Village of Manhattan
Press Release
November 4, 2024
Village of Manhattan Joins Lawsuit Against NorthPoint, LLC and Other Named Defendants.
Manhattan, IL, November 4, 2024 – Village of Manhattan Mayor Adrieansen and the Village Board of Trustees unanimously decided to join the Stop NorthPoint lawsuit which is pending against NorthPoint Development, LLC and other named defendants, reinforcing Manhattan’s commitment to protecting local interests and preserving the integrity within the boundaries of the Village.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Stop NorthPoint LLC, aims to halt the development of a massive trucking and warehousing complex proposed by NorthPoint Development based on claims of public and private nuisance. It is believed that the project, which would span nearly five hundred times the size of Chicago’s Soldier Field, poses significant threats to the environment as well as the health, safety and quality of life for residents in Manhattan.
Manhattan Mayor Mike Adrieansen stated, “Our decision to join this lawsuit reflects our dedication to safeguarding our community’s future. The proposed development by NorthPoint threatens not only our environment but also the safety and well-being of our residents. I along with our Village Trustees want to ensure that our voices are heard, and our community is protected.”
The lawsuit highlights several critical concerns, including:
• Environmental Impact: The development’s proximity to the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie raises serious environmental and ecological concerns.
• Infrastructure Strain: The project would place an undue burden on local roads and infrastructure, potentially leading to increased traffic congestion and safety hazards.
• Community Well-being: The scale of the development threatens the quality of life for residents, with potential negative impacts on property values and local businesses.
Stop NorthPoint LLC, an all-volunteer grassroots organization, has been at the forefront of this legal battle, advocating for a permanent halt to the project. Earlier this year, the Illinois Appellate Court remanded the case back to the Will County Circuit Court, a trial date has not yet been set.
For more information, please contact: Attorney for Stop Northpoint, Richard Linden at 312-590-0211 or lindenlaw@gmail.com.
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About the Village of Manhattan: The Village of Manhattan is a home-rule community located in Will County, Illinois with a population of roughly 10,000 residents. Known for its rich history and close-knit community, Manhattan is dedicated to preserving its unique character and ensuring a high quality of life for all residents. For more information visit www.villageofmanhattan.org and follow the Village of Manhattan on Facebook.
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Official Statement by Stop NorthPoint founder, John Kieken
Hello Mayor and Village Board. My name is John Kieken and I am reading this statement on behalf of Stop NorthPoint, a grassroots organization formed in 2020 with the sole purpose of trying to stop NorthPoint to protect our quality of life. Manhattan is a great place to call home and raise a family, and our aim is to keep it that way for future generations.
NorthPoint’s project is an enormous 4000-acre warehouse complex, estimated to bring at least 70,000 vehicles per day to the area. This would suffocate roads, strain infrastructure, and damage the environment surrounding Midewin and Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, as well as destroy quality of life for tens of thousands of residents living in and around Manhattan.
The people of this community have been pushing back on the NorthPoint project since it was first proposed in mid 2017. After Elwood rejected NorthPoint, they approached Joliet in 2019, who has given a green light to NorthPoint’s every request. Joliet has failed to show any consideration or cooperation with their neighbors to the south despite the fact that the bulk of this proposed NorthPoint footprint is in the middle, and on top, of two other communities.
Stop NorthPoint filed a lawsuit in Will County against Joliet in October 2020. The lawsuit alleges that the NorthPoint development constitutes a public and private nuisance under Illinois law. Even after this lawsuit was dismissed in December 2022, Stop NorthPoint vowed to never to stop fighting and quickly filed an appeal.
In an historic ruling earlier this year, the Illinois Appellate Court for the 3rd District overruled and reversed the Circuit Court’s dismissal and upheld our two nuisance counts. The ruling states, “In support of their private and public nuisance claims, plaintiffs allege that constant truck traffic will (1) cause noise, vibration, pollution, and harm to the environment; (2) interfere with the dignity, serenity, and quiet of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery; (3) endanger pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers; (4) generate noxious exhaust and diesel fumes harmful to public health and to wildlife, wetlands, and streams; (5) deteriorate streets and necessarily increase property taxes to cover repairs; (6) lower plaintiffs’ property values and cause constant noise and vibrations rendering plaintiffs’ homes unhealthy and untenantable; (7) produce vibrations likely to cause damage to nearby homes, property, and structures; (8) increase plaintiffs’ travel times; and (9) lead to a rise in semi-truck crash incidents and collisions with wildlife.”
The court’s ruling goes on to say, “plaintiffs’ prospective nuisance allegations are well grounded upon a highly probable state of facts ... When viewed alongside plaintiffs’ allegations, the agreement substantiates the threat of a real and immediate danger. ... If the agreement’s objectives are realized, there is little doubt the outcome will be an increase in truck traffic and, necessarily, all consequences of that increase. ... there is no reason plaintiffs should wait until full build-out to seek an injunction.”
Now that our case has been remanded back to the Circuit Court, we will very soon have our day in court to be heard; to present evidence and expert testimony that supports our nuisance complaints.
We are grateful for attorneys Richard Linden and Bob Fioretti for their never-ending dedication to our cause and their eagerness to always move us forward.On behalf of Stop NorthPoint, I sincerely thank Mayor Adrieansen and this entire Village Board for their thoughtful consideration of Manhattan joining us as a plaintiff in this lawsuit to protect the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of the citizens of this community.
Thank you.
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Local Coverage:
- "Manhattan joins lawsuit opposing NorthPoint warehouse" - Joliet Herald-News, 11/11/2024
- "Manhattan Joins Lawsuit Against NorthPoint, LLC, Other Named Defendants" - The Vedette, 11/9/2024
- "Manhattan Officials Vote To Join ‘Stop NorthPoint’ Lawsuit" - The Patch, 11/4/2024
- "Village of Manhattan Joins Lawsuit Against NorthPoint, LLC" - Farmers Weekly Review, 11/4/2024
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