The Orland Park Village Board voted Monday to annex properties over the objection of some residents and settled a lawsuit filed by former police Officer William Sanchez.
The board voted 5-2 to annex property east of Wolf Road between 171st and 175th streets, despite opposition by a group of residents who came out for the meeting.
“Annexation doesn’t really give much value in terms of immediate benefit to the neighborhood,” Fathi Mahmoud said. “Keep in mind that a lot of residents did move in based off of unincorporated terms of living.”
Mahmoud said those living in the area have “operated independently for decades,” paying for and maintaining their own water and septic systems without any issues.
“We’re not asking the village for any help,” Mahmoud said.
Orland Park Director of Development Services Steve Marciani said the village sought control over the unincorporated area after previously annexing land north of it. A major goal of the original annexation was to prevent a repossessed car lot from opening.
“It’s all or nothing,” Marciani said about acquiring the land, that includes more than a dozen homes along 110th Court. “For us to get control of the property so that we can properly maintain and control the quality of the development on Wolf Road, the properties on 110th Court have to come in with this.”
Several neighbors, including Thomas O’Neal, brought up concerns about increasing water and sewage costs after being incorporated.
Thomas O’Neal speaks out in opposition Monday about the Orland Park Village Board’s plan to annex territory between 171st Street and 175th Street on Wolf Road. (Olivia Stevens/Daily Southtown)
“There’s a lot of concerns in the community in regards to bringing this area into Orland,” O’Neal said. “We all enjoy that small country feel we get to enjoy every morning out there.”
Trustees Cynthia Katsenes and William Healy voted against the annexation. Mayor Jim Dodge directed Orland Park staff to work out an agreement with the residents of the land parcel “so that they see some benefits from coming into the village.”
Separately, the village voted to take control of the site of a former gas station at 9401 159th St. and the adjacent site of a former fast food restaurant at 9441 159th St.
Village Manager George Koczwara said the former gas station has been vacant since March 2020 and is an eyesore.
Orland Park Village Manager George Koczwaras answers board members’ questions during a meeting on Dec. 1, 2025. (Olivia Stevens/Daily Southtown)
“At this point, the only maintenance that’s been done to that property is being done by the village,” Koczwara said.
The village was unable to negotiate a deal with the property owners, leaving them to resort to eminent domain to encourage future development, Koczwara said.
Katsenes opposed the village taking control of the two properties, saying eminent domain “is having government coming in and taking property that isn’t theirs.”
Trustee Joanna Leafblad spoke in defense of the measure, saying the state of the corner where the former businesses lie “is something that’s harmful to the residents.”
“Property owners can’t come to Orland Park and just buy property and then make us take care of it for them while they just sit back and ignore it,” Leafblad said. “It’s not responsible property ownership.”
The board approved taking control of both properties, with Katsenes voting against both proposals and Trustees Healy and Michael Milani voting against acquiring the former fast food restaurant only.
Police officer settlement
The village also voted to settle a lawsuit filed by former police Sgt. William Sanchez, who alleged he was fired in early 2024 after complaining to supervisors and the village’s Human Resources Department that he was denied a promotion to lieutenant “because of his racial identity as a Hispanic Latino.”
The village agreed to reinstate Sanchez as sergeant and supervisor of the Police Department’s traffic safety division as of Tuesday, as well as pay him $524,000 in exchange for the lawsuit’s dismissal, according to the settlement agreement.
Sanchez was also given 200 hours of accrued vacation time to be used as of Sept. 13, 2026 and 128 hours of accumulated sick time. The village also agreed to take down from its website a news release with information regarding an investigation into Sanchez.
The agreement states the settlement was “based on a cost of defense economic decision of the village, and more importantly, its insurance carrier,” and not a reflection of the merits of the lawsuit.
Koczwara said the village spent about $460,000 litigating the matter before settling. The agreement was approved 5-2, with Healy and Katsenes voting against it.
Sanchez was one of two police officers who filed federal lawsuits against the village earlier this year.
An arbitrator ruled in January that Sanchez was not fired for just cause and ordered the village to reinstate him to his former position and “make him whole for all losses suffered.”
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
