Controversy Surrounds Veterans Memorial Project in Antioch
The authorization to begin construction of a Veterans Memorial, mired in controversy due to its proposed location, was postponed at Wednesday’s village board meeting. A resolution to assess alternative sites passed by a 4-2 vote. Both issues will be revisited during the July 22 board session.
In April 2025, the village board selected the William E. Brook Wetlands Sanctuary on the 990-block of Skidmore Avenue for the memorial. The design situates the memorial within 11 feet of Sequoit Creek, with an oval pattern measuring 50 by 30 feet. Concerns about wetland stability and waterway buffer encroachment have been raised.
The placement of the memorial within a wetlands conservancy has sparked controversy. Courtesy of the Village of Antioch.
Kurt Woolford, director of Lake County Stormwater Management, stated, “Antioch, as a certified community, handles the permitting process. We have not received plans, as we wouldn’t unless they deviate from county code ordinances involving wetlands and buffers. Authority remains with us and the state of Illinois in certain situations. Antioch holds jurisdiction here, with their own permitting and engineers.”
A previously considered site was a memorial park at Toft Avenue and Orchard Street, preferred by veterans due to existing historical military displays such as a Civil War cannon and a WWII-era tank. The board’s motion to explore alternative sites includes this park, requiring boring samples and topography data before the July 22 meeting.
Trustee Mary Pedersen expressed concerns, “The wetlands sanctuary was created as a memorial, and placing another on it is inappropriate. This memorial honors all veterans, not solely combatants, and dismisses prior board efforts.”
The Antioch Veterans Memorial Committee, initially composed of members from the Antioch VFW Post 4551 and the Antioch American Legion Post 748, proposed the project. These organizations have since withdrawn, as the wetlands location divided opinions.
Trustee Ed Macek mentioned, “I initially supported the oval design for being less intrusive on wetlands, yet was the sole ‘no’ vote before. The project lacks $50,000 to meet its funding goal.”
Trustee Brent Bluhardt noted, “Donors expect progress. With delay, further donations may cease. We’ve voted; we must proceed.”
Antioch contributes about $60,000 to the memorial through a private-public partnership. The funds derived from VIP tickets to a Chris Cagle concert in 2024 and property tax allocations for veteran homeownership. The updated design places the memorial’s concrete base further east of Orchard and Depot streets. It will feature monolith plaques for all U.S. Armed Forces branches.
Trustee Rebecca McNeill emphasized legal adherence in the process. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources did not return requests for comment on waterway laws.