Darien Body Shop Rejected Amid Protests

DARIEN, IL – A key Darien committee on Wednesday rejected a proposal for an auto body shop at a major Darien intersection.

This happened after more than 50 neighbors showed up to oppose the plan at the meeting of the Darien Planning and Zoning Commission.

Residents spilled out into the hallway outside the meeting room. A couple of them sat on the floor.

The proposal was for Gerber Collision & Glass, an Elmhurst-based chain with hundreds of locations, to set up in shop in the old CVS Pharmacy building southeast of Lemont Road and 83rd Street.

Gary Koche, president of the Brookeridge homeowners association, speaks during the Darien Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday. He said a proposed auto body shop was "inharmonious" with the surrounding neighborhood. (David Giuliani/Patch)

The neighbors said the shop would devalue their homes with its noise, traffic, fumes and the unsightliness of wrecked cars.

But Gerber representatives said a fence would be built on Lemont Road to hide the cars needing to be repaired.

They said traffic would be much less than that of CVS, though neighbors said there would be more trucks and tow trucks.

As for noise, the representatives said none would escape the building.

"It's all air-conditioned," said Tim Schwartz, one of the representatives. "It's not like that on a hot summer day, we'll open doors and windows."

Neighbors said the auto body shop would hurt the residential character of the area, a point Schwartz disputed.

"This intersection has 29,000 cars per day," he said. "There were a lot of comments that this was a neighborhood location. With that kind of location, it's not really a neighborhood location. (The shop is) nothing compared to what you already have."

Todd Valliere, who lives on nearby Highland Avenue in unincorporated Downers Grove, was among many who disagreed with Schwartz's characterization, saying he was "completely offended."

Gary Koche, president of the next-door Brookeridge homeowners association, said the shop was "inharmonious" with the surrounding neighborhood.

"We will take exception to it not being a neighborhood location," he said.

Brandon Esparza, a Brookeridge resident, said he moved into the subdivision a year ago. But he said he probably would have looked elsewhere had he known about Gerber coming in.

He said the shop would be "smelly, dusty, dirty" with "tow trucks everywhere."

"There is zoning in place to protect residents from this stuff," Esparza said.

A third of a mile away from the proposed auto body shop is Darien Collision Center at 8125 S. Lemont Road.

Owner Rich Jepsen opposed Gerber's proposal, saying it would hurt his business and Haraldsen's Garage at 2525 75th St.

"There will be three body shops within a one-mile radius," he said.

Last summer, residents in the area protested a proposed warehouse less than a half mile north on Lemont Road. Woodridge village officials approved it.

Downers Grove resident Elizabeth Uribe was among those reminding Darien officials of that experience.

"We are upset with the warehouse on Lemont Road," she said. "Please don't make the same mistake as Woodridge did."

After the public comments, Schwartz called the reaction "alarmist, which is normal."

He dismissed concerns over traffic, asking how many cars go in and out of the Speedway gas station across the street.

As for environmental considerations, he said, "I don't think there's anything you need to be concerned about. We have to comply with state regulations, which we do."

But when asked by commissioners how many gases known as "volatile organic compounds" would be emitted, Gerber representative Jim Brady said he did not know offhand.

During the hearing, an opponent of the auto body shop was heard saying, "It's already a done deal."

The person was wrong, at least for now. The commission ended up voting 7-1 against the project, with Chris Green dissenting.

The proposal next goes to Darien's Municipal Services Committee, which is made up of three aldermen.

After that, the full seven-member City Council has the final say.

The Darien Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-1 against a planned auto body shop. The City Council has the final say. (David Giuliani/Patch)