Mokena Officials Deny Special Use Request For Potential Crematorium In Corporate Corridors North Business Park

Mokena IL

27 August, 2021

4:01 PM

Description

By Jon DePaolis, Richard Free Press: MOKENA, Ill. — A request by a local business owner to operate a crematorium in the Corporate Corridors North Business Park was denied by the Village of Mokena Board of Trustees Monday, Aug. 23. The board members voted 6-0 to reject the special use permit request from Jacob Vandenberg, of Will County Cremation and Vandenberg Funeral Homes, to operate a crematorium in an industrial building at 18781 S. 90th Ave. Mayor Frank Fleischer also asked to have a ceremonial vote in favor of denying the request be recorded. After the vote was conducted, a group of residents who were in attendance applauded the decision. The site would have occupied 3,200 square feet of the 40,000-square-foot, multitenant building. Mokena Economic and Community Development Director Alan Zordan said the Aug. 23 meeting was the seventh time over roughly 11 months that the item had been discussed publicly During the discussion, Zordan detailed some of the terms and conditions that would have been required of the applicant had the special use permit been approved. Some of those included: that the business would not be used for animal or pet cremations or any waste materials; private viewings would be allowed but the room could not be used for public or private funeral home services; and that there would be no visible air emissions or odors beyond the property line. Later in the meeting, the trustees also voted 6-0 to approve awarding the fiscal year (FY) 2022 street maintenance program to P.T. Ferro in the amount of $1.43 million. Assistant Public Works Director Dan Peloquin said it was the lowest of the four qualified bids that were received. "The work for this program generally consists of asphalt grinding, patching, longitudinal joint sealing, resurfacing and ancillary repairs," he said. "It's our major resurfacing program that we do annually." Peloquin said the program will cover approximately 3.4 miles of roads in the Grasmere subdivision, the Hiawatha Street area, and 195th Street (west of Wolf Road to Townline Road). Additionally, the trustees voted 6-0 to approve an agreement with Baxter Woodman to oversee the street maintenance program. "The [agreement] for construction inspection with Baxter Woodman engineering will be on an hourly basis in an amount not to exceed $45,000," Peloquin said. "The work will consist of construction inspection, project coordination and contract administration finalization." He added that the services will be provided locally out of Baxter Woodman's Mokena office. Earlier in the meeting, the trustees also voted 6-0 as part of the Consent Agenda to approve trick-or-treat hours for Sunday, Oct. 31, from 1 to 5 p.m. Richard Free Press is a one-stop destination for the news that most affects you, the southwest suburban resident. Be an informed citizen of the town you live in and love.