Lake Zurich residents discuss potential car dealer
Residents and business owners held an informal public forum in Lake Zurich on Tuesday to discuss the possible arrival of a luxury-car dealership to replace Capaccio Bros. Furniture, which will shut down by the end of the summer.
The proposal to issue Midwest Motors Inc. a special permit to operate a car dealership is under consideration by the Lake Zurich planning commission. The plan has met initial opposition from residents near the store location at Route 22 and Cortland Drive.
About 30 residents attended the meeting, along with Benjamin Ripstein, president of Midwest Motors; the owners of Capaccio Bros. Furniture; Lake Zurich Mayor Suzanne Branding; and Dan Peterson, building and zoning director.
Several residents expressed concerns about the traffic backups and noise that a car dealership could bring to the neighborhood, in addition to possibly lowering area property values. They also questioned what a special permit could mean for the neighborhood in years to come.
“We don’t want a used-car lot here,” said Richard Fedorowicz, a resident of the Orchards subdivision across the street from the site. “We’re not only concerned with how he plans to operate but (with) who can buy the site later.”
It was the second Q-and-A session organized by Ripstein as he tries to ease residents’ concerns. Ripstein hosted a similar public meeting Saturday at his current dealership location in Volo. He went door-to-door in the nearby Lake Zurich subdivisions over the past week to invite residents to the meetings and discuss the issue.
“I really want to work with the village and residents as a team,” Ripstein said. “I understand the residents’ concerns. We want people to know that we aren’t your typical car dealership.”
Ripstein described his business as an “opulent” enterprise, dealing in luxury and exotic cars typically priced $50,000 and higher. He said all cars would be on display indoors almost all of the time and that he doesn’t plan to change the appearance of the store.
Nick Capaccio, who said his business will close its doors Aug. 1, endorsed Ripstein.
“This is a business that holds the same values my family does. It’s a good fit for the community,” Capaccio said,
Ripstein was turned away by Libertyville in a relocation attempt last June.
A public hearing will be held June 20 when the planning commission considers the proposal. The commission will then make a recommendation to village trustees.