Texaco-chevron Lockport

10.03.07


To: Lockport & City Council


Introduction

Citizens Against Ruining the Environment-C.A.R.E. understands that the Transload Facility concept is not scheduled to reappear before Council until October 17, 2007, but we wanted to come before, not only the Council but also to inform the residents of our town. C.A.R.E. has already met with each individual Council member and made a presentation with information of C.A.R.E.’s vision for the Texaco site. Unfortunately, because of prior commitments, we did not get the chance to meet with the Mayor, City Administrator or City Planner, so we have brought this information tonight to be entered into the City Record.

Citizens against Ruining the Environment ~ C.A.R.E. is an all volunteer non profit organization established in 1995 to oppose a wood burning incinerator.

CARE’s mission is to research educate and assist in all areas that may have detrimental effects to our health and environment. We create awareness and present facts.

In early 1995 CARE asked Texaco why they had not cleaned the rusty dilapidated tanks. A short time later Texaco answered our question by painting over their Logo. Texaco/CARE Since then CARE has spent countless hours with Chevron/Texaco, IEPA, Attorneys, public hearings & meetings reviewed blue prints, topography waterways, reviewed inspection and quarterly reports and researched companies as they requested entrance to Lockport. The Chicago Legal Clinic & TOSC also donated time working with CARE during the clean up process. (TOSC 8.31.07)

TOSC Letter on screen

Although TOSC is not available at this time to assist C.A.R.E. they have sent a letter to us of support and reference for C.A.R.E.’s involvement/input in the environmental decision making in Lockport and the surrounding area,

A quote from the letter from TOSC states that:

“this letter is for use by your group to help document & verify your positive track record in raising valid issues that have resulted in good public input & government decisions regarding the environmental health & safety in & around the Lockport area.”






The Site


Maras Letter - on screen

We have a letter from the Illinois EPA dated July 11, 2007 stating that the Texaco site has been remediated to higher standards than M1 & M2. IEPA provided a chart of the remediated parcels at the site and their land use restrictions.

Quote
“The cleanup work done so far at the site frees these completed parcels for either commercial or industrial redevelopment, except for the 21 acres of Area 3A & the Bike Trail parcels (Areas 5A, C, D, & E) where there is no land use restriction; these select parcels may be developed for any reuse scenario. I hope this clarifies that the future use possibilities for any of these completed parcels could include either, or both, commercial & industrial uses”.

Approx. 122 acres have been remediated on the Texaco site. The soil has been removed down to bedrock, the bedrock was cleaned and sealed and new soil has been brought in. When finalized there will be approx 200 acres of prime real estate remediated and available. The last time this much land was available near Historic Downtown Lockport was 1911.


Annexation Agreement & Zoning

The Annexation Agreement & Zoning Can Be Changed if the City & Texaco agree –

Just because a Transload facility is allowed under the current zoning does not mean that the City of Lockport allows it to come in! If that was the case in 1995, today we would be looking & breathing contaminated air from a wood burning incinerator on New Ave.

By working with Texaco the City of Lockport has the power to re open and re negotiate the Annexation agreement and downzone this site to environmentally friendly Commercial and or Light Industrial.

Its current zoning of M1 & M2 was agreed upon prior to the Extensive Cleanup of the site. ” With zoning changes this is Lockport’s opportunity to create a development that can coexist with our historic downtown area, bring high employment opportunities, and tax relief while being “environmentally friendly.”

As this site is surrounded by residential properties it should no longer allow any businesses such as industrial facilities, freight trains & trucks to be operating on a 24/7 basis.









Transload

We appreciate the fact that the city had previously tabled the request for a transload facility. It is not only CARE & local residents but also Main Street’s opinion that a Transload Facility or any high manufacturing or industrial is no longer appropriate for this location & will be detrimental to Lockport.

Joliet & Crete are also in opposition to Transload facilities. Joliet stated “25 years ago we would have been salivating at something like this, we’ve learned a lot in 25 years”! They are concerned with too many trucks on the roads, cargo containers littering the landscape, and lost opportunities for more desirable land development. They also stated they don’t want to be “known as the truck capital of the US, if not the world.” (9.16.07 Joliet Herald)

Transmodal facilities may seem like they are the wave of the future for some locations but NOT Lockport. This facility cannot provide the jobs or tax revenue that commercial, corporate offices or tax producing recreational facilities can provide for Lockport. Green roofs on a Transmodal facility won’t do the trick! Canadian National can profess to be environmentally friendly but no freight business will compliment our historic area or Lockport.

A study “Critical Cargo” states that the majority of jobs in the trucking industry are Truck Driving jobs. It is also suggested that the rail industry receive ‘‘federal funding of $20 million for public planning” & states that the short-haul trucking is already at 1/2 a million a day or 28% of the interstate & truck arterials which cannot handle the already overburdened roadways.

This Transload Facility will have unlimited diesel fuel freight trains & thousands of trucks from the entire Midwest entering & leaving the facility. This most definitely can be a threat to our health, environment & homeland security. With the new I-355 ramps in Lockport, growth with the other industrial areas currently being approved for Lockport our infrastructure will not be able to handle this growth. The money being offered by this developer will not cover the losses to our community & will destroy the North end of Lockport and Doom the historic downtown district, while the South & East ends are being developed.

The future redevelopment of the downtown can be accomplished by requesting bond money.

Highest & Best Use

CARE is repeatedly hearing that the highest & best use for the Texaco property is M1 & M2 because of the freight trains & the shipping canal.

Why are we bringing in the terminology of ‘Highest & Best Use’ which is a Real Estate term typically used by appraisers for estimating market value? Fortunately since the City of Lockport does not own the Texaco site it’s NOT the Mayor or the City Councils obligation to worry about the highest & best use for this developer, as you only have to worry about the assets & tax revenue to the residents of our community. Bringing in a transload facility is not the highest & best use for the North end of Lockport.

The city has not marketed the Texaco property. Texaco has marketed this as manufacturing if this property was marketed as commercial or light industrial, indoor recreation areas etc. that would then create a new highest & best use.



Hines Emerald Dragonfly habitat

C.A.R.E. would be remiss in our obligation as an Environmental Group not to mention the surrounding wetland and endangered species including the Hines Emerald Dragonfly. We
are extremely concerned, That’s why CARE has retained counsel concerning this matter to make sure everything within the Endangered Species Act is adhered to.


CARE, local residents & Main Street are in total agreement that a freight yard and transload facility Can Not be an asset to Lockport but only a liability that will destroy the future of this area.

It’s vital to have businesses that bring in more than trucking into a community. Don’t base the entire City of Lockport on the trucking industry, freight & warehousing just because the surrounding towns are doing that. What’s the hurry? Land will in all probability be more valuable in 5 years. Local residents want Lockport to be known for something other than a trucking & freight hub. Let’s put Lockport on the map as a hub for recreational facilities, Parks, theatres, Banquet Halls, Convention centers, and hotels along with everything we already have to offer such as our Historic downtown, Dellwood Park, Museums, Festivals, the Pioneer Village, and the Canal Walk for these and the nearby activities such as NASCAR, the new Nike Dome, Joliet gambling

Many residents in Lockport remember their parents & grandparents talking about how people came to Lockport by train & streetcar. They came for the uniqueness of Lockport’s historic downtown area, the features of the I&M canal and the historic Dellwood Park area. Lockport is a great town . You as elected representatives should strive to keep this a town we can all be proud to say “We are from Lockport Illinois.”

We would like to introduce Steve Streit who will present some renderings of CARE’s concepts for the Texaco Site. Steve is a local resident, on the Board of Mainstreet, and a CARE Member.

Citizens Against Ruining the Environment ~ C.A.R.E.
PO Box 536
Lockport, IL 60441

Directors:
Ellen Rendulich, 815-834-1611
Carol Stark, 815-838-1483
Sandy Burcenski, 815-838-1442