PZC Approves Homer Township Landscape Business Despite Neighbor Concerns; Adds Berm Condition

Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | December 16, 2025

Article Summary: The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission approved a special use permit for a new landscape business on Cedar Road in Homer Township, adding a specific requirement for a berm to shield a neighboring home. The commission rejected stricter design standards requested by the Village of New Lenox, such as brick facades and paved storage lots.

Will County PZC Key Points:

• Approval: The commission voted 5-0 to approve the special use permit for Cedar Road Associates, LLC.

• New Condition: A third condition was added requiring a minimum 650-foot berm with evergreen plantings along the south property line to buffer a residential neighbor.

• New Lenox Rejection: The board and applicant declined the Village of New Lenox’s request for brick building facades and paved storage areas, opting for metal siding and gravel for drainage.

• Traffic Safety: Access to the site will require a permit and potential right-of-way dedication approved by the Will County Division of Transportation.

The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, voted to recommend approval for a special use permit allowing a landscape business to operate on Cedar Road, but not before adding specific protections for a neighboring homeowner.

The applicant, Cedar Road Associates, LLC, represented by attorney Richard Kavanagh and agent Luke Loboz, plans to relocate an existing landscape and maintenance business to a 17.33-acre site at 17958 S. Cedar Road in Homer Township. The plan includes a 16,000-square-foot storage building with an attached office and outdoor storage bins.

While the property is in Homer Township, it falls within the Village of New Lenox’s planning area. The Village of New Lenox had submitted a letter of “no objection” provided the applicant met nine conditions, including requiring a brick facade on the building and paving all gravel surfaces with concrete or asphalt.

Kavanagh pushed back on those specific village requests during the hearing.

“We would prefer not to have to put brick on the front of the building. It’s an agricultural building… brick appears to be sort of out of left field,” Kavanagh said. Regarding the paving request, he noted, “We would much prefer gravel for the storage area in the back because at least it will allow some of the water to seep into the ground.”

The commission did not include the village’s design strictures in their motion. However, the primary point of contention during the hearing was the impact on the residential property directly to the south, owned by John and Jennifer Feith.

The Feiths voiced concerns regarding noise from heavy machinery, diesel fumes, and the visual impact of the operation near their home, which is currently under construction.

“Our biggest concern is the noise,” John Feith told the commission. “I think he has a front loader… that’s going to go and scrape those rocks and whatever the building materials are early in the morning to dump them onto the trucks.”

Jennifer Feith added that they purchased their land assuming the surrounding area would remain agricultural or become forest preserve. “We weren’t under the assumption that things could just change by going to court and become commercial,” she said.

To address these concerns, Chairman Hugh Stipan proposed a specific condition to mitigate sound and sightlines. The commission voted to require the installation of a minimum 650-foot berm topped with evergreen plantings along the south property line. This berm is intended to shield the residence while avoiding existing tree lines and drainage swales on the edges of the property.

The measure passed unanimously with the added condition. The application now moves to the Will County Board for final approval.