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Ladd board approves acquisition of 40-acre slag pile, names park for Dominic P. Palmeri
Summary
The Ladd Village Board voted 6-0 to accept about 40 acres of slag pile property offered by the Walsh family and agreed to name the resulting park after owner Dominic P. Palmeri. Residents raised environmental concerns; officials said a Brownfield grant should cover cleanup costs but likely not engineering.
The Ladd Village Board voted 6-0 on May 12 to authorize Village President Frank Cattani to sign a contract to acquire roughly 40 acres of a former slag pile from the Walsh family and to name the park after property owner Dominic P. Palmeri.
Residents at the meeting raised concerns about potential contamination and buried diesel fuel, with Phil Hocking reporting "a lot of diesel fuel spills, contamination, and buried also." Clerk Sammi Sarosinski told the board that, based on what she had learned, the Brownfield grant would "cover 100%" of cleanup costs though she cautioned engineering costs are likely not included. Attorney Patrick Barry said he would obtain a legal description from the title company and check for liens or other concerns and that the council could terminate the acquisition if issues emerged.
Supporters said the property could become a community asset. Bill Cattani said he had observed reclamation work and that there were three feet of dirt and clay across the pile; others disagreed over past remediation details. Neil and Trevor Petzel offered to lead a pollinator garden on the site and noted grant opportunities to support that reuse.
Next steps include completing title work and any outstanding legal reviews before closing. The authorization motion was made by Trustee Bernie Victor and seconded by Trustee Brad Nicholson; the motion carried with all six trustees voting aye.
