A group of developers and property owners who sued Jerome Township over what they claim are flaws in the area’s zoning system have offered the township a settlement.
A settlement offer from the plaintiff demands damages exceeding $13.4 million along with zoning changes, according to a memo from Jerome Township Director of Departments Douglas Stewart.
The Board of Trustees held an executive session with the township’s legal counsel on Oct. 19 to discuss the settlement offer. No action was taken.
In a Friday memo addressed to Trustees Megan Sloat, Joe Craft and C.J. Lovejoy, Stewart wrote that monetary damages will “continue to accrue monthly until a settlement is reached or a decision is made.”
Additional attorney fees could also cause the figure to increase.
Stakeholders for three residential developments that were each stalled by referendums sued the township on July 23.
The plaintiffs claimed that the township violated their property rights and discriminated against them during the zoning process.
The initial plaintiffs include landowners and companies developing The Homestead at Scotts Farm, Rolling Meadows and The Farm at Indian Run. The lawsuit was amended on Aug. 20 to include developers for the Jerome Village VN-10 development.
Through the lawsuit, plaintiffs are seeking the township to rezone the land affiliated with each of the developments as Planned Development Districts and approve each of the developments.
Two proposed, permanent injunctions would also prevent the township from making any of the land in question a Rural Residential District and ensure the township could not prevent the plaintiffs from developing the properties.
As well as monetary damages, the proposed settlement demands “all zoning be implemented as approved by the township,” according to the memo.
Stewart wrote that the proposed zoning changes and payment are described in the settlement as “a result caused by the referendum delay for the affected properties.”
“After speaking with our legal counsel today, this is the only information that is available regarding the pending litigation and the settlement offer,” he noted.
Jerome Township previously filed a motion to dismiss the civil lawsuit on Sept. 7.