Buffalo Grove plan commission takes on Ricky Rockets proposal
Possible conflicts with existing businesses and access along Lake-Cook Road were among the topics tackled Wednesday, as Buffalo Grove's planning and zoning commission examined the proposal for a new Ricky Rockets fuel center in the village.
The panel heard from Mike MacKinnon and Rick Heidner, developers of the 7.6-acre site at 700 E. Lake-Cook Road, currently home to a vacant office building slated for demolition.
Heidner, of Heidner Properties, Inc., said the fuel provider likely would be Shell. That prompted a question about conflicts with a nearby Shell station on Lake-Cook Road.
Commission member Marc Spunt also wondered about the potential addition of a Dunkin' Donuts on the site, and how that would impact another Dunkin' Donuts nearby,
"The Dunkin' Donuts that's over by that area is a very popular Dunkin' Donuts in Buffalo Grove, and it's recognized from corporate for different things that they have done," Spunt said.
The developers said there would be one access point off Lake-Cook Road and a second on Lexington Drive. There would be no access from Hastings Drive, they said, unless an agreement is reached with a neighboring property owner.
"I think the most significant item is traffic flow," Commission Chairman Frank Cesario said, adding that he believes the proposal is a more appropriate use for that location than what is there today.
Heidner said the village can expect as much as $400,000 a year in tax revenue from the project.
"Hopefully, it's a benefit to the community," he added. "I feel it's very underserved there, especially with all the townhomes (nearby)."
Commission member Amy Au asked about the proposed sign on top of the building - the "Ricky" mascot riding a speeding rocket - which is not permitted by code.
"Is there a way to move that rocket person into where the building is, versus on top?" she asked
McKinnon, of Bluestone Single Tenant Properties, said other possibilities are being investigated, but for Heidner, "the rocket is his golden arches."