GREEN GARDEN TOWNSHIP — The Green Garden Township Planning Commission is moving forward with updating the township’s comprehensive plan despite renewed requests from incoming elected officials to put the project on hold.

At the February board meeting, Planning Commission representative Mark Sarkisian reported that work has begun with Houseal Lavigne Associates (HLA) to review and strengthen the township’s “out of date” comprehensive plan, particularly to create a more specific land use plan.

“The comprehensive plan has proven beneficial to fight off solar farms, with support from Will County in large part due to the comprehensive plan,” Sarkisian said. “It’s evident it needs to be updated and strengthened for future use.”

Sarkisian noted vulnerabilities in the current plan, pointing out that “there is currently a paragraph where to have industrial/commercial growth but not using the term land use, making it potentially vulnerable.”

The planning process will include multiple opportunities for resident input, including a survey that will be distributed through the Vedette newspaper, mailers, and the township website. Additionally, a focus group of 10-15 residents will be assembled, and an open house will be held to gather feedback.

Commission member Lauren Piecuch detailed their community engagement plans: “We’ll publish in the Vedette, send out mailers, have information on the website, and host an open house for resident input.”

Despite this progress, Monroe Striggow read a statement during public comments requesting “the record show the newly elected township nominees, supervisor and trustees’ request the current board put on hold township building renovation plans and future plan proposals.”

The statement also asked that the current board “restrain from signing any contracts that would obligate or commit the township to any projects that are proposed without community input” and that future land use proposals be paused “to implement wishes of electorate and Green Garden resident participation in decision making process.”

Supervisor John Murday responded to these concerns, thanking the Planning Commission for their work and stating that “the current board does not intend to stop working or moving forward with things that benefit the electorate.”

The planning process is expected to extend over multiple months, with a kickoff meeting already held in January where the committee and HLA reviewed existing documents and agreed on goals and scope for the project.

The updated comprehensive plan will provide guidance on community preferences for future growth and development as the township addresses inquiries from various development interests, including solar farms and potential data centers.