Homewood Taxpayers File Petition to Intervene in Calumet Country Club Disconnection Suit
HOMEWOOD, Ill. – March 12, 2021 — Five Homewood taxpayers have filed a motion to intervene in order to join the Village of Homewood as defendants in W&E Ventures’ (Diversified Partner, LLC) lawsuit seeking disconnection from the municipality of Homewood. The group and their attorney will hold a press conference at the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve’s eastern pavilion, located at 1100 Ridge Road, Homewood, at noon.
Homewood taxpayers Liz Varmecky, Casey Kueltzo, Danielle Nolen-Ragland, Kathy Jakubowksi, and Car Nortorangelo are asserting their right to intervene as taxpayers based on the disconnection statute, which states “the municipality from which disconnection is sought shall be made a defendant, and it, or any taxpayer residing in that municipality, may appear and defend against the petition.”
The taxpayers are being represented by Patrick Keating, an attorney who specializes in complex litigation. Keating said, “I am proud to represent these five individuals who are not fighting Village Hall, but are actually taking on the fight that Village Hall won't.” He adds, “We are confident we will succeed.”
The lawsuit, which Diversified joined in the autumn of 2020, was filed to disconnect the property formerly known as Calumet Country Club from the village of Homewood to skirt Homewood’s zoning codes. The developers of the property hope that they would be able to annex to the village of Hazel Crest to complete the project. “The developer's claims here have been based on a false, if not fraudulent claim, that our neighbor Hazel Crest would annex the land and give the developer free reign to destroy this greenspace. Yet, Hazel Crest's Mayor has publicly stated that he and the board of trustees don't approve of the developer's plans, and they don’t want to be in business with the developer.”
The Homewood Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve an unfavorable settlement of the lawsuit on January 26, 2021, which would require Homewood to rezone the land to light industrial and create a TIF to fund the development for 23 years. However, on March 9, 2021, the board voted against the developer’s application to rezone the land.
James Tunick, an experienced litigator in state and federal courts throughout the country who will assist with court hearings and trial work. South Suburbs for Greenspace over Concrete (SSGOC) is supporting their legal expenses.
About South Suburbs for Greenspace over Concrete
A multi-racial group of concerned residents of Homewood, Hazel Crest, East Hazel Crest, Flossmoor, Chicago Heights, South Holland and Glenwood formed in opposition to Diversified Partner LLC’s planned development of Calumet Country Club (2136 175th St, Homewood, IL 60430) into a fulfillment/trucking hub. The group is a campaign of SAFE.
About Illinois Southland Against Fossil Energy
Illinois Southland Against Fossil Energy was founded in response to the proposed gas-burning power plant in Glenwood. SAFE is building an inclusive, multi-racial coalition that believes the Southland needs and deserves a clean environment, clean government, healthy people, and a healthy economy.