Mattress store coming to Rand and Central

The Mount Prospect village board has approved zoning variations that enable the demolition of a Citgo gas station to make way for a MattressFirm store at 1020 E. Central Road.

Mayor Arlene Juracek cast the tiebreaking vote.

The property is bounded by the troublesome intersection of Mount Prospect Road, Central Road and Rand Road.

Since there is an ongoing village study of the Rand Road corridor, some board members balked at approving the variations before that is complete and possible improvements are identified. The study is being helped along by Regional Transportation Authority grant money.

The petitioner asked the board for variations to regulations on rear yard, exterior side yard and parking setbacks, as well as a variation for overall lot coverage.

Community Development Director William Cooney said the site meets the standard for hardship.

“The reality is if you apply all the setbacks that are required ... there would be no room for a building to be located anywhere on the site,” he said.

Trustees John Matuszak, Richard Rogers and Steven Polit voted against the variations, afraid that the village is boxing itself in.

“If we allow this to be built, how will it impact the plan that we approved?” Matuszak asked Cooney.

But Cooney said it's too soon to know if any part of that site might need to be taken to ultimately improve the interchange.

Charles Riesterer, representing the petitioner, said the sale of the property will commence with approval from the village. He said construction could begin in March, but that he first anticipates it will need to cleaned up.

Rogers warned him the site is difficult, but Riesterer assured him the petitioner wants the mattress store on that location.