Board has created a disappointing legacy

As a Long Grove resident of more than 20 years, I’m deeply disappointed by the Village Board’s decision to approve the QuikTrip development at Route 53 and Lake-Cook Road.

Nearly 1,000 residents voiced opposition to this project. The Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals recommended against it. Despite that, our trustees voted yes — citing a fear of missing out on development opportunities or potential annexation by Buffalo Grove, even though the TIF district doesn’t expire until 2031 and annexation would take far longer.

That’s not sound reasoning; it’s an excuse.

What’s worse, when the PCZBA didn’t deliver the outcome the board wanted, its chair was removed and replaced with a former trustee who didn’t want to run for the village board again. That doesn’t feel like democracy — it feels like manipulation.

I moved back here to raise my family in a community that values charm, quiet and integrity. This decision reflects none of those values. Instead of building on Long Grove’s unique character — like revitalizing its historic downtown — our leaders have chosen to stake our village’s future on a gas station at the region’s busiest intersection.

I hope the trustees enjoy the “most beautiful truck stop in the area,” because that seems to be the legacy they’ve chosen to leave.

Karina Sirota Goodley

Long Grove