Channahon OKs Aux Sable annexation
By Jeanne Millsap Correspondent January 24, 2013 10:16AM
Updated: February 26, 2013 6:28AM
The village of Channahon has approved an annexation agreement with the petrochemical industry Aux Sable Liquid Products on Route 6 in Grundy County.
The company recently purchased 126 acres just west of its current production plant with plans for future expansion.
The property was formerly the Sapa Group aluminum manufacturing plant, located at the southeast corner of Route 6 and Tabler Road.
In 2011, according to Channahon Director of Community Development Mike McMahon, the Sapa plant was disassembled and the equipment sold off. What remains is the shell of the old plant, a 10,000-square-foot office building and a 3,000-square-foot office building formerly owned by Navastone.
There is nothing immediate in the works for production expansion, said plant spokesman Scott Seibert, although the company has already extensively remodeled the old Sapa office building and moved several of its administrative offices into that building late last year.
The current zoning of the property is Grundy County M-2 manufacturing district, which will be changed to I-2 intensive industrial.
Also in the agreement, Channahon will abate its portion of Aux Sable’s property taxes on the land until the site is improved with new facilities or for five years, whichever comes first.
The village board also approved other ordinances relating to the recent out-of-court agreement between Aux Sable and several governmental bodies, such as Minooka High School District, Minooka Fire District, Three Rivers Library District, Joliet Junior College District and Channahon Park District.
The issue involved a disagreement over the valuation of the industry.
Village President Joe Cook said the village acted as a kind of “mediator” in the process of negotiations, and the final agreement reached between the governmental bodies and the plant is a satisfactory settlement for all concerned.
“This is a good agreement that I can certainly support,” Cook said. “In the long run, it will enable us to continue with the growth of Aux Sable and all the benefits that come with that, such as jobs and security for the labor force.”
One result is that the 20-year TIF revenue bonds taken out in 2000 to pay for infrastructure needs at Aux Sable will be refinanced.
