Veterans Speak Before The Joliet City Council In Opposition To NorthPoint Development

Veterans came out in full force Tuesday night at the Joliet City Council meeting where NorthPoint executives made a surprise presentation that was not on the agenda. They touted the benefits of NorthPoint.

Joliet’s Stone City VFW Commander Kevin Pomykala along with dozens of veterans held signs and spoke in opposition to NorthPoint’s request to annex more than 12-hundred acres of land in Joliet to build their Compass Business Park. Commander Pomykala spoke before the council.

“We see a problem every day with truck traffic,” said Commander Kevin Pomykala. “Semi trucks using GPS are getting lost, driving into Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and driving on top of veterans’ graves.”

In a joint statement, Wilmington VFW Post 5422 Commander Terry Cerutti and Midewin Tallgrass Prairie Alliance President Gerald Heinrich opposed NorthPoint because the project abuts the prairie on Hoff Road, which is also the entrance to the cemetery.

Ty Keller, who serves on the memorial squad, and heads the Veterans Outreach Services of Illinois stole the show with an emotional speech about burying his comrades. He said “you” to the council, You had no problem asking us our opinion when you needed us to serve and protect, but now you don’t care about our opinion.

Below is the footprint of the proposed NorthPoint Compass Business Park in red.

This is the 2020 proposed Compass Business Park as an overlay on top of satellite imagery of the actual location. The borders of Compass are in red. It covers approximately 2900+ acres (~4.5 square miles) and is approximately 3.5 miles wide by 5 miles long. It is also more than 6 miles from any major expressway.

Here are the organizations who have expressed strong opposition to NorthPoint:

· Will County Sheriffs’ Department Deputies F.O.P. Labor Union

· Joliet Stone City VFW Post 2199

· Cunningham Neighborhood Council

· Preston Heights Neighborhood Council

· Ridgeview Subdivision Association

· American Legion Post 935

· VFW Post 5422

· Operation Care Package

· K-9s for Veteran Warriors

· Cheers to the Warriors

· Veterans Outreach Services of Illinois

· Will County Executive Larry Walsh, Sr

· Bishop Steven Evans & Leap of Faith Ministries

· Midewin Alliance

· Sierra Club

· Openlands

· Warehouse Workers for Justice

· Manhattan School District 114

· Village of Elwood

· Jackson Township

· Manhattan Township

· Elwood Fire Protection District

· Elwood CC School District 203

On March 17th the Joliet City Council will vote to annex 12-hundred acres. NorthPoint has asked the city of Joliet to annex 1,260 acres of land 1/2 mile south of Breen Road and East of Chicago Road for the development of the Compass Business Park.

The Say No To NorthPoint is holding two informational meetings. The first will occur on Thursday, March 5th at Knights of Columbus Hall on Infantry Drive. Then on Monday, March 9th at Croatia Hall, doors open at 6 pm with a presentation at 7 pm.