Residents get to grill Wal-Mart plans in W. Dundee

Residents of West Dundee and surrounding communities had their first chance Monday night to speak out against a 186,000-square-foot Wal-Mart SuperCenter planned Huntley Road and Elm Avenue.

The village's planning and zoning commission continued a public hearing on the proposed development that was postponed last month when more than 150 people packed the village hall with dozens of others unable to enter the building.

Monday night's meeting was attended by approximately 175 residents at the Randall Oaks Golf Club.

Representatives from the world's largest retailer presented the planning and zoning commission with several proposed site variances including changes to parking lot light pole height, signage design, and the number and size of parking lot islands.

Wal-Mart asked for taller light poles, fewer parking lot islands and wider parking spaces.

But residents had other issues on their minds like noise, traffic and crime rates, which Wal-Mart representatives addressed late into Monday night.

After a 90-minute presentation from Wal-Mart, audience members with formal objections had the opportunity to question the petitioners.

One group, the Dundee Neighbors -- a coalition of residents and interested parties who opposed the retail center -- cross-examined Wal-Mart on potential noise, traffic and crime problems at the site.

Traffic and noise experts for Wal-Mart determined the store would not affect traffic conditions along Huntley and Elm and that noise from the site would not affect the surrounding neighborhood.

Under the proposal, the retailer will widen Huntley from Route 31 west to Tartans Drive and add traffic signals along Huntley to control traffic flow.

Additionally, William Woodward, a transportation and parking planning consultant for Rosemont-based Kenig, Lingren, O'Hara, Aboona, said cut-through from Tartans Drive to Route 72 would not grow once the store is developed.

But Brian J. O'Connor, who represented the newly formed group, said the proposed development does not fit in with the surrounding environment.

"We are not against commercial development," O'Connor said before the meeting. "But we want a commercial development that is consistent with the character and nature of the village."

But Rob Gamruth, regional zoning and land use counsel for Wal-Mart, said the village has already made the determination that a big box retailer is an appropriate development for the site, which was initially zoned for a Meijer store.

Gamruth said the development "permitted is in harmony with the zoning plan."

Public comments had not been heard as of 11 p.m. Monday night.

The planning and zoning commission will reconvene on May 27 at Randall Oaks Golf Club to make a determination on the hearing.