Lisle rejects bus yard plan

A bus company is looking for somewhere else to keep part of its suburban fleet after failing to win approval from Lisle to use a large empty parking lot as a bus yard.

Westway Coach, a subsidiary of Cook-Illinois Corp., was hoping to park nearly 70 school buses in a roughly 2.5-acre lot at the former Tellabs site on the 4900 block of Indiana Avenue. But Lisle Village Board members on Monday night refused to grant a special-use permit for the project.

The 4-2 vote rejecting the company’s request came after neighbors voiced concerns about the plan increasing traffic, noise and air pollution. Trustees Lee LaFond and Cathy Cawiezel were the only board members who voted in favor of issuing the permit.

Brian McClure, a Lisle resident and business owner who strongly opposed the bus yard proposal, praised most of the village board for voting “with their hearts.”

“They voted for the residents of Lisle,” McClure said moments after the decision. “They cared about the citizens more than they cared about something that wouldn’t benefit the town.”

John Benish Jr., Cook-Illinois’ chief operating officer, said it’s “unfortunate” the company won’t be able to use the property. However, he said there is a “Plan B” location for the buses, which are going to be used to transport students in Downers Grove Elementary District 58, Woodridge Elementary District 68 and Downers Grove High School District 99.

“There’s no hard feelings. It’s understandable,” Benish said.

Monday’s negative board vote happened despite the planning and zoning commission recommending approval of the special-use permit.

Earlier this month, the chairman of that advisory panel said the proposal “makes sense” for the property, which is located in an industrial area. He said Lisle would have benefited economically from Westway Coach leasing space inside the building at 4951 Indiana Ave. for a dispatch office.

But neighboring homeowners and building owners said the school buses would have made a bad traffic situation worse, caused air and noise pollution and lowered property values.

While Westway Coach agreed to reduce to 12 the total number of buses that would have used nearby Yender Avenue, Trustee Ken Modaff said the noise would have been a problem. He voted against the special-use permit request.