Mark Grabavoy will have continued access to open land east of the Old Joliet Prison for his disc golf project with certain limits, according to an agreement approved Wednesday by the Joliet City Council Prison Committee.

Grabavoy since 2019 has been developing a disc golf course on about 50 acres of wooded land in an area east of Collins Street running along Louise Ray Parkway.

The project, however, was interrupted in recent months when neighbors began to voice concerns about dumping near their homes and fires in the woods with no formal acknowledgement from the city about what Grabavoy was doing.

The use agreement with the city sets some rules under which Grabavoy can continue to operate while stating that it will be followed by a lease agreement providing him with long-term access to the facility.

The agreement forbids dumping or storage of waste, open burning, and access to the property after dark.

It also states that Grabavoy has agreed to “respect and work in cooperation with neighboring property owners whenever possible.”

Grabavoy has been developing the disc golf course with the permission of the city and Joliet Area Historical Museum, which manages the Old Joliet Prison.

The city oversees the former Joliet Correctional Center property as part of its lease agreement with the state of Illinois, which owns the site. Joliet and the museum have opened the closed prison for tours and events.

The Prison Committee approved the agreement with a 3-0 voice vote with few questions.

Councilman Cesar Guerrero did ask if anyone on city staff has been assigned to oversee Grabavoy’s project.

No one has been given that assignment, Assistant City Attorney Chris Regis said.

“We have access to the site at all times,” Regis said. “We can inspect the site at all times. He’s going to cooperate with us, and we are going to cooperate with him.”

Regis said the city may develop a lease agreement with Grabavoy by the end of the summer.

The use agreement is the first written document governing the project.

Grabavoy has been given access to the site to work on a volunteer basis at least since April 2019, when he presented his idea for a disc golf course to the Prison Committee. He has held disc golf events at the Old Joliet Prison, which have raised money donated to the prison project and for the disc golf project.

The project has advanced to the point that Grabavoy said he expects to install baskets for disc golf play in October or November. Events, however, would not likely be held until 2022 at the earliest, he said.

Regis said one of the goals of a lease agreement would be to set terms for events at the course.