St. Charles City Council narrowly approves gas station and car wash development
A tie vote is rare among the 10 aldermen representing the St. Charles City Council, but that was the case at Monday's meeting as they decided the fate of a proposed Pride of Kane County gas station, convenience store, quick-serve restaurant and car wash at the southeast corner of Route 64 and Kirk Road.
With the aldermen deadlocked, Mayor Ray Rogina cast the deciding "yes" vote to approve the facility at the 2.37-acre site known as the Regole family homestead. The vote came just after a 7-3 decision in favor of an ordinance for the city to annex the land.
Rogina didn't comment on his vote during a lengthy and jam-packed meeting, but he addressed it on Tuesday.
"I am happy to see positive development on a site that was fallow and unsightly for a long period," Rogina said. "My thinking in casting a yes vote was the mounting opportunity cost in its extended vacant state."
Voting "yes" were Ward 1 Alderman Dan Stellato, Ward 3 Aldermen Todd Bancroft and Lucy Gruber, Ward 4 Alderman Lora Vitek and Ward 5 Alderman Ed Bessner. Ward 1 Alderman Ron Silkaitis, Ward 2 Aldermen Art Lemke and Rita Payleitner, Ward 4 Alderman David Pietryla and Ward 5 Alderman Maureen Lewis voted "no."
Lemke, Lewis and Silkaitis also opposed the ordinance annexing the property, which will be developed by CIMA Developers, LP into an eight-pump gas station, a convenience store with a Taco Urbano restaurant, and an automatic car wash with an additional 10 vacuum stalls.
Payleitner questioned the argument that competitive gas pricing will result from an additional station at that site. She also stressed her belief that the facility doesn't fit the high-profile corner near the city's eastern gateway.
"I believe the gas station complex is not the highest and best use for that corner, and how this plan conflicts with the comprehensive plan has already been stated and addressed," Payleitner said. "I do understand the comp plan is a guiding document but additionally I believe that the comp plan's purpose is to give us pause and to make sure we don't just see dollar signs when making important zoning decisions."
Monday's tight vote was expected in the wake of November's Planning and Development Committee meeting. With Bancroft not in attendance last month, the aldermen voted 5-4 against recommending the proposal.
The Regole family once farmed 300 acres of land in the surrounding area but sold portions of the property over time. The remaining land had been under the jurisdiction of Kane County, but that will change with the city's annexation.
"I'm just not in favor of taking the first thing that comes everywhere," Silkaitis said in explaining his opposition to the proposal. "I'd rather wait for something we want, that's closer to what we want at least."