Trantina Farm FAQ

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– POSSIBLE EVENT CENTER TO BE BUILT HERE – 

50 Acres in Unincorporated Homer Township. The Township intends to annex this land into the Village of Homer Glen.

MONEY FROM THE SALE OF TWO OTHER FARMS, (Purdy & Paul) MAY BE USED TO CREATE AN EVENT CENTER ON THE NORTH TRANTINA SECTION!

STOP THE LIQUIDATION OF TWO FARMS TO BULD AN EVENT CENTER HERE!

              $7,462,000 !!    

What have they been planning? This is a much bigger idea than the Pole Barn residents voted for. No wonder they want to sell off 140 acres of Open Space! We know they will say, "This is just a proposal". Really? Where did the designer get the idea to create such an expensive "proposal"? Did Township officials say, "sketch us up a Pole Barn with some parking" and the designer came back with this elaborate and expensive plan? Our Township officials are really dreaming big. They already spent over $12,000 to figure out how to spend $7,460,000 more by selling off two of our Open Space Farms without asking the residents! (click on the link below)

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/ffcd0af9-e611-4cbc-93ac-8f76942204f7/downloads/Trantina%20Plan%20Invoice%20%26%20checks%202.pdf?ver=1665913667946

The current Homer Township administration announced their plans are "already in the making" to "Transform Trantina Farm" into an "Event Center" with "parking for 1,000-1500+ cars", adding roads, parking, pavilions and a large fountain. Recently the Township Supervisor said they reduced the parking to 300 cars but we really don’t know how many cars they ultimately want there because they have not allowed the public to see any of the details of the plans they have been making. The intense development "proposal" would devastate what is currently a rural piece of land that has had some modest improvements and contains natural areas.

They plan this facility as a money generating operation so it will have to be operational often enough to create a significant revenue stream. They also plan to annex this land into The Village of Homer Glen. They gave Homer Glen the township's parks, maybe they will give them this too once they get it built.

Large scale events would bring increased traffic and noise to the area of 151st street and Gougar Rd. The need for turn lanes would mean expensive road improvements for taxpayers. The only playground in that area of the township may be removed and the historic Austin Welter barn will be removed. The barn was saved by the township with much needed assistance by the donations of Homer Township residents.

The rental house on the north side of the property is not seen on the plan the current administration is promoting. The income from the rental house in the past has been put into the Open Space Fund. If this rental house is demolished for their plan that income will no longer be available. 

YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO HEAR WHAT THE PLAN IS UNTIL THEY SELL THE PURDY FARM AND THE PAUL FARM TO PAY FOR IT. THEY SAY THEY WILL HAVE A WORKSHOP ON THIS IN NOVEMBER. TO LATE TO OBJECT TO THE SALE OF THE OTHER FARMS

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Other than a pretty picture and some simple language no detailed information has been provided as to how their over developed plan will be paid for and how many employees will need to be added to book and operate the facility. The current administration's plan is significantly larger than what had been previously proposed. Where are the funds to construction and maintain their plan going to come from? They plan to sell The Paul Farm and The Purdy Farm, liquidating public assets, and use those monies to build the event center on Trantina Farm. We will lose two big farms and lose regular access to Trantina Farm as they have plans for this event center to generate revenue so they will need to have it booked up frequently to make that happen.

Trantina Dog Park is on the South side of 151st street. Mowed trails for walking go around and behind the dog park.

In November of 2020 an advisory referendum regarding the Trantina Farm was placed on the ballot for voters to weigh in.
 

THE ADVISORY REFERENDUM: “Shall the Homer Township Board in accordance with its Open Space Program pursue grant funding WITHOUT increasing or adding any new real estate taxes, for the purposes of constructing a multipurpose, pole barn style structure to be used for educational, environmental, recreational and social community activities?”

The referendum was approved by voters. They were in favor of a pole barn being built on the property using grant funding. Original discussions, under the previous administration, about the site mentioned additional parking for only 150-300 cars. The current Homer Township administration’s plan goes way beyond the scope of the question asked of voters in the referendum and creates a commercial level facility with five times the parking. That is not what voters voted for.

Some History on Supervisor Balich's Previous Objections to an Event Center at Trantina Farm

In July of 2019, before the current Township Supervisor, Steve Balich was elected Supervisor the previous administration was considering possible improvements to the Trantina Farm. That plan maintained the rural character of the Trantina farm without over developing it. Mr. Balich spoke at the township meeting raising objection to that rural concept plan for the Trantina farm that was being discussed. Quoting from the July 2019 minutes Mr. Balich said:

“In regard to the Community/Event Center Mr. Balich added he is concerned about the possibility of the people being taxed for this center. While he acknowledges that may not happen now during the current Board’s term (which was 2019) he fears it may happen later. He is concerned that an Event Center of this nature competes with other local for-profit businesses as well. Mr. Balich contends that this is a for-profit Event Center based on previous conversation. He stated that he didn’t know that we were going to a Socialist or Communist Township. He fears since the State Statute says the Township “may” tax the people for a facility of this type that it could happen in the future.”-July 2019 Minutes of Homer Township
 

We do not know why Supervisor Balich is now in support of a more intense development of the Trantina Farm into a commercial level event center with parking for 1,500+ cars as stated in the Township flyer produced under his administration,  which is five times more parking than what was being discussed in 2019 when he objected to it. Also, his previous concerns that a Homer Township Event Center may compete with existing for-profit businesses or create the potential for tax increases seems to not be an issue anymore for him even though the Event Center he is in support of now is more likely to compete with existing for-profit business and require much more revenue or tax increases to build and maintain it.

Such a level of development on Open Space goes against the reasons that voters wanted dedicated Open Space to begin with. The current administration’s plan of 2022 creates or proposes the type of plan that forward thinking voters were trying to prevent by purchasing land for the Open Space Program. This level of development increases traffic and diminishes natural areas, the exact opposite of what voters wanted and exactly what they were trying to prevent. 

Location:

15800 W. 151st Street, Homer Glen (for navigation, not a mailing address) 

Parking available on both the north and south sides of 151st St. This property is not in Homer Glen or Lockport. It is an unincorporated property. The Trantina Farm is split by 151st street Trantina Farm Site, Austin- Welter Barn, Silo, Grainery, playground, picnic shelter and nature trail is on the North side of 151st street.