FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2004
Contact: Matt Vanover
217-782-6953
TTY: 217-524-4875

Illinois Department of Transportation and Senator Halvorson Resolve Heatherbrook Estates Issue With South Suburban Airport

Brings Relief to Homeowners; Ends Years of Uncertainties
Airport Master Plan moving forward: keying in on details

Springfield, IL__The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced today that it is removing Heatherbrook Estates from the list of parcels needed for the South Suburban Airport (SSA). The decision to remove Heatherbrook Estates from the layout of the SSA is a result of the Department’s Master Plan discussions with state Senator Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson (D-Crete) and residents of the Heatherbrook Estates neighborhood. The master planning process identifies the specifics of the airport, encourages community input and allows for modification of the plan.

“For years, these people have their lives put on hold as the state tried to determine in what direction the South Suburban Airport was moving. Today’s announcement will bring relief to the homeowners, knowing the state no longer has any plans to raze their homes to make way for this airport,” Governor Blagojevich said.

When originally envisioned, the SSA included an East-West connector road between I-57 and IL Route 1/394. The Department has determined that the E/W connector should be a separate project, therefore reducing the land necessary to build the airport by approximately three thousand acres. By redesigning the size of the project, the department is minimizing costs and addressing public comments and concerns. This reduction in land acquisition will mean that certain properties already purchased for the airport will be sold, specifically parcels in Heatherbook Estates.

“Senator Debbie Halvorson has worked tirelessly to ensure that Heatherbrook residents have been engaged throughout this process,” said IDOT Secretary Tim Martin. “As we assessed our site and solicited input from the community, it has been determined that Heatherbrook is not needed in the airport layout.”

Acting on requests from Heatherbrook residents to assist them with their property issues, Halvorson says she felt it was a priority to negotiate the community’s release from the plan. “As Heatherbrook residents reached out to me for assistance, I felt compelled to help them with their situation,” said Halvorson. “I believe this is a reasonable settlement and I hope that it will give the residents the relief they have been seeking.”

The department is in the process of developing a plan to sell parcels no longer necessary for the SSA. The property will be sold at market value, and will be done so in a way as to not flood the local real estate market. In an effort to ensure residential land issues are handled in the best interest of all parties concerned, IDOT has requested the Will County State’s Attorney’s office to appoint an ombudsman to act as a liaison between landowners and IDOT.

IDOT expects the FAA to finalize its forecast on the department’s proposed size and usage some time this spring. Once the FAA completes its review, the department will initiate the next step in the Master Plan which addresses the facility requirements section and then create a new timeline for the development of the airport.

In the meantime, IDOT continues to solicit stakeholder involvement in the process. The second of three meetings of the local advisory group for the SSA will take place on Monday, May 24th from 6:30 – 9:00 pm at Governors State University. This meeting is open to the public as project planners seek additional input to be included in the Master Plan. IDOT expects to complete a draft master plan and submit to the FAA by the fall of this year.

As the department continues to focus on getting this project underway, a determination on partnerships is premature. “At this time, the Department has still not chosen a partner for the development of the South Suburban Airport,” said Martin. “We feel the focus should be on FAA approval of our forecast numbers and completing the Master Plan.”

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