(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A southwest suburban township plans to file a lawsuit against the Will County Executive over a road expansion controversy.
“We’re saying, ‘You signed it. That’s it. It’s law," said Homer Township Clerk Vicki Bozen.
She said that even though Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant admitted making a mistake by signing into law a measure to kill an expansion of 143rd Street, her later veto of the measure doesn’t hold up.
Bozen points out that there’s been talk of expansion since the 1990's. She said that if the expansion goes through, the rural nature of the area would be eliminated.
“Why did they allow these people to build their forever homes on 143rd or so close to where now these homes are going to be sitting either right on the street or right on the bike path. That’s not fair to these people.”
Township trustee Mike Bonomo believes more crime would come to his area if 143rd Street were allowed to be expanded.
“They counted 112 driveways that are going to be affected by this expansion," he said. "So, you literally have 112 residents that are going to be having to deal with truck traffic, speeders, for the most part, simply unsafe conditions.”
Homer Township Supervisor Steve Balich had planned to deliver a cease-and-desist order to the Will County Executive Friday and go ahead with plans for a lawsuit if Bertino-Tarrant doesn’t respond by Monday morning.
“She shouldn’t be allowed to do that. You can’t do an oops and do a do-over. Once it’s signed, it goes into law immediately," Balich said. "It says that on the document."
The Will County executive said in her veto message that widening 143rd Street from two to five lanes will address traffic demands and public safety.
Plans are to widen 143rd Street from Lemont Road to Bell Road.
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