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Homer Glen · 151st Street

What’s happening to 151st Street in Homer Glen?

The Village of Homer Glen is widening and rebuilding 151st Street — a roughly $10 million project that will take easements or right-of-way from 44 property owners. Residents never got a vote on the cost, and no plan has been announced to tell those families what’s coming. Heidi doesn’t support this project as it stands. Here are the facts.

3 lanes
Proposed cross-section
2 through + 1 center turn lane — not 4
44
Property owners
Face easement or right-of-way acquisition
~$10.2M
Total project cost
Per the state transportation program
Village-led
Who’s in charge
Not Will County or IDOT
Sept 2026
Construction bid letting
Building likely begins in 2027

Where Heidi stands

Heidi is not for this project as currently planned. A roughly $10 million commitment that reaches into the property of 44 Homer Glen families and businesses deserves more than a single line item on a Village agenda — it deserves real public input, a clear final price tag before the Village signs anything, and a Village that tells affected owners what’s coming before an appraiser shows up. None of that has happened yet. Heidi supports safer roads and will always back real safety improvements — but a project this size, done this quietly, is not how Homer Glen should treat its own residents.

What’s proposed

The Village of Homer Glen is reconstructing 151st Street, converting it from two lanes to three — two through lanes plus a continuous center left-turn lane — with a new closed drainage system (curb & gutter) replacing the existing open roadside ditches, and a new bike trail running parallel to the road. The project is engineered by HR Green and is funded in part by federal Surface Transportation Program dollars administered through CMAP (TIP ID 12-20-0019).

“The project will not widen 151st to four lanes, plus a turning lane. This is misinformation that is being shared publicly.” — Village of Homer Glen, 151st Street Widening project summary

The Village has cited traffic growth from the 159th Street construction, the relocation of Village Hall to 151st Street, and the opening of the 103-acre Heritage Park as reasons for the project.

The 44 property owners — what we know

The Village’s own project summary states it will be necessary to obtain permanent and/or temporary construction easements from forty-four (44) landowners along 151st Street. On September 10, 2025, the Village Board approved a $160,200 contract with Polach Appraisal Group for right-of-way acquisition appraisals — the step that comes right before purchase and easement offers go out to property owners.

What’s not yet public: the Village has not published which 44 parcels or owners are affected. We have filed a public-records request for the easement plats and the owner list. Out of respect for those families’ and business owners’ privacy, we won’t publish names — that’s for them to share if and when they choose. Our focus is holding the Village accountable for how it treats them, not putting them on a list.

This stretch of 151st Street is home to long-standing family farms, small businesses, and dozens of houses. Forty-four property owners isn’t an abstraction — it’s a real number of Homer Glen families who may get a knock on the door.

If your property may be affected: your rights

Because this project uses federal highway funds, property acquisition is governed by the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act (49 CFR Part 24). In plain terms:

  • The Village’s offer must be based on an appraisal of fair market value — the offer cannot be less than that appraised amount.
  • You have the right to accompany the appraiser during any inspection of your property.
  • You have the right to get your own independent appraisal, at your own expense, and have it considered.
  • You are entitled to a written statement explaining the basis for the amount offered.
  • You are not required to accept the first offer — negotiation is normal and expected.
  • Under Illinois law, if the matter goes to condemnation and a jury awards more than the Village’s offer, you may be able to recover reasonable attorney, appraisal, and engineering costs.

How we got here

2016
The Village hires HR Green to begin Phase I engineering. The original study limits were Parker Road to Cedar Road; the scope was later amended to Cedar Road to Bell Road.
2019–2024
HR Green prepares plats of easement/right-of-way conveyance for parcels along the corridor as Phase II design proceeds.
February 13, 2020
The Village holds a public open house on the project.
2022
The Village Board approves the Phase II final-design engineering agreement with HR Green.
September 10, 2025
The Village Board approves a $160,200 contract with Polach Appraisal Group for right-of-way acquisition appraisals — the step that precedes purchase and easement offers to property owners.
May 13, 2026
The Village Board passes Resolution 26-011, 6–0, authorizing project funding and capping the Village’s local share at $2,000,000 — a cap the Mayor proposed after two trustees raised concerns about open-ended matching-fund language.
September 2026 (anticipated)
The project is expected to go out for bid at the state’s IDOT letting.
Early 2027 (anticipated)
Construction is expected to begin, pending completion of utility relocations along the corridor.

The money

  • Federal share$4,845,000 in Surface Transportation Program funds (CMAP TIP 12-20-0019).
  • Total project costRoughly $10.2 million, per the state’s multi-year Highway Improvement Program.
  • Village share cap$2,000,000, set by Resolution 26-011 (May 13, 2026) — a cap the Mayor proposed after two trustees questioned open-ended matching-fund language.
Different public documents describe the funding differently — Resolution 26-011 cites $5.66 million in grants against roughly $1.8 million in local match, while the state program lists a $10.2 million total. That’s the kind of inconsistency that should be resolved and explained to residents before a project this size moves forward, not after. We’ve requested the underlying funding agreement to reconcile the numbers, and we’ll correct this page once we have it.

Myth vs. fact

Is 151st Street being widened to four lanes?
No. The Village’s own project materials state the plan converts the road from two lanes to three — two through lanes plus one continuous center turn lane — plus a parallel bike trail. The Village’s materials explicitly describe a four-lane claim as inaccurate.
Who decides this project — the Village, Will County, or the state?
The Village of Homer Glen is the lead agency. It is a federally funded project (Surface Transportation Program funds administered through CMAP and the Illinois Department of Transportation), but the Village designed it, owns it, and is responsible for the local funding share and the right-of-way acquisition. Bell Road, the adjoining east-west route, is a separate Will County-led project.
Will my property be affected?
The Village’s own project summary states that permanent and/or temporary construction easements will be needed from forty-four (44) landowners along the corridor. The Village has not published which 44 parcels those are. If you’ve received a letter, an appraisal visit, or an offer from the Village or its appraiser about your property on or near 151st Street, that is very likely part of this process.
What are my rights if my property is one of the 44?
Because this project uses federal highway funds, federal law — the Uniform Relocation Assistance Act (49 CFR Part 24) — gives affected owners specific protections: an offer based on a qualified appraisal, the right to accompany the appraiser, the right to get your own independent appraisal, and the right to negotiate. See the full rundown below.
Is this the same project as the 143rd Street or Bell Road widenings?
No. 143rd Street and Bell Road are separate, Will County-led projects that have drawn organized resident opposition and eminent-domain disputes. 151st Street is a Village of Homer Glen-led project. They are often discussed together because they’re nearby, but they are different projects with different decision-makers.
When will construction start, and how long will it take?
The project is expected to go out for bid at the September 2026 IDOT letting. The Village Engineer told the Board in May 2026 that construction would likely not start until early 2027, pending utility relocations along the route.
How much will this cost taxpayers?
The Village capped its own local share at $2,000,000 in Resolution 26-011, added as a last-minute amendment after two trustees flagged that the original language would have let the local cost grow with no board approval required. Separately, the state’s multi-year transportation program lists the total project cost at roughly $10.2 million — well above the figures discussed in the resolution itself. We’ve filed a public-records request for the underlying funding agreement to reconcile the numbers, because residents deserve one clear price tag, not several conflicting ones.
Why didn’t residents get to vote on this?
Homer Glen is a home-rule municipality, which under Illinois law means the Village Board can approve spending like this — and, in the future, borrow against it — without putting it to a resident referendum. The Board’s own vote (6–0 on May 13, 2026) is the only vote that happens. That’s legal. It also means the only check on a project like this is the Board itself, and the public record shows the funding vote drew no public comment.
Does Heidi support this project?
No — not as it currently stands. Heidi supports real safety improvements to Homer Glen roads, including a safer turn lane and a bike trail. But a roughly $10 million project that reaches into 44 families’ and business owners’ property deserves real public input, a single clear cost figure before the Village commits, and a Village that tells affected owners what’s coming — not an appraiser showing up with little notice. None of that has happened yet.
Sources
  1. Village of Homer Glen — "151st Street Widening" project summary. homerglenil.org (PDF)
  2. Village of Homer Glen — Village Projects page (current status). homerglenil.org
  3. Village of Homer Glen — Major Contracts & Agreements (engineering + appraisal contracts). homerglenil.org
  4. Village Board agendas & minutes — search for Resolution 26-011 (May 13, 2026) and the right-of-way appraisal contract (September 10, 2025). homerglenil.org/AgendaCenter
  5. Will County Governmental League / CMAP — Surface Transportation Program funding list (TIP ID 12-20-0019). wcgl.org
  6. Illinois Department of Transportation — Will County Highway Improvement Program (FY2025–2030). idot.illinois.gov

Stay informed

We’ll update this page as the 44-owner list, the final cost breakdown, and the construction schedule become public. Leave your email and we’ll let you know — and tell us if you’ve already heard from the Village about your property.

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