[Updated at 9:55 a.m. Saturday]
Oak Meadow Energy LLC has notified Glenwood officials that it will no longer pursue the development of a controversial electricity generating plant in the village.
In a letter dated Wednesday, March 27, addressed to Glenwood residents, Mayor Ronald Gardiner announced Oak Meadow’s decision and provided a brief history of the project.
[Updated at 9:55 a.m. Saturday]
Oak Meadow LLC notified Glenwood that it will no longer pursue the development of a controversial electricity-generating plant in the village.
In a letter dated Wednesday, March 27, addressed to Glenwood residents, Mayor Ronald Gardiner announced the company’s decision and provided a brief history of the project.
opposition with “No Power
Plant” signs at the Feb. 26
zoning meeting. (Chronicle
file photo)
Gardiner said he was first approached in 2017 by Advanced Power, parent company of Oak Meadow, about the possibility of locating the plant in Glenwood. He said the company presented the concept in September 2018, but it was not until the company filed its 370-page zoning application on Jan. 14 that village officials saw a detailed version of the plan.
“From the very beginning, I felt that this potential project presented many opportunities but needed to be carefully evaluated to make sure that it did not negatively impact the village,” he wrote in the letter.
Glenwood recently issued a request for proposals to engage a consultant for independent analysis of the project’s impact.
That analysis is no longer necessary, Gardiner said, but added that the village “will continue to pursue economic development and only approve projects that are in the best interests of Glenwood’s citizens.”
In a statement provided to The Chronicle, Advanced Power said it decided not to proceed with development “after extensive due diligence.”
“We’ve truly enjoyed working with village officials as well as residents and local business owners,” Oak Meadow Project Manager Kyle Kekeisen said. “At this point, we need to step back and reevaluate regional needs and how best to meet them.”
Oak Meadow applied for zoning changes and a special use permit to operate a natural gas-powered plant at the southeast edge of Glenwood near the intersection of Cottage Grove Avenue and Joe Orr Road.
Oak Meadow officials said they expected the plant to create new jobs and provide $4 million in tax revenue.
At a Glenwood board of zoning appeals meeting Feb. 26, company officials said the state-of-the-art plant would comply with state environmental safety regulations.
But the proposed plant generated organized opposition, not only from Glenwood residents but from neighboring communities, including Homewood and Flossmoor. A number of H-F residents spoke out against the proposal at the zoning meeting, citing environmental and health concerns.
The Homewood Board of Trustees passed a resolution on March 26 urging Glenwood officials to decline the Oak Meadow application.
Reporter David P. Funk contributed information to this story.
Related stories:
- Homewood urges Glenwood to reconsider power plant approval (March 29, 2019)
- Area residents opposed to power plant speak out at Glenwood zoning meeting(March 1, 2019)
