Shorewood Village Board Gives Green Light to Fire Truck Repair Shop

The village board gave a fire truck repair business the nod to open up shop on Earl Road.

EMC Fire, a company with facilities in Channahon and Arizona, already has a contract to buy the property at 600 Earl Road.

Village trustees cleared the way for EMC to open up shop during Tuesday night's board meeting.

"For some time that facility has been in disrepair and we had requested meetings with the current owners to discuss the situation," Shorewood Economic Development Director Nancy Roman said in an memo to Trustee Gary Fitzgerald, who chairs the village's planning and zoning committee.

In the subsequent meetings with the property owners, Roman wrote, village staff learned the owners inherited the property and did not have the funds to make the desired improvements.

During the EMC deal, according to Roman, the village found out that the existing business — a truck repair facility — had never obtained the necessary permits from the village to operate legally.

EMC is expected to clean up and improve the property. Village officials say the company already works closely with the Troy Township Fire Department.

Also during Tuesday night's meeting, the board took the first step toward passing an ordinance to further regulate legalized panhandling on highways by charitable organizations.

According to the proposed ammendment to the village code, no one will be allowed to stand on a street to solicit donations unless they are involved in a statewide fundraiser, involved with an organization registered with the Illinois Attorney General's Office, over 18, wearing a high-visibility vest, and not disrupting traffic.

The organization must also register with the village and provide proof of $1 million in liability insurance.

Trustee Dan Gron, who said he was in favor of such legislation, voted against it on the first read in hopes some revisions may be made before the second reading.