Long Grove residents question developer over store plan

The proposed Sunset Foods development in Long Grove was put through its first test Tuesday night.

Residents at a plan commission meeting quizzed the grocery store developer on the project's traffic impact and visibility. The new Sunset Foods store and five other buildings are proposed for the southeast corner of Route 83 and Aptakisic Road.

Nearby residents are worried that the development would mean more cut-through traffic from Thompson Boulevard in Buffalo Grove. Concerns were also raised about the general increase of traffic on Aptakisic and 83.

The developer has done studies that say traffic in the area won't be adversely affected, but Long Grove village officials said they'll check the accuracy of the those.

Mike Firsel, with Mid-America Development Partners, also addressed concerns that his group will try to buy additional land south of the proposed Sunset Grove complex.

"We have no interest in those properties," he said.

Residents across the way on Route 83 said they don't want to have lights and sound filter from the stores into their homes.

Firsel said the proposal includes fences and landscaping to buffer sound and lights from the 14-acre project.

"We were also very concerned about the sound," he said. "We hope to do as much as possible. It will not be any worse than it is today."

The project is proposed to include the Sunset grocery store, a bank, dry cleaner, coffee shop, restaurant and drug store.

The developers will return to upcoming plan commission meetings to go through more details of the project.