Will County committee recommends rezoning for Badger Daylight site in Homer Glen amid resident water and zoning concerns

The Will County Land Use and Development Committee recommended that the full County Board consider a map amendment that would rezone a roughly 36‑acre Homer Glen parcel to allow Badger Daylight Corporation to operate a hydro‑excavation facility there.

Staff told the committee that since the case was continued last month the Forest Preserve had submitted a letter of intent to acquire the northern portion of the property, and that Badger and village officials had negotiated concessions. Cas Wendland, attorney for Badger, said the company agreed to shift the building, provide an additional 50‑foot buffer to adjacent neighbors, install a larger berm and create an entrance designed to reduce truck traffic.

"We appreciate the opportunity to work with the village and neighbors," Wendland said, asking the committee to move the case forward.

Why it matters: Residents and municipal officials said the map amendment — which would convert substantial R‑2 (residential) acreage to C‑4 (commercial) — could open the door to more intensive commercial or industrial uses on a corridor the village considers part of a future commercial spine.

Residents told the committee they remain unconvinced about water and nuisance impacts. "Last week I found out my well needs to go deeper—I’m going to spend $20,000 minimum for my well," said Joyce Hale, who lives three or four houses from the site and said wells in Cedar Glen are already failing. Kathy Reinhardt, another neighbor, warned that wells at 325 feet have required deeper drilling and said she could not believe Badger would permanently pay to haul water for ongoing truck operations unless that promise were documented.

Committee members also pressed Badger and county staff about whether the company could ever store contaminated or hazardous material on site. Staff and the company representatives said Badger is not licensed to store hazardous waste and that, under current county zoning rules, a text amendment could be used to make any restriction binding before such a use could occur. The county attorney said a special‑use approval and state licensure could, in some circumstances, allow uses that are otherwise not practiced today.

Sue Styling, Homer Township supervisor, and Christina Neitzke Troiki, mayor of Homer Glen, urged caution. Troiki said the village had worked to find an alternate, more industrial site and that rezoning this parcel would change the community’s long‑term plan. "This property does not belong in Homer Glen in this location," the mayor said, urging the committee to honor the village’s comprehensive plan.

Despite the residents’ objections, the committee voted to forward a favorable recommendation to the full County Board for final action next week.

The next procedural step is consideration of the committee’s recommendation at the full County Board meeting (the committee’s recommendation does not itself rezone the property).