my family for over a hundred and 70 years," Lang told the commission. The planner and commissioners clarified that the parcels the village is rezoning are village-owned and that any future development would require separate steps including sale, engineering and additional public review.

Betty Stellwagen, representing the family associated with Stellwagen Farm, told the commission her family's intent was to keep the farm as open land and to restore the farmhouse for educational use. "My dad gave this . . . to the open lands with the intent of it staying open lands," Stellwagen said. Commissioners and staff noted prior grant restrictions and the village's recorded annexation history that, they said, limit the property's future uses and make preservation the expected outcome.

All six agenda items were approved on motions to adopt the staff-recommended action. Commissioners asked only clarifying questions about addresses, existing park improvements and whether recreational uses such as trails or detention facilities are permitted under the OS district; staff replied that recreational uses and stormwater detention may be allowed where appropriate and would be subject to standard regulations and tree-mitigation requirements.

Votes at a glance - Case 20250158, Mill Creek open lands zoning map amendment (rezone from E1 to OS): motion to approve staff recommendation; mover: Commissioner Schuessler; second: Commissioner Paul; vote: unanimous in favor (all commissioners present); outcome: approved. - Case 20250159, Lake Sedgwick shoreline zoning map amendment (parcel at or near 10100/150th Ninth Street): motion to approve staff recommendation; mover: Commissioner Schuessler; second: Commissioner Paul; vote: unanimous; outcome: approved. - Case 20250160, Lake Sedgwick shoreline zoning map amendment (10351/150th Street parcel): motion to approve staff recommendation; mover: Commissioner Schuessler; second: Commissioner Paul; vote: unanimous; outcome: approved. - Case 20250161, Hoffman Woods zoning map amendment (17601/1100 16th Avenue): motion to approve staff recommendation; mover recorded in the transcript as Commissioner Sousa; second recorded as Commissioner Sanchez; vote: unanimous; outcome: approved. - Case 20250162, Stellwagen Farm zoning map amendment (Stellwagen Farmstead, ~57.5 acres): motion to approve staff recommendation; mover/second not explicitly named in the audio transcript at the motion line; vote: unanimous; outcome: approved. - Case 20250163, Arbor Lake zoning map amendment (Arbor Lake park at 150th & Wilcook, ~29.5 acres): motion to approve staff recommendation; mover: Commissioner Schuessler; second: Commissioner Zamperell; vote: unanimous; outcome: approved.

What the commission decided and why Staff told the commission the village already owns the parcels and that the comprehensive plan and the village's open-lands framework identify the sites as natural resources or park/open-space land that should be preserved. Commissioners described the actions as a routine correction to bring zoning into alignment with ownership and long-standing open-space designations. No new construction or development plans were presented or approved as part of these rezonings.

Next steps and context The plan commission approved the zoning map amendments; staff indicated the changes will be recorded so the parcel zoning matches the village's open-lands inventory and prior annexation records. Commissioners and staff noted that any future proposal that would change the use of village-owned open lands (for example a sale or a privately led development) would require separate village action, public review and compliance with grant or deed restrictions where they exist.

(Reporting in this article is based on the April 1, 2025 Audit and Park Plan Commission meeting transcript. Quotations are taken from spoken remarks in the public record.)