Landscape Business Approved on Cedar Road Despite ‘Dangerous Curve’ Concerns

Will County Board Meeting | February 19, 2026

Article Summary: The Will County Board approved a special use permit for a landscape business on Cedar Road in Homer Glen, despite concerns regarding traffic safety on a dangerous curve. The approval includes a requirement for a landscaped berm to buffer neighbors.

Cedar Road Landscape Business Key Points:

• Location: 17958 S. Cedar Road, Homer Glen (Homer Township).

• Request: Special Use Permit for a landscape business on 17.33 acres.

• Conditions: Includes a requirement for a minimum 650-foot berm with plantings on the south property line.

• Vote: Passed 11-8.

• Safety Concerns: Homer Township officials and residents cited multiple fatalities at the Cedar Road/Bruce Road curve.

The Will County Board on Thursday, February 19, 2026, approved a special use permit for a landscape business on Cedar Road in Homer Glen following a contentious debate over traffic safety at a notorious S-curve.

The applicant, Cedar Road Associates, LLC, plans to relocate a landscape business to a 17.33-acre site south of the intersection of Cedar Road and Bruce Road. The site is zoned A-1 (Agriculture).

Homer Township Supervisor Sue Steilen appeared during public comment to oppose the project, citing the dangerous nature of the roadway.

“There have been four traffic fatalities in that area of road in the last eight years,” Steilen told the board. She noted that the speed limit fluctuates in the area before hitting a 35-mph advisory curve. “You’re also going to have a business that’s going to have trucks… pulling out very fast.”

Residents John and Jennifer Fey, who are building a home adjacent to the property, also objected. “Mr. Loboz wants to have, I think, nine semi-dump trucks parked back here,” John Fey said. “It is literally within yards of our property.”

Richard Kavanagh, attorney for the applicant, stated that the business would comply with all county requirements. “We originally had planned to put a six-foot berm all along Cedar Road… When we heard the objections from the neighbors to the south, we agreed in addition to that to put the same berm along the south end of our property,” Kavanagh said. He added that the entrance location was dictated by the county.

Board Member Steve Balich (R-Homer Glen) opposed the project. “There’s a hardship already existing with the traffic because Bruce Road comes in and it’s a dangerous, real dangerous intersection there,” Balich said.

However, Land Use Chair Frankie Pretzel argued that the property owner has a right to use the land. “This business owner also has a dream. He has a dream of opening up a landscape business,” Pretzel said. He acknowledged the safety issues of the road but noted that speed limits and road configurations are separate issues under the board’s control.

Jeff Ronaldson, Director of Transportation, confirmed that the county’s 2050 plan shows reconstructing the corridor to a three-lane cross-section, but it is not in the current plan. He stated he would direct staff to conduct a speed study on the corridor immediately.

The motion passed 11-8. Voting “no” were members Deane-Schlottman, Ogalla, Butler, Balich, Richmond, Williams, Logan, and Berkowicz.