Residents urge delay as Plan Commission backs Breen Road vacation tied to Route 53 bridge

The Joliet Plan Commission voted to recommend that City Council approve V-2-26, a request by TCIH Land Holdings LLC to vacate about 76,280 square feet of Breen Road east of Illinois Route 53 to accommodate a bridge landing tied to construction of the Eastgate Logistics Park.

Staff told commissioners the vacation and a plat of public utility easement are required so the developer can obtain an Illinois Department of Transportation permit for the Route 53 bridge landing; the annexation agreement for the development conditions certain east-side buildout on completion of that bridge.

Why it matters: The vacation would remove an existing roadway segment from the public street grid while the developer builds a bridge and related infrastructure. Residents said the change could limit passenger access, alter emergency routing and depress residential property values unless specific accommodations or buyouts are arranged.

During public comment, resident Scott Sheard said his property would be effectively surrounded and asked the commission to "hold this up until we get some agreements made with us property owners out there," adding he wanted to be bought out rather than left with a devalued parcel. Paul Boss, a longtime local highway commissioner, asked that the city require in writing that a replacement connecting road be completed before the existing segment is closed, citing fire department and safety concerns.

A project representative for the petitioner responded that the developer has a "good neighbor policy" and has communicated an offer of "some percentage over appraised value" to Mr. Sheard; the representative said talks with his legal counsel were anticipated. The representative also said current designs include an emergency-vehicle-only interconnection at the site marked for a truck barrier but that the developer is open to passenger-vehicle access if city traffic studies and staff recommend it.

Staff and the petitioner emphasized that the vacation is a discrete, preliminary step required by IDOT to permit the bridge landing and that final road configurations and any passenger-access decision will be addressed later in the platting process and subject to engineering review.

After the public comments and petitioner response, the Plan Commission approved a motion recommending the vacation and accompanying easement to City Council by roll call (ayes). The recommendation will go to a future City Council agenda for final action.

What’s next: City Council will consider the vacation ordinance and the accompanying plat of easement; detailed platting and final road designs, including any passenger-vehicle connections or promises to residents, will be decided in later review phases once preliminary plats are submitted.