Elmhurst Company Gets OK For Expansion

ELMHURST, IL — An Elmhurst company planning a warehouse addition may have moved away if the city rejected its proposed expansion, an alderwoman said Monday. The City Council unanimously approved it.

With the council vote, McMaster-Carr Supply Co., 600 N. County Line Road, can build an addition that exceeds the zone's 45-foot building height limit. According to city documents, the hardware supply company says its building would be as high as 66 feet.

Ward 3 Alderwoman Dannee Polomsky, whose ward includes McMaster-Carr, noted it is entirely surrounded by an industrial zone. Not far to the west, though, is a residential neighborhood, with houses on Adele Street closest to the company.

Polomsky said truck traffic was not expected to increase with the warehouse expansion. Berms, screening and evergreens were planned as ways to block off the company from the neighborhood to the west, so the addition would have no significant impact, she said.

"Because in 2019 McMaster-Carr was very responsive to some concerns and issues around the construction of a parking deck, I think they have shown they will be a good neighbor," Polomsky said. "Overall, I think that without an expansion, McMaster-Carr will relocate, so I think that this plan demonstrates a commitment by McMaster-Carr to fit within the neighborhood."

The other Ward 3 alderman, Michael Bram, agreed with Polomsky, saying the company has gone above and beyond in being a good neighbor.

"Adding the berm, the height they are proposing and the distance from the property line will pretty much negate any concerns that any nearby residents may have with the visual of the taller building," Bram said.