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Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Development debate takes center stage in Frankfort mayoral race
The Brief Frankfort residents will vote Tuesday to elect their next mayor. Mayor Keith Ogle is seeking a second term, facing challenger Justin Ozinga, a business executive. A proposed mobile home park has become a key issue in the race, with the candidates split on its impact. FRANKFORT, Ill. - On the eve of Election Day, the mayoral race in the Village of Frankfort heating up. Voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether to grant their current mayor another term or elect a challenger with business ties to the community. What we know Mayor Keith Ogle, who has been involved in village government for nearly two decades, is wrapping up his first term and seeking reelection. "People have really asked us to keep Frankfort, Frankfort," Ogle said. "There's something really special and rare about this community." His opponent, Justin Ozinga, is co-owner and executive of Ozinga Brothers, Inc., a fifth-generation family-owned cement and concrete manufacturing company. "If I'm honored to be elected the mayor, I can't wait to serve and just do wonderful things for this community," Ozinga said. Emerging as a key sticking point in the race is village development; particularly, a proposed affordable housing project for residents 55 and older. The property falls within Green Garden Township, not the village of Frankfort, but could require village utility connections. Dubbed 'The Gardens of Frankfort,' the manufactured home community would be built on 64 acres of land near La Grange and Steger roads—across the street from the similar 'Gateway' development. What they're saying Mayor Ogle opposes the development, arguing that Frankfort does not have the water and sewer capacity to support it. "We studied the capacity issues there and there's strong concerns. Our engineering firm and our utility director said we don't have the capacity to connect them at this point," Ogle said. "Our board has unanimously voted that they're not interested in connecting this, because it will cause problems for our residents, and we have no obligation to do a connection for somebody who's not even here. They're not contiguous—they couldn't even be annexed in." Ozinga supports the project and has criticized how it was handled, saying the village has not been transparent with residents. "And that happens a lot in this town—many projects, including one of my own, where it never even got to the trustees and it was simply made at an executive level that, 'we don't want this for this town,'" Ozinga said. "Whether or not the town, the residents, want 'The Gardens of Frankfort,' that's beside the point. The point is, everything should be on the table, very transparent. It needs to be talked about, we need to hear everyone's voice." The development, spearheaded by LFI Real Estate, was decades in the making before it was put on hold. Now, the property owner—Naperville 2 LLC—is suing the village and asking for a judge to make the decision instead. The lawsuit was filed in Will County Circuit Court last Wednesday and an initial case management hearing has been set for July 14 at 9:15 a.m. What's next Polls will open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and close at 7 p.m. Results are expected later in the evening. Illinois residents can locate their polling place through the Board of Elections website. The Source FOX 32's Kasey Chronis reported on this story.
Chicago Tribune
13-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Economic development, growth key issues for Frankfort mayoral, trustee candidates
More than 100 residents packed a Frankfort banquet hall Tuesday night to hear from Mayor Keith Ogle, his challenger Justin Ozinga, and four candidates vying for three trustee seats in the April 1 election. Ogle was elected in 2021 to succeed retiring Mayor Jim Holland, who served for 16 years. Ogle said he is seeking a second term because he wants to continue to grow Frankfort, while preserving the town's historic charm. 'We are not going to lower our standards,' Ogle said. 'And that's been consistent for the last couple decades. There's a reason people want to come to Frankfort. There's no shortage of people that want to live here. There's no shortage of people that want to build here.' Ozinga, a Frankfort businessman, said he is challenging Ogle largely because he disagrees with how the village manages development. 'A lot of times the trustees, or especially you, the residents, don't even hear about these projects because they're shut down or discouraged before it will be made public,' Ozinga said. Ogle was village clerk from 2013 to 2015 and village trustee from 2015 to 2021. He is president of a Frankfort-based technology company, he said. Ozinga, a Frankfort resident for more than 20 years, is president of Ozinga Brothers, one of the nation's oldest ready mix concrete providers that started in Evergreen Park in 1928, according to the company's website. Running for the three trustee seats are incumbents Michael Leddin, Daniel Rossi and Eugene Savaria seeking reelection and Todd Morgan, a trustee from 2001 to 2015 seeking to return after a 10-year absence; Candidates said they hope to develop vacant properties owned by the village, but said they are selective about what to build. Leddin said in the last four years the village has given out 130 business licenses, and Ogle mentioned that vacancy rates are low in the village. Frankfort has a targeted incentive program to encourage private investment in commercial areas and is seeking retail development, Ogle said, but he wants to be careful about how the town develops, especially in the downtown. 'If we screw it up, well, we're going to have a problem,' Ogle said. For Ogle, if developers follow the village's procedures, attend meetings in person and provide the necessary documentation, he is willing to collaborate with them. He pointed to the Chick-fil-A set to open this year on La Grange Road, noting owners didn't request any incentives and have been quick to complete construction. Ozinga said when he talks to developers, they tell him 'Frankfort is closed for business,' because the steps toward getting a proposal before the board are arduous and development is costly. Ozinga said trustees are often unaware of development proposals because they are denied without being brought before trustees. 'I think our economic development efforts need to be totally overhauled, I think we're totally missing the mark on it,' Ozinga said. 'I think our standards, you know, a lot of our communications and transparency with the residents need to be checked.' For Ozinga, the lack of affordable housing is a concern, as young adults and seniors looking to downsize have few smaller, more affordable home or apartment options. The village of about 21,000 residents has a median household income of over $153,000, according to the most recent census data. Several trustee candidates echoed the mayor's sentiments, saying the village should not relax its standards to attract development. 'My daughter can't afford to live in Frankfort, but I'm not going to lower the standards because of that. If you're talking about affordable housing, we are what we are,' Savaria said, to a round of applause. Ozinga clarified that while he doesn't want the village to stop pursuing quality developments, he believes the process can be improved to allow housing projects that benefit more than just the 'ultra wealthy.' Ozinga also believes the loss of the KidsWork Children's Museum was a significant blow to the village. After 16 years in Frankfort, the museum closed its doors and recently opened a larger location in New Lenox. Morgan said under previous administrations, the village had more citizen committees, but many have since been dismantled. 'We need that back,' he said. Ozinga said he believes citizen input is crucial and that he tried volunteering for the village's Economic Development Committee, but was turned down. He said Ogle encouraged him to run for mayor, a claim Ogle denied at the forum. 'I told him that that's exactly what I'll do, since they don't want me in any other part of this town to donate my time,' Ozinga said. If the village acquired additional funds, Ogle said his priorities would be repairing water mains and improving Old Plank Trail. Savaria said the village has allocated $2 million for the trail and is actively seeking grants. Candidates also aim to revitalize the water tower and would consider contributing funds toward a recreation center. State campaign finance disclosure reports show Ogle's campaign took in $500 in contributions, spent more than $3,000 and had $33,200 in debts during the October to December 2024 quarter. At the end of December, Ogle's campaign had $107,803 left to spend. Ozinga's campaign took in $80,674 in contributions and spent $5,142 during the October to December 2024 quarter. At the end of December, Ozinga's campaign had $80,973 left to spend. Early voting begins Monday.
