Dear STAND members and friends,

STAND is taking our public meetings on the road. We will be traveling around eastern Will County for the next several months to the communities and townships that would be affected by the proposed Peotone Airport.  We hope you will join us as we travel and we encourage you to invite new friends who live near the meeting place to attend with you.

It is important to know that the state of Illinois has filed two condemnation lawsuits against landowners in the proposed 'inaugural' footprint.  We at STAND believe that the state is buying land at its own risk since the FAA has not given their final record of decision in favor of building the airport and a 'No Build' decision is possible. A decision by the FAA would occur approximately 2 years after they receive the Master Plan from IDOT, as of this date, it has not been submitted making land acquisitions premature, and eminent domain unfair.

STAND has taken written to the Governor and asked that the filing of eminent domain be halted until the following:

1.      The FAA issues a final record of decision for Tier II

2.      Studies are completed determining current projected costs to the State of Illinois for the airport and for surrounding infrastructure

3.      Funding for the project is secured

4.      Funding for necessary surrounding infrastructure is secured

5.      A panel of independent aviation experts is convened to determine whether there is a need for the proposed airport. 

6.      (It’s been reported that traffic at O’Hare is at its lowest level in 15 years and Midway’s operations are down 12.6 per cent just in the last year, Chicago Tribune, January 22, 2009.)

7.      A major airline has committed to using the facility


Our next public meeting will be Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 7:30PM.  The meeting will be held at the Washington Township Building located at 30200 Town Center Rd, Beecher, IL - (708) 946-2026.

For directions, you can use this link: http://www.mapquest.com/directions

For further information or questions, please contact STAND's secretary, Rosalind Willy, at (708) 946-2136.

Your STAND Officers,
George Ochsenfeld, President
Judy Ogalla, Vice President
Rosalind Willy, Secretary