Homewood trustees approved a resolution formally opposing a proposed power plant in Glenwood. The Homewood resolution, approved at the March 26 village board meeting, urges municipal officials and other authorities in Glenwood to reconsider allowing construction of the plant. Mayor Richard Hofeld said a copy was sent to the office of Glenwood Mayor Ronald Gardiner.
Homewood trustees approved a resolution formally opposing a proposed power plant in Glenwood.
Homewood Board of Trustees
urges Glenwood officials
to reconsider granting
approval for a proposed
natural gas power plant.
(Provided image)
Oak Meadow Energy of Boston proposed a 1,250 megawatt, natural gas electricity-generating plant on the west side of Cottage Grove Avenue north of Joe Orr Road. Environmental activists say the plant would pollute the air in the south suburbs and potentially lower property values.
Proponents of the plant say it would create jobs and create $4 million in tax revenue.
The Homewood resolution, approved at the March 26 village board meeting, urges municipal officials and other authorities in Glenwood to reconsider allowing construction of the plant. Mayor Richard Hofeld said a copy was sent to the office of Glenwood Mayor Ronald Gardiner.
Gardiner did not respond to The Chronicle’s request for comment.
Homewood “believes that emissions from the power plant could be harmful to the environment which could impose a long-term and detrimental impact on residents and businesses of the south suburbs and areas of northwest Indiana,” the ordinance reads.
The board approved the resolution 5-0. Trustee Jay Heiferman was absent. At a previous board meeting, Heiferman said he was personally opposed to the plant proposal.
“This is my tenth year on the board and I can’t think of another instance in which we have commented on or criticized the actions of another village or town. That should be noted, that this is something that is of such importance that the board is doing this,” Trustee Barbara Dawkins said. “This is a really important, drastic measure that we’re taking here.”
Dawkins encouraged people to continue to attend meetings in Glenwood and write politicians at both the state and local levels.
Glenwood residents and activists in the audience applauded during the public comment portion of the meeting. Some of them also attended a meeting earlier this month and asked the Homewood board to formally oppose the power plant.
“I’ve been in local government for 44-plus years and this is the first time I’ve seen a board take action like this, so you know how important it is to us,” Trustee Larry Burnson said.
Glenwood released a request for proposal on March 20 seeking experts to analyze Oak Meadows’ 370-page application. That application includes a local assessment report that includes emissions, a property value impact report, a traffic impact study and a noise impact study. Glenwood is seeking independent experts to analyze those reports.
The deadline for those proposals is April 15. Glenwood plans to conduct interviews with consultants who submit proposals between April 30 and May 3.