Open Letter To: The Mayor of Joliet, and Members of the Joliet City Council
Regarding: NorthPoint Development’s proposed mega-Industrial (warehouse) park to be located between Elwood and Manhattan.
As elected officials, it is expected that you will put the best interests of your constituents and residents of Will County above those of private corporations such as NorthPoint Development.
As you are aware, the residents of Elwood, Manhattan, and nearby rural areas have vehemently expressed overwhelming opposition to NorthPoint’s proposal. If NorthPoint’s warehouse complex were to be approved by the Joliet City Council, the mega industrial warehouse park would result in thousands of additional intermodal/warehouse trucks, and thousands of associated worker vehicles plying our local roads and highways.
There would be increased highway congestion, lighting issues, the unending sound of rumbling trucks, safety concerns, and, in general, a deterioration of quality of life for those directly and those indirectly impacted by the warehouse park and associated vehicle traffic. In addition, the proposed industrial warehouse and associated traffic would negatively impact U.S. Forest Service Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.
Currently, Will County, in cooperation with CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning), are developing a comprehensive, regional, transportation plan, i.e. Moving Will County, that will hopefully address many, of the problems associated with warehouse complex development and associated truck and other vehicle traffic. I implore that you do not make plans to address NorthPoint’s proposal until AFTER the Will County/CMAP Moving Will County Study is completed and recommendations are made.
Mr. Mayor: In a recent speech, you referenced NorthPoint’s intermodal facility in Edgerton, Kansas, with words of praise, insinuating that you expect that the proposed Joliet facility would also be worthy of praise and accolades. Please consider, there is a very important, primary difference between NorthPoint’s Kansas facility and the proposed Joliet Facility. The Kansas Facility has direct access to a major Interstate highway, while the proposed Joliet Facility would be located in the middle of a rural area, miles from an interstate highway, and WITHOUT direct access to I-55, I-80, I-355, or I-57.
Please act in a manner that will ensure that our local roads and highways do not become de facto truck routes, and act to ensure that the lives of residents of Elwood, Manhattan, and nearby rural areas are not needlessly impacted.
Thank you.
Jerry Heinrich, President
Midewin Tallgrass Prairie Alliance
Joliet, Illinois
Mr. Mayor
Please please don’t just think about yourself and a small area of people when you consider this project. As it effects so many people in different areas of will county. Especially towards the south end. I am praying that you say no to this because you were elected to do what the people want.
There are many reasons to say NO! Go some place else – We already have one of the biggest areas in the country covered with miles of warehouses. Can’t even make turns on or off roads because of the long line of semis. The beauty and natural habitat faces further destruction in the area. They already drive through our National Veterans cemetery and this area is losing the beauty of Midewin if you continue this unnecessary expansion. Please say NO to NorthPoint -the area can’t handle more trucks and congestion and the tax payers end up burdened with the cost for all the roads.
This is a national treasure, and must be protected. Imagine future generations, staring at photos of prairie lands and wildlife and wondering why it was all traded for a bunch of empty, abandoned warehouses, stacks of rusting containers and acres of asphalt.
Thank you Midewin!!! This project is not a good idea! It is just bad all the way around!
No immediate access to interstates OR rail. What are you thinking? Keep our air clean. Say NO to northpoint.