Illinois community drops property deal after money issues, asbestos discovery
The community of Homer Glen, Illinois has dropped their deal to acquire the 98 acre Dunn Farm property. Homer Glen had wanted to use the site as a new community park, but unfortunately the deal has fallen through. Members of the village board voted unanimously to drop the deal, and the deal will be officially off the table as soon as Dunn Farm landowner Hickory Grove Investments returns the $10,000 in earnest money Homer Glen put up.
In addition to the poor economy, it is believed that asbestos concerns were also a reason that the deal is no longer being pursued. "I think we’re going to move back to square one," Trustee Laurel Ward, the co-chairman of the community and economic development committee, said. ”[A community park] is certainly something that is in our planning documents …. I would say it’s still an objective as the village. We can always benefit from hindsight, and when you know better, you do better."
Asbestos at some of the buildings at the Dunn Farm site was a major cause for concern. According to the US EPA, there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a relatively rare form of cancer that often affects the lining of the lungs, abdominal cavity, or even the membrane which encases the heart. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemotherapy, there is no known cure at the present time. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.
Village manager Paula Wallrich said that a meeting with a planning consultant might help solidify plans for a community park.
"There has been some question about whether everyone is on the same page," she said. "This would be a unifying exercise."
