MANTENO — Gotion cleared its final obstacle for the rezoning of property for its lithium battery plant.

On Monday, the Manteno Village Board, by a 5-1 vote, approved the rezoning application from light industrial to heavy industrial.

A crowd of about 400 attended the meeting.

The vote came on the recommendation of the Manteno Planning Commission’s unanimous Nov. 27 approval of the rezoning for the 112-acre vacant property at 333 S. Spruce St.

The site had been the former location of the Kmart distribution center. The location had been shuttered since 2017. Gotion will manufacture lithium batteries for electric vehicles at the site.

“I feel all the concerns we had were addressed during the presentation of the plan commission,” said trustee Joel Gesky, who voted in favor of the rezoning. “… We heard from the engineers regarding the water control issues leaving [the plant]. I had heard nothing from the opposition that was persuading me to vote differently. It’s a controversial issue. It’s going to bring 2,600 jobs to the community. I think it’s good for us.”

Other trustees to vote in support of the rezoning request were Timothy Boyce, Todd Crockett, Diane Dole and Wendell Phillips. Trustee Samuel Martin voted against the recommendation.

Martin declined to comment on why he voted the way he did.

“No thank you,” he said when asked.

<strong>‘PLEASE VOTE NO’</strong>

Before the vote was taken by the board on the agenda item, it was another contentious gathering in the Manteno Elementary School gymnasium where the board heard nearly 90 minutes of public comment from Manteno residents who were opposed to the plant.

“Please vote ‘no,’” said Manteno resident David Kuiken. “You should be doing what we want.”

Most of the residents who spoke against the rezoning cited health concerns of the chemicals that will be used in the manufacturing of the lithium batteries that will be supplied to EVs.

Also speaking against the project was Bill Barnes, director of economic development for the village of Monee. Barnes lives in Manteno.

Others against the rezoning request were concerned about wastewater and the possibility of a fire.

Some residents alleged Gotion, a Chinese company, has ties to the Chinese Communist Party or were upset with the tax incentives provided by the state and federal government.

Longtime resident Annette LaMore, who is part of the Concerned Citizens of Manteno, asked the trustees to represent the people of Manteno.

“The future of our peaceful small town is in your hands,” she said. “I believe that no one who lives here wants dangerous and highly explosive chemicals in our town.

“I also believe that no one wants a company that’s pledged to communism to come to Manteno that has American patriots like myself and the families of veterans and first responders. There is no money that makes this battery project OK.”

<strong>OTHER VIEWS</strong>

Manteno Mayor Tim Nugent said the board kept emotions out of its decision to approve the rezoning. It looked at the information Gotion provided based on what were the zoning issues, he said.

“The planning commission voted unanimously to approve it,” he said. “The board voted almost unanimously to approve it, so evidently there’s other views out there that [the opponents] are not taking into consideration.”

Nugent said that the group who spoke against the rezoning were well organized, and that was their right to do so.

“It’s a lot of people,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily represent the entirety of the community. I’ve had numerous people contact me in a variety of different ways, saying, ‘Hey, we think this is great. We’re all behind it. But we’re not going to stand up at a meeting and have a target put on our backs.’ And can you blame them after seeing this?”

<strong>NEXT STEP</strong>

Nugent said the next move for Gotion is to move forward with the purchase and getting the factory up and running. It will need to get permits, depending on what renovations will be made in the building.

“I know that they’re working right now with architects and engineers designing all that,” he said. “So those things are going to be forthcoming but they’re not ready yet. They’re not done yet, so they have not submitted those yet.”

LaMore said during her time to speak that the decision would be appealed by the Concerned Citizens of Manteno, who have continued to hold fundraisers for its cause.