Will County committee approves rezoning, special use for Monee truck terminal over neighbor concerns

The Will County Land Use and Development Committee voted to approve a map amendment and a special use permit for a proposed truck terminal on vacant land north of the Amazon facility in Monee Township.

The committee approved a map amendment from A-1/R-2 to I-2 and a special use permit for a truck terminal, each by a 5–1 roll call vote. The properties are described as two parcels (one ~50 acres, the other ~6.77 acres) near West Monee-Manhattan Road; the applicant proposes a 61,200-square-foot building, 106 truck parking stalls, 53 tractor stalls, 42 trailer stalls and 50 car spaces, employing about 25 full‑time workers.

County staff said the applicant anticipates about 150 vehicle trips during the AM peak and 175 during the PM peak and provided a traffic study that staff submitted to the Will County Department of Transportation for review. Staff further noted that Coral Street — the proposed entrance — is currently unimproved and under the jurisdiction of the Village of Monee, and that village approval will be required at the time of site development permitting.

Why it matters: Committee members and residents pressed the applicant on several impacts that commonly accompany truck terminals: water quality and stormwater detention, traffic on unimproved roads, buffering for adjacent homes, and whether municipal services or annexation would be more appropriate. The village of Monee had asked that the site be annexed into the village; several nearby subdivisions were listed in staff reports and in public comment as potentially affected.

Committee and public concerns: Committee members asked about upstream objections and whether nearby subdivisions had raised issues. County staff said there was at least one adjacent property owner who spoke at the Planning & Zoning Commission hearing raising water-quality concerns and that the Village of Monee had requested annexation so the development could be in the village’s planning area. The applicant’s engineer said the development would include either a landscape berm, dense landscaping or a fence on the subdivision side and that the developer plans to concentrate construction south of the creek to avoid an expensive bridge and long permitting process to the north.

One resident asked specifically how the developer would mitigate noise, light and heavy truck operations for an immediate neighbor who keeps horses; the applicant replied that the facility is proposed to operate 24 hours a day only to accommodate truck drivers arriving at unusual hours, and that typical business hours would be more limited (the applicant said “like, 6 to 6”). The applicant also said the owner planned parking and a landscaped berm to buffer adjacent residences.

Formal outcome: The map amendment vote (A‑1/R‑2 → I‑2) passed 5–1 (Frankie Pretzel: yes; Herbert Brooks: yes; Don Bullock: yes; Raquel Mitchell: yes; Judy O'Gala: no; Denise Winfrey: yes). The special use permit for the truck terminal passed 5–1.

Background and next steps: The site will require Village of Monee approval for the Coral Street entrance and any required extensions or road improvements, and the applicant will need site development permits and engineering approvals before construction. Staff also noted conditions tied to screening and stormwater that will be enforced at the building‑permit/site‑development stage.

Member quotes and sources: County staff (Jesus, land use staff) described the vehicle counts, parking layout and the required traffic and site approvals. Bill Zaleski, civil engineer for the applicant (Advantage Consulting Engineers), described proposed buffering and explained why the developer is concentrating construction on the south side of the creek.

Ending: The committee’s approvals send the requests to the full county board for final action; the approvals include conditions tied to site development, screening and coordination with the Village of Monee and Will County departments.