Land Rover Dealership's Removal Of Bushes Upsets Neighbors

HINSDALE, IL — Residents from a Hinsdale neighborhood have objected to the local Land Rover dealership's removal of bushes dividing it from the neighborhood. But the village president said officials are addressing the issue. He also defended the village's 2016 sales tax agreement with the dealership.

In a petition dated Sunday, residents said the dealership on Nov. 22 took down large portions of the bushes along Oak Street, which is on the property's eastern side. Most of the remaining bushes were cut down to five feet.

"If it was not spotted and stopped by two village residents, they would have trimmed all the remaining bushes," the petition said.

The residents alleged this was a "blatant" violation of a village ordinance that required the dealership keep the bushes at least eight feet high.

"Previously, those bushes have served as a green wall from that facility to the neighborhood. The wall shielded this commercial facility from the neighborhood," the petition said. "The removal of the bushes destroyed the quietness of the surrounding neighborhood."

In response, Cauley said he went by the dealership before the meeting and found that a wall the dealership was building on the south side was nearly done.

"It looks very nice. It looks like a stone wall. Even residents I've spoken with have praised the look of the wall," he said. "Rest assured, we will follow through on the landscaping issues."

Village Manager Kathleen Gargano told the board she would work with the dealership to have a final plan for the landscaping by mid-February, so bushes can be planted in the spring.

In an interview Wednesday, Kevin Jacobs, of the Land Rover dealership, said the landscaping has yet to be completed because of the weather. He said some of the bushes had to be removed because of requirements associated with connecting to the storm sewer on Oak Street.

"We are doing our best to adhere to the ordinance," he said.

At the meeting, Cauley took the opportunity to defend the 2016 agreement with the dealership to stay in Hinsdale, saying he believed an area newspaper mischaracterized it. He noted the business has been the single largest sales tax generator in the village, bringing in about $285,000 a year. The combined businesses at the Hinsdale Oasis make up the biggest portion of sales tax revenue, he said, but not one of them individually surpasses Land Rover.

The village entered the 15-year agreement with Land Rover because the dealership was considering moving to another suburb for more space, Cauley said. Instead, it moved next door and got the additional space it wanted, he said.

Under the agreement, Cauley said, while the dealership can now keep a portion of the sales tax money, the village will get more of the revenue than before because the dealership is expected to do more business with its expansion.

If Land Rover had moved, Cauley said, it would have been hard to find another business to replace it. And because luxury dealerships tend to locate near each other, Land Rover's departure could have had a ripple effect, he said. Continental Motors is nearby.

One of Land Rover's neighbors told the board he understood the importance of keeping Land Rover in Hinsdale, but he said a barrier is needed between the business and houses. He also urged the dealership to keep the lights dimmed at night in compliance with a village ordinance.