Clean Harbors proposes buying village and park lots to reduce truck queuing and expand operations
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Summary
Clean Harbors representatives presented a plan to acquire roughly 3.7 acres of village and park-district property near its 138th Street facility to add truck parking and loading docks, saying the move would reduce truck traffic on neighborhood streets and allow reinvestment and local hiring.
Clean Harbors representatives told the Village of Dalton Board of Trustees on Aug. 4 that the company seeks to acquire roughly 3.7 acres of village- and park-district-owned land west and south of its plant on 138th Street to expand internal truck parking and add loading docks.
The proposal, presented by Scott Hargadon of Meltzer, Pertill & Stell and by Scott Amico, regional vice president for Clean Harbors, would combine an unused public right-of-way, several village-owned lots north of 138th Place and park-district lots south of 138th Place. “We would like to get all that truck traffic within our facility and not have it, so much congestion for our residents locally here,” Amico said.
The plan would require rezoning of village-owned parcels now designated residential, a negotiated sale of park-district lots and court approval of that sale if required under state law. Hargadon said Clean Harbors has retained an appraisal team and expected a final appraisal this week; he said the company hopes to complete a transaction in calendar year 2025 if the village and park district move forward.
Why it matters: Clean Harbors said the change would reduce parked and queued trucks on Catalpa Lane and 138th Street, allow expanded recycling and processing work at the plant, and create local jobs through reinvestment. Trustees and the mayor signaled willingness to continue discussions and requested follow-up documentation, including the appraisal and draft rezoning request.
Supporting details: Hargadon explained the parcels include about 1.82 acres of unused right-of-way and roughly 1.32 acres of park-district land; the village-owned lots north of 138th Place are heavily vegetated and largely unused. He said the company has spent more than $3 million at the Dalton site in the last year and employs more than 100 people there on three shifts.
Next steps and limitations: Clean Harbors said it will provide the completed appraisals to the village and coordinate with the village attorney on a purchase and rezoning sequence. The board did not vote on the proposal; trustees asked staff and counsel to continue negotiations and bring formal documents back for review.
Ending: Trustees asked the company and village staff to maintain public updates and to post presentation materials to the village media channels so residents can review the engineering and land-use plans.
