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Life Amplified

Here in Tinley Park, music isn’t just a fun diversion – it’s a way of life. Isn’t it time you amplified your life?

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Community Email

December 5, 2019

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For the Record

with Dave Niemeyer

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with fun, family and plenty of turkey. I wanted to take a moment to give you an update on the 280-acre former Tinley Park Mental Health Center site at 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue.

Last week, Mayor Vandenberg and the Village Board sent letters to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requesting both organizations address the environmental issues that have been present at site since the State of Illinois closed it in 2012.

In the letter, we asked both agencies to require the State, which owns the property, to secure the site with fencing and a locked gate, remove the overgrowth, contain the friable asbestos and remove any hazardous materials at the site. In addition, we requested they investigate and remediate the site. These issues must be addressed in order to ensure the site is safe, attractive and clean for current and future residents of Tinley Park.

As you may be aware, the Village recently was negotiating with a developer that intended to build an entertainment complex on the site. This property would have contained a casino and racetrack (called a “racino”), among other attractions. As part of these negotiations, the developer was going to agree to clean the entire site.

The Village was simultaneously in negotiations with the State to purchase the land so development could proceed once a deal was finalized. However, on Oct. 15 of this year, the State sent a letter to the Village ending negotiations to buy the land without explanation. We have asked to meet with them to discuss next steps, but they have so far refused this request. Because of this, there is no immediate plan to clean the site, which prompted the Village to reach out to the IEPA and USEPA for a solution.

The Village has been in discussions with the State for several years about purchasing and cleaning the property. The Village did its own environmental study in 2014 that indicated it would cost about $12.4 million to clean up the site, which significantly exceeded the State’s estimates. This was in addition to the $4.1 million appraised value of the site. In 2017, we were promised updated appraisal numbers from the State, but we have yet to receive them as of this date.

The Tinley Park Mental Health Center site is located in the middle of Tinley Park at a prime intersection. It can be cleaned and redeveloped, not just for safety reasons, but to provide significant revenues for Tinley Park and the entire State of Illinois. We hope the State finally addresses this eyesore and becomes an active partner in cleaning the property. Together we can make the site a source of pride for the State as well as the Village.

I hope each of you has a wonderful holiday, and I invite everyone to attend the annual Holiday Happenings event this weekend in Downtown Tinley. Visit the Village's Special Events page for more information.

Happy holidays!

Musical magic at Holiday Happenings

Music will abound at the Village's annual Holiday Happenings event, which takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the north parking lot of the Oak Park Avenue train station, 6700 South St. From local school ensembles to dance groups to acapella singers, Holiday Happenings will have plenty of wintry music fun! Check out the full lineup and plan your visit around all the great musical offerings available.

Attendees also will be able to shop for holiday items such as personalized ornaments, wreaths, candles, handmade signs, paintings and children’s items such as puppets. Take a break from shopping with walking tacos, pizza pops, sausage sandwiches, warm soup, hot chocolate and more from vendors such as Ashford House, Parmesans Station and American Legion Post 615.

Reference the interactive virtual map for details on activities such as the Community Tree-Lighting Ceremony, a sing-along with professional carolers, the Holiday Market, the Toyland Parade, Photos with Santa, the ice-carving demonstration, the Parade of Lights, horse-drawn carriage rides and more!

Please note that commuter parking will be affected by the event. Please see the Holiday Market Commuter Parking Map for more information.

Find out more on the Village's Special Events page.

Village Board approves tax abatements

The Tinley Park Village Board on Tuesday adopted a property tax levy request for Tax Year 2019 in the amount of $27.6 million, which represents a 2.9% increase over the previous year's requested tax levy dollars.

The board also approved tax levy abatements for the coming tax year. The Village’s required 2019 levies to pay outstanding bonds and interest payments due in the upcoming calendar year (2020) are being reduced by nearly $3 million, which directly translates into reduced property taxes. The total amounts abated represent 68.2% of the total debt service of the Village and Tinley Park Public Library combined.

Learn more about tax abatements on the Village website. The entire Dec. 3 Village Board meeting is available to watch on the Village's YouTube page.

Police officers sworn in

Two new police officers were sworn in during Tuesday's Special Village Board meeting. The Village would like to welcome Troy White-Meyer and Ronald Fugger to the Tinley Park family. Pictured below (from left) are Tinley Park Police Chief Matthew Walsh; Officer Fugger; Officer White-Meyer; Village Clerk Kristin Thirion; Village Trustee Bill Brennan; and Assistant Village Manager Pat Carr.

Tinley Wish returns for another year

The Tinley Wish program will once again bring holiday joy into the lives of seven Tinley Park families who are facing difficult situations. Donated presents will be wrapped at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Tinley Park Police Department, and the caravan of police and fire vehicles will deliver the presents to families beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. Everyone is invited to attend!

Tinley Wish, a nonprofit organization that has been in existence since 1996, collects nominations for disadvantaged families from schools, churches and various humanitarian organizations. A committee reviews these recommendations and determines which nominees are most in need of assistance. The only requirement is that the receiver must live in Tinley Park.

The organization also collects donations throughout the year, a majority of which come through individual sources.

For more information, please visit TinleyWish.org.

Station 47 completely under-roof

Construction on the new Fire Station 47 is progressing, with the building now completely under-roof. The station is on track to open sometime in the late summer to early fall.

Now showing on Tinley TV

Tinley Park Television broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week on Comcast Channel 4. Tune in today or watch select programs on your own time by visiting the Village's YouTube Channel.