Opposition builds to Costco plan

Mettawa residents concerned about a proposed Costco store in the rustic village hope strength in numbers will slow the pace of its consideration.

A group called the Mettawa Preservation Party continued to distribute information concerning the plan at Riverwoods Road and Route 60 and are hoping to have 100 people - nearly a quarter of the town's population - attend a village board meeting Tuesday.

"The core of the unrest with the village is not so much with Costco. The key issue is how we got to this place," said Jesse Ray, a retired marketing expert and spokesman for the group.

"My effort is to delay the (proposal) enough so residents can work at it and study what options might exist."

Though he has not spoken publicly on the matter, Mayor Barry MacLean said in a letter to residents the board has not forgotten the goal of preserving Mettawa's low density, rural residential character.

He said the Costco building would be "their most environmentally sensitive design" and would be mostly shielded from view.

The $1 million estimated annual sales tax revenue it would generate would allow the village to buy other properties that might be inviting for commercial uses, continue its property tax rebate program and pursue other improvements, MacLean wrote.

"The contemplated Costco project will provide a revenue stream that will safeguard our 5-acre zoning for generations to come and will help us to preserve and protect the character of the village," he wrote.

While negotiations with the retailer have been acknowledged, details of the plan have not been made public. In a brief statement, Costco Chairman Jeff Brotman said it is corporate policy to not comment on specific markets.

Trustee Larry Falbe agrees there should be time for all concerned to have input into the decision. He has asked MacLean to commit to not taking a vote Tuesday on any issues related to the proposal, including selling 22 acres of village-owned property between Riverwoods Road and the Tri-State Tollway to Costco.

Though the village purchased the bulk of the property three years ago, Ray says there is no evidence MacLean and the board have thoroughly studied the "high-impact issues that accompany a Costco."

And in neighboring Lake Forest, Mayor S. Michael Rummel in a letter to MacLean said the city was "surprised by the speed and secrecy" of Mettawa's consideration of the matter.

Though it recognizes it does not have a say in what Mettawa does, the city is concerned with the impact of a Costco store on traffic, wetlands and police and fire services.

Three years ago, Costco worked for nine months on a plan to build a warehouse store along the tollway north of the Mettawa site in Lake Forest. The plan was withdrawn after opposition from environmentalists, residents, the Chicago Bears and the Lake County Forest Preserve District but it was known the company continued to look in Lake County.

"The place is a surprise but the fact that they found a place isn't a surprise," Rummel said.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.saynotocostco.com/">Mettawa Preservation Party Web page </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>