During a recent City Council meeting, Lockport officials joined in discussing a pre-Great Recession resolution that was created to help school districts accommodate increasing housing development in the southwest suburb. According to a report in The Herald-News, the need to reduce fees on new housing development will help keep Lockport competitive with neighboring communities that have already reduced similar fees.

The proposal was initially brought up at a community meeting Nov. 1. In Lockport, the new resolution would reduce school impact fees by 80 percent, and general impact, water, and sewer tap fees would decrease by 40 perfect. Originally implemented in 2004, the impact fees have continued to increase 4 percent annually despite a drop-off in housing development.

Neighboring Homer Glen reduced impact fees, and as the communities share the Homer Community Consolidated School District 33C. New Lenox, Lemont, and Romeoville also have lower impact fees than Lockport.

In recent years, industrial and business development in Lockport has increased helping to secure more revenue for the area’s schools. Following the opening of the Interstate 355 extension roughly a decade ago, Heritage Crossings business park off Gougar Road and other developments have been built or are in the works for the community. Assessed property values for the business parks are estimated at about $100 million.

Local school superintendents say that an 80 percent reduction is agreeable, and council members present at the meeting are all in favor. 

Developers looking at the Lockport community will see a total reduction in fees ranging from $24,773 to $15,530 for a four-bedroom home.