Orland Park board approves Ashburn Corner site, rejects delay tied to wetland violation

The Village of Orland Park Board of Trustees on March 17 approved a final landscape plan and adopted a final ordinance for the Ashburn Corner development at 150 Third Street and 108th Avenue (case number 2025-0218), moving the project forward despite trustees’ concerns about an outstanding municipal violation and related fines.

Trustees debated whether approval would undercut the village’s leverage after staff said the developer had paid mitigation fees of about $31,400 and had appealed a separate fine that trustees discussed as possibly near $50,000. Trustee Malani pressed staff on whether the outstanding appeal and unpaid portions of the fine could be made conditions of future permits or the ordinance; Village Attorney Walsh advised that building permits and occupancy remain separate levers the village can use if the developer does not comply.

The debate produced a failed amendment to stay the ordinance pending the outcome of the municipal violation appeal; Trustee Maloney moved the amendment but it failed for lack of a second. The landscape plan and the final ordinance passed on separate roll calls. The landscape plan vote was 5–2 (Trustees Reardon, Maloney, Campos, Radoshevsky and Mayor Picow voting yes; Trustees Healy and Katsenas voting no). The final ordinance passed 4–3 (Trustees Reardon, Campos, Radoshevsky and Mayor Picow voting yes; Trustees Healy, Katsenas and Malani voting no).

Trustees who opposed immediate approval said they wanted to preserve leverage to ensure remediation of a filled wetland and full payment if the appeal is denied. Trustees who voted to approve said they preferred allowing restoration work to start rather than waiting for a potentially long court process in Cook County, which staff and trustees noted could take years.

The board’s action authorizes the project to proceed through village permitting; staff said occupancy and building permits can still be withheld until outstanding issues are resolved. No additional conditions were adopted at the meeting tying the ordinance’s effectiveness expressly to the outcome of the appeal.

The board’s approval completes municipal land-use approvals required at the village level; Trustee Reardon made the motions to approve the landscape plan and to adopt the final ordinance.

Looking ahead, Trustee Malani and other trustees indicated they expect legal counsel and staff to review whether further conditions or lien mechanisms should be used to protect village interests during later permitting steps.