Fox River Grove zoning board changes garage plan

Fox River Grove's zoning board this week approved a special use permit for a controversial garage, but with several conditions board members say will help make the project neighborhood friendly.

The village plans to level an existing public works garage to expand its wastewater treatment plant in advance of pending regulations from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

They will replace it with a new public works garage on County Line Road near Route 22.

The zoning board is recommending that trustees revise the plan to keep traffic on County Line Road and out of the neighborhood, that they agree to build the garage 50 feet away from the street, rather than the planned 30 feet, and that they construct the garage with one entrance on County Line Road (the village is considering building it with three entrances).

The zoning board unanimously approved the above recommendations.

"We felt that the plan needed to be more neighborhood friendly and more sensitive to the impact that it could potentially have on the adjoining neighborhood," said Dan Celske, chairman of the zoning board.

People in the neighborhood nearby have fought the plan every step of the way, saying the garage doesn't belong in a residential area, will create excessive noise, drag down their property values and invade their privacy.

"We will never sleep again on snow removal nights," said Paula Kayler, who lives across the street from the planned site with her husband, Glenn.

Although residents in a 2008 nonbinding referendum said they wanted the garage issue brought to a public vote and secured a petition with 295 signatures against the project, the village board voted 4-3 to finance the building another way by using $3.5 million in debt certificates, loans that carry higher interest rates.

The petition sought to prevent the board from issuing bonds, but not from using debt certificates.

It led to residents accusing the board of ignoring the public will.

Thus, Glenn Kayler hails the zoning board's recommendations as a small victory.

"I still oppose it even going in a residential area, but if it has to go in there and if they're going to force it on us, at least (Celske) was being fair."

The village board is not required to abide by all of the recommendations and can continue with the project as originally drafted it, Celske said.

Trustees are due to vote on the recommendations Aug. 19.

Village President Robert Nunamaker could not be reached for comment Wednesday.