Wheaton Residents Slam Mariano's Gas Station Plans

WHEATON, IL — More than a dozen Wheaton residents spoke out at a public hearing Tuesday, calling a proposed Mariano's gas station "an abomination" as they raised concerns about traffic accidents, flooding issues, light and noise pollution and lower property values.

Nearly 50 residents attended the Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board's hearing on the proposal via Zoom and in person. The plan to convert a Mariano's employee parking lot near 600 S. Main Street into a fueling station, has met with mounting resistance. As of Wednesday, close to 1,900 residents had signed a petition opposing the Mariano's gas station.

At Tuesday night's hearing, Dan Farrell, Vice President of Real Estate for Roundy's the parent company of Mariano's, said the parking lot, intended for overflow and employee parking, is "underutilized." The company is seeking to convert part of the parking lot into a gas station with seven fuel dispensers, a canopy, a transaction kiosk and a parking area.

Additional Roundy's representatives were on hand Tuesday to answer questions about fuel tank storage and gas delivery. Officials said fuel tanks will be made of double-walled fiberglass, buried underground and anchored with concrete to help prevent leakage. The company aims to schedule fuel deliveries during off-hours to avoid causing traffic.

Residents continued to express concerns about the safety of the fuel tanks in the event of flooding, which is common to the area. Noise pollution was also a concern for some residents.

Kate Reinhart, who lives near Mariano's, launched the petition against the gas station. At Tuesday's hearing, Reinhart said the petition was the first she'd every started because, she said, "I've never been so angry about something in my whole life.”

"This is the gateway to our community and to put a gas station there would just be an abomination," Reinhart added.

In an email to Patch ahead of the hearing, Reinhart wrote, "A gas station is completely inconsistent with this area that has been carefully manicured by the city of Wheaton, including the just-finished construction of six pickleball courts for community use.”

Steve Johnson, a 40-year resident of the 700 block of South Hale Street, also raised concerns about potential traffic and accidents at the nearby intersection. Potential light pollution from the gas station's signage was another issue for Johnson.

Susan Botts has lived in the 600 block of South Hale since 2010, and said children and pedestrians often frequent the area where the gas station would be built. Botts added that her children learned to ride their bikes in the athletic complex's tennis courts.

Chace Schackmann echoed those sentiments in his comments on the online petition against the gas station. Schackmann wrote, "Putting up this gas station takes away places for kids to play. I won’t feel as safe in my backyard."

Wheaton's Planning and Zoning Board will welcome additional comments at another public hearing about the proposed gas station on Aug. 24.