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Residents tell Joliet council Love’s truck stop construction is unsafe, causing service disruptions
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Summary
Residents near a new Love’s truck stop told the Joliet City Council their neighborhood faces permit problems, blocked mail and garbage service, generator noise, unstable roads and a 500-gallon flammable tank too close to homes; city staff said they will look into the complaints.
At the Joliet City Council meeting on April 21, nearby residents pressed the council to act on construction impacts from a new Love’s truck stop project, describing permit delays, blocked services and potential safety hazards.
Diane Matter, who lives adjacent to the site, listed issues she said residents are experiencing: missing city permits, an uninstalled traffic signal at Briggs and New Lenox Road (with IDOT now involved), no advance notice of road closures, disrupted mail and garbage collection, loud generator operation, soft/unstable road surfaces on New Lenox Road, and a 500-gallon flammable tank placed close to the road and homes. "We are prisoner in our own homes," Matter said, asking the council to "protect residents before you protect this project."
Matter said some residents have seen enforcement staff and that an officer named Sean had been working with neighbors, but she urged more timely city action and clearer communications on construction schedules and safety steps.
Council members and staff acknowledged the complaints and said they would investigate. The city manager later told the council the city still accepts anonymous inquiries and that staff would look into the FOIA/portal question raised by another public speaker earlier in the meeting; council members urged staff to clarify permit and enforcement status for the Love’s project.
The council did not take formal action on the Love’s complaints during the meeting; residents were advised to provide photos and documentation to staff so the city can follow up with the developer and any involved state agencies.
