Lemont board approves annexation of four parcels near I‑55 amid heated resident opposition to proposed gas-and‑wash

The Lemont Village Board voted to annex four parcels on Lemont Road — listed in the ordinance as 11 S 240, 11 S 260, 11 S 276 and 11 S 286 — into the village as R‑1 (residential) property after a lengthy public comment period in which dozens of nearby residents urged the board to block a proposed gas station and car wash.

The move was described by village staff as a first, jurisdictional step that would bring the parcels under Lemont’s land‑use rules; any future rezoning or development would require further public hearings. Village Administrator George Schaeffer said, “This is really just a first step. If the village board approves it, it’ll be in the village’s jurisdiction… it would go through staff, a planning and zoning meeting and then come back to the village board,” a sequence he described as taking months and being publicly noticed.

Why it matters: Neighbors said annexation opens a pathway to immediate rezoning and development that could allow a large, 24‑hour truck‑oriented gas station and car wash at a residential gateway near I‑55. Opponents raised…