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Homeowners push back against developers in LaSalle County
Constellation Energy, awarded up to $1 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy for the project, has not yet made any official plans to purchase additional properties, despite concerns from local residents about the potential impact on their community.
MARSEILLES, Ill. - LaSalle County residents, feeling pressured to sell their homes amid plans for a massive clean energy facility, are pushing back against the developer who has started to make offers on their properties.
The Timber Edge Subdivision in Marseilles is located about 4.5 miles from the LaSalle Clean Energy Center, which houses two nuclear reactors. Last year, Constellation Energy announced plans to expand its footprint.
Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Constellation is proposing to build what they say would be "the largest nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production facility" in the world. The hub would be located near its existing plant.
The company was awarded up to $1 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to make it happen.
Meanwhile, a group of residents in the Timber Edge Subdivision say their original developer is making offers in an attempt to buy back their homes.
"I don’t want to sell, I’m not going to sell, I just moved here," said Melissa Pointer, homeowner.
Some residents told FOX 32 Chicago they had been planning to retire in this community. Others said their homes are worth more than what the developer has offered them.
On top of that, neighbors feel they aren't getting the full story.
"We’re anxious, we’re angry, no one planned on moving," said Pointer. "We were all getting ready to set up for the holidays, and as you can see, no one’s put anything out. Now they’re telling us they plan to pull all of the electrical and plumbing and level the subdivision by Thanksgiving."
"They have surveyors who are in our backyards, our utilities have been marked," added Scott Damnjanovic, homeowner.
In mid-August, residents received letters from attorneys representing the developer – Timber Edge Associates Limited Partnership – explaining that an "opportunity exists" to sell. Still, some residents say that with the money they have been offered, they won't be able to afford an equivalent home.
"I want them to know that I need more money to buy a new home, I don’t want to start over," said Margene Crank, homeowner.
"Not even really what our tax assessment is out here, what the county says it’s worth, it’s ridiculous," echoed Damnjanovic.
While the letter did not provide additional details, it states that the move comes because of a "large industrial development" planned for the area. It also says "at the time of development of the subdivision, now more than 20 years ago, Timber Edge did not anticipate that industrial development would occur within such close proximity to the Timber's Edge Subdivision property."
The letter, sent from Tracy, Johnson & Wilson Attorneys at Law adds:
"Timber Edge believes that an opportunity exists, before the approval and construction of the industrial development, for those who own property within Timber's Edge Subdivision to sell their property for a fair value. In light of the proposed industrial development, Timber Edge intends to sell the property that it owns within Timber's Edge Subdivision. Timber Edge is willing to work with property owners to value their property and provide a process for the sale of their property at a fair value acceptable to property owners."
Residents tell FOX 32 they have a hunch that their properties could soon end up in the hands of Constellation.
Damnjanovic says the developer was formerly known as ‘Barr Group.’
"The farm next to us had sold, and then there’s three houses right across the street here and they all sold, and then when I went to the property office to look, I seen that Barr Group had purchased all those homes and 30 days later they turned around and sold them all to Constellation—360 degrees around us has been bought out by Constellation," said Damnjanovic.
Constellation Energy provided FOX 32 Chicago with the following statement on Tuesday, Sept. 17:
"Our nuclear power sites are versatile clean energy centers that can be leveraged to drive economic development and help decarbonize other industries that need clean, reliable energy for their operations. At this time, no decision has been made on the future use of the property nor are there plans to purchase additional property near the facility."
Residents say they are looking for more transparency.
"We’re getting so many different stories from Constellation, from the attorneys, from Barr Group, we don’t know what’s going on," said Pointer.
"We just want the fair offers that they’ve offered the people around us," said Damnjanovic.
At least one homeowner told FOX 32 off-camera that he has accepted an offer to sell his property back to the developer and says he is happy with it.
The developer and attorneys for the developer did not immediately return FOX 32’s requests for comment.