The Lockport City Council committee of the whole advanced a large planned development known as Serenity Landing toward a vote after a lengthy staff presentation and extended public comment on safety, schools and impacts to the local horse community.

City planning staff walked the council through the site’s history and the proposal to redevelop a 183‑acre parcel that was first approved in earlier forms in 2007 and 2011. The current developer’s concept would include a mix of housing — detached homes, attached single‑family units, townhomes and apartments — totaling about 633 housing units in multiple phases, roughly 80 acres of open space, bike paths and a 1.76‑acre commercial parcel. Staff said the plan also updates the site to meet Will County’s stormwater rules and that most public improvements would be installed and paid for by the developer.

Lance, a city planning official, told council members the development “adds a number of other retention ponds to increase the capacity” and that “all the public improvements are paid for and installed by the developer.” He described required bonds and letters of credit to protect the city if a future developer defaults, including performance security equal to 110% of the engineer’s probable cost and a 12‑month maintenance bond.

Fairmont School District 89 officials told the council they welcome new families but warned that educating students will be an immediate cost to the district. Superintendent Dr. Daniels said the district projects the subdivision “is anticipated to add approximately 150 students to our school district” and urged continued collaboration with city staff on fiscal impacts and timing of revenues such as impact fees and property taxes.

A string of residents and interest groups raised other concerns. Veterinarian and equine surgeon Bridget Peel and several speakers representing ranching and horse communities said the development’s construction and long‑term increase in vehicle traffic, light and dust could harm horses’ health and local equine businesses. “Horses are 15 times more sensitive to inhaled particulate matter than humans,” Peel said, warning of increased respiratory disease and welfare consequences.

Environmental and community groups also cited local air‑quality monitoring data and questioned the scale and pace of build‑out. Several speakers asked the council to slow the process, seek additional study or require stronger mitigation measures — such as enhanced landscape buffers, lower building heights near farms, and traffic calming — before final approval.

Council members asked staff detailed questions about phasing, traffic warrants for future signals, school capacity and the flexibility in the plan development code to convert housing types if market conditions change. City staff said traffic studies will be updated after each phase and that a developer obligation to install a signal would be triggered if county warrants are met.

After public comment, the council voted to place the rezoning ordinance and the related annexation agreement on the next meeting’s action calendar so members can review the missing development agreement documents and craft any additional findings of fact before taking a final vote.