Will County Committee Approves Rezoning, Denies Landfill Permit for Former Joliet Beach Club Site

Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025

Article Summary: The Will County Land Use and Development Committee on Thursday narrowly approved rezoning the former Joliet Beach Club property for industrial use but rejected a special use permit that would have allowed ongoing clean debris fill operations, leaving the site’s future uncertain after a contentious hearing.

Rowell Ave CCDD Facility Key Points:

• The committee voted 3-2, with one abstention, to approve rezoning the 16.88-acre property at 420 Rowell Ave from Commercial Recreational (C-6) to General Industrial (I-2).

• A subsequent motion for a special use permit to allow Clean Construction or Demolition Debris (CCDD) fill operations failed on a 2-3 vote, with one abstention.

• The applicant, Rowell Ave LLC, was seeking to rectify a violation for filling the former quarry without proper county permits.

• Residents raised significant concerns about truck traffic, safety near schools, road conditions, and environmental impacts.

JOLIET, IL — The Will County Land Use and Development Committee on Thursday, November 6, 2025, delivered a split decision on the controversial redevelopment of the former Joliet Beach Club, approving an industrial rezoning for the property while denying a permit for the landfill-style operation that prompted the request.

The committee first voted 3-2 to recommend approval of a map amendment rezoning the 16.88-acre property at 420 Rowell Ave. from C-6 Commercial Recreational to I-2 General Industrial. However, in a subsequent vote, a special use permit to allow Clean Construction or Demolition Debris Fill Operations (CCDD) failed 2-3. Both votes included one abstention.

The applicant, Gary Schumal of Rowell Ave LLC, was seeking to resolve an open violation for filling the man-made lake on the property—a former quarry—without the necessary county permits. The operation already possesses a state permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. According to county ordinance, CCDD operations are only permitted in industrial zones with a special use permit.

During a lengthy public comment period, several residents voiced strong opposition. Betsy Satcher, a homeowner in the area for nearly 50 years, emphasized concerns over health and safety, particularly with increased truck traffic on Rowell Avenue, the site’s only access point. “No matter how you get in and out, you’re going to be coming past schools,” Satcher said, referencing nearby Woodland, Thompson, and Washington schools. “We are concerned about the safety of our children and the quality of health for our lives.”

Megan Cooper raised issues of potential flooding, the poor condition of Rowell Avenue, and the proximity to Thompson School, which serves students with special needs.

Kenneth Carlson, an attorney for the applicant, argued that the project offered a significant community benefit by filling the spring-fed lake, which he stated discharges up to a million gallons of water daily into the city’s storm sewer system. “As filling occurs on this property… the goal there is to stop that discharge, which of course then has the function of rehabilitating the aquifer,” Carlson said. He added that the fill operations would be primarily for Mr. Schumal’s own construction company, Austin Tyler Construction, allowing him to control truck traffic and routes.

Committee member Denise Winfrey sided with residents, stating, “This then presents a lot more dust, a lot more traffic for those residents. So, I’m not in favor of this.”

The Planning and Zoning Commission had previously voted 4-2 to recommend approval of both the rezoning and the special use permit, with an added condition requiring the City of Joliet to review any future industrial development plans for the site.

The committee’s split decision sends the rezoning proposal to the full Will County Board with a recommendation for approval, but without the special use permit needed for the fill operation to continue legally under county ordinance.