Trucking firm gets preliminary OK for Lake Zurich maintenance center

A trucking firm seeking to relocate its repair facility from Palatine to a vacant building in Lake Zurich has received a green light from the village.

GTFV Transport Inc., of South Elgin wants to buy a building at 320 E. Main St. (Route 22) to service its fleet of semi-trucks. The company also plans to have administrative offices and a warehouse for truck parts available for sale.

Lake Zurich village officials Monday gave an informal OK to proceed after a courtesy review. That’s a common practice to provide feedback and a sense of whether an idea is acceptable or needs changes before proceeding to the formal approval process.

The 83,599-square-foot facility is zoned for industrial uses. It has been on the market and not fully occupied for several years, with the most recent tenant leaving in April.

Since the full space isn’t required for its operations, the plan is to divide the building and share roughly half with a to-be-determined tenant, GTFV Company owner Radu Spinei said.

Spinei said only the semitractor portion of trucks and not the trailers would be serviced. The company expects to work on three to five tractors a day. While waiting for repairs or parts they would be parked either in a rear lot or inside, not in front of the building.

About 15 people would be employed at the repair and retail store, Spinei said.

Vehicle service facilities require an application for a special use permit, which involves detailed plans and a public hearing in front of the village’s advisory planning and zoning commission before the full board makes an official determination.

mzawislak@dailyherald.com