State apologizes for 'trespass'
A hearing Tuesday intended to give the public a chance to comment on two plans for a proposed south suburban airport in unincorporated Will County gave some public officials an opportunity to demand an apology from the state.
The Illinois Department of Transportation was cited by some officials for an incident that took place during the state's project to tear down homes in the inaugural footprint.
The demolition project began Dec. 1. When the subcontractor moved in to begin the work, the subcontractor crossed private property with heavy equipment without permission of a Beecher homeowner. An official had denied a permit to use Will Township roads.
State Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, and state Rep. Lisa Dugan, D-Bradley, both offered their thoughts to residents and local and state officials in the Beecher High School's old gymnasium as they called for a public apology from IDOT.
After hearing Halvorson's and Dugan's comments, IDOT Director of Aeronautics Susan Shea apologized and said the department "did not intend to trample on private property."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I made a mess, and I do intend to clean it up," Shea said before asking residents to help determine which airport plan -- the state's plan or the plan created by the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission -- would serve best the community.
Will County Executive Larry Walsh thanked Shea for her offer of conciliation.
"I have her word, and I think Shea is very commendable, that what took place two weeks ago will not take place again," Walsh said.
But George Ochsenfeld, president of Shut This Airport Nightmare Down, said IDOT made Shea a fall person for the incident and should have taken more responsibility.
Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said his office is investigating the incident.
Mark Baugh, who lives at 2865 Eagle Lane, woke to find construction equipment making its way across one of his farm fields, according to a police report filed with the Will County Sheriff's Department.
The report of the incident, which police classified as trespassing, says a state subcontractor drove a piece of construction equipment across a tilled farm field behind Baugh's home without permission, Will County Sheriff's Department representative Pat Barry said.
Baugh spoke with a representative of Hanson Professional Services Inc. -- the firm hired by the state to demolish the 12 homes and two barns -- who said the subcontractor tried to contact the homeowner twice without success, Barry said.
The representative told Baugh that the subcontractor thought it would be OK to cross Baugh's property since they had worked together in the past, Barry said.
The contractor's representative said they would not do it again and would call Baugh to apologize and make any restitution, Barry said.
When IDOT learned of the incident, it issued a letter of apology to Baugh, agency spokesman Matt Vanover said.
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