CenterPoint faces city delay after raising objections to NorthPoint plan

The Joliet Plan Commission last week delayed a vote on a CenterPoint Properties’ project, appearing to send a message to the developer after it had previously raised questions about the controversial NorthPoint Development plan.

CenterPoint Properties in November sent a letter and filed comments with the Plan Commission, raising question about NorthPoint’s proposal for the Compass Global Logistics Hub. The NorthPoint plan, which goes to the City Council for a vote on Tuesday after getting a recommendation for approval from the Plan Commission in November, is expected to generate about 10,000 trucks a day that would depend on roads in the CenterPoint Intermodal Center.

The letter from CenterPoint pointed to the absence of a traffic impact study for the 2,300-acre NorthPoint plan and called for the commission to delay its vote on NorthPoint until the impact of the project on CenterPoint could be reviewed.

The CenterPoint letter added one more layer of opposition to a NorthPoint plan that has faced fierce resistance from residents and neighboring local governments while getting approvals from Joliet.

The Plan Commission in November approved the NorthPoint plan in a 6-2 vote without asking questions or mentioning the CenterPoint letter.

But questions were asked and the CenterPoint letter was mentioned by the Plan Commission on Thursday when CenterPoint sought plan approvals and zoning reclassifications to develop warehouses and storage container areas on land northwest of Schweitzer and Brandon roads within its CenterPoint Intermodal Center.

Commissioner Jeff Crompton mentioned a letter the commission received “last month” to the CenterPoint attorney appearing before the commission.

“What that letter addressed was the proposed NorthPoint development,” attorney Chris Spesia said. “This (the CenterPoint plan) was all contemplated when the annexation was approved, and it’s subject to the existing agreement with the city.”

“This would increase traffic in the area, wouldn’t it?” Crompton asked Spesia.

Spesia again said that the development proposed for the site was planned when the city approved the CenterPoint Intermodal Center.

The city approved the CenterPoint Intermodal Center plan in two phases in 2008 and 2010.

The current CenterPoint proposal includes two 990,000-square-foot warehouses and two lots for storage container areas, neither of which has a specific user yet.

Commissioner Brigette Roehr asked about berms and landscaping for the proposed development. Planning Director Jim Torri said those plans would be submitted when specific buildings are proposed.

When it came time to make a motion to approve the project, no one spoke up. There was silence for some time until Roehr made a motion to table, saying she wanted to wait until a full board was present.

Only five of the nine members of the Plan Commission were at the meeting. Both Chairman John Dillon and Chairman Pro Tem John Kella were absent, and the commission began the meeting by voting in Jason Cox as chairman pro tem.

The commission voted, 5-0, to table the vote on the CenterPoint plan, which could come back to them in January.