ELMHURST, IL – A key Elmhurst panel voted Monday to allow a warehouse in southwest Elmhurst, despite neighbors' concerns over traffic, among other things.
"It's an industrial use in an industrial zone that has even bigger warehouses," said Alderwoman Jennifer Veremis, a member of the City Council's zoning committee.
For about an hour, residents spoke out against the proposed warehouse on Riverside Drive, near Salt Creek Elementary School.
The warehouse, which would replace Clarion Inn, would be allowed to have up to 28 docks. It's on a street with a hodgepodge of uses.
Traffic is a big concern among residents. The warehouse would be near a five-legged intersection known as "The Bulb," which includes Route 83, Riverside Drive and Frontage Road.
Even city officials refer to the junction as the "Wild West." They plan improvements.
At Monday's meeting, parents of Salt Creek students said they feared traffic would become even more dangerous.
Jessica Raun, who has twins at Salt Creek, spoke of a near-crash with a semitruck at the intersection, which she called a "disastrous nightmare."
She urged city officials to reject the building of a "massive" warehouse.
Others warned the city would see a loss in taxes with the warehouse replacing a hotel. The property tax gain would not offset the loss in hotel taxes, they said.
However, representatives of the developer, Houston-based Alliance Industrial Co., contended the warehouse would fit well in the neighborhood, generating only "modest" traffic.
"It's a low-intensive industrial facility, not a regional distribution facility," Alliance executive Andrew Karabon said.
The building would be 815 feet away from the nearest house and 721 feet from the school, he said.
Meanwhile, the school is 253 feet from Route 83, one of the busiest roads in DuPage County, he said.
Further, Karabon said, the warehouse would revitalize an obsolete property, which has seen many police calls over the years.
Alderman Guido Nardini asked questions about the project's traffic impact studies.
"I don't want to take the applicant at their word," he said. "They are in the business of making money."
City officials told him the city's traffic study reflected the conclusions of the developer. The company, the officials said, had no role in picking the city's traffic consultant.
Alderman Chris Jensen conceded that the property would probably bring less taxes than the hotel.
But he said he hesitated to look at developments based on how much money they bring the city. With the thousands of parcels in town, he said, "it all levels out."
As aldermen indicated their support for the project, some opponents quietly walked out.
Jensen said the city held many meetings about the warehouse. He noted the developer has added more landscaping as buffers for the school and houses across Salt Creek.
"I think the project is better than when it came to us months ago, and I support it," he said.
The committee voted unanimously for it. The issue now goes to the full City Council.
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