‘Wasn’t a fit’: Libertyville rejects car wash proposal because of location
Libertyville officials recently denied a proposal to revamp an aging corner on Milwaukee Avenue south of Route 176, saying the plan was not a good fit for the location.
“To me, it really comes down to the site,” said village Trustee Andrew Herrmann. “I think we're trying to fit too intensive of a use onto a property that just isn't suited for it.”
The village board last week considered reports by the advisory plan commission and zoning board of appeals, both of which recommended denial by 6-0 votes. The village board agreed with those findings.
Papo’s 3 LLC proposed demolishing the existing building at 211 S. Milwaukee Ave. and sought approval for a 194-foot-long car wash and associated site improvements on the parcel between Sunnyside Place and McKinley Avenue.
Built as an auto dealership decades ago, the portion of the building facing Milwaukee had been occupied by an Advanced Auto Parts store. But it has been vacant for a few years. Longtime tenant Rouse’s Auto Repair remains in operation in the rear of the building.
The family-owned Papo’s 3 operates eight car washes in the Chicago area, including a flagship location at Hunt Club Road and Washington Street in Gurnee. Partner Joe Stone stressed the quality of the operation, including training, staffing and customer service.
The company's motto is “Never settle, always get better,” Stone told the village board last week during a final pitch. “We are very choosy, very picky in how we grow and the way that we do.”
The plan was revised after the initial review, and traffic, sound and other potential concerns were addressed, he added.
While appreciative of the business model and sympathetic with the property owner's struggle to find a productive use for a vacant building, village officials said an approved plan for the South Milwaukee Avenue Corridor, a key gateway to the downtown, called for more pedestrian-friendly uses.
“The delicate balance we have is not only are we trying to do what we can for people that come to invest in our community but we also do what we can to support the vision that we have for development in the southern corridor as well,” Mayor Donna Johnson explained just before the vote.
“That’s why issues like this are very, very tough for us,” she added.
Johnson said the company shouldn’t cross Libertyville off its list of potential locations.
“You do a great job with what you put forward,” she told Stone after the vote. “It just wasn’t a fit for this board at that particular site.”
mzawislak@dailyherald.com