Will County committee recommends CCDD special use with conditions, rejects map amendment amid habitat and karst‑aquifer concerns

The Will County Land Use Committee on Feb. 11 voted against a map amendment that would rezone about 11.5 acres on Brandon Road from agricultural (A1) to industrial (I2), but the committee voted to recommend a conditional special‑use permit for a clean construction/demolition debris (CCDD) fill operation on the parcel to the full county board.

Staff told the committee the parcel lies adjacent to industrial uses and recommended the rezoning and special‑use permit with four conditions, including an ecological survey and habitat assessment. Attorney Nate Washburn and owner Matt Marchetti explained the property purchase and timing of tree removal, saying tree removal was scheduled months earlier and that any inadvertent clearing fell outside the window suggested by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Washburn said the applicant would comply with county landscaping requirements and the special‑use conditions if approved.

Speakers for the Will County Farm Bureau and the Will County Environmental Network urged delay or denial. Jackson Hogan (Will County Farm Bureau) said staff analysis left timing and scope unspecified and asked that a qualified biologist conduct a survey before any activity. The environmental network presented EcoCat (IDNR) output indicating the presence or vicinity records for osprey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s high‑potential zone for the federally endangered rusty patched bumblebee; the group also raised concerns about a karst aquifer and hydric soils on the parcel and asked that ecological, hydrogeologic and archaeological studies be completed before any rezoning.

Staff and applicant counsel said the IDNR EcoCat report contained recommendations and that the county’s staff condition requires compliance with IDNR recommendations as part of the permitting process. Counsel noted state permitting remains a separate review and argued wetlands or protected habitats identified by the state could prevent filling.

The committee rejected the map amendment (A1 to I2) in a roll‑call vote. On the special‑use permit, however, members voted to recommend approval to the full county board subject to the staff conditions, including the habitat assessment and the requirement that the applicant secure the site development permit (and satisfy state review) before beginning work. Staff explained that the special‑use conditions are enforced through the site‑development and permitting process; failure to comply could lead to revocation of the permit.

Next steps: The special‑use recommendation and the record of objections and conditions will go to the full Will County Board for final action. If state agencies (IDNR or the state permitting authority) decline required approvals, the project cannot proceed.