Residents claim bait and switch on Libertyville industrial project
Opposition to a $25 million industrial redevelopment on Libertyville's south side has reignited now that its developer is asking the village to eliminate a restriction on overnight truck traffic.
Bridge Development Partners LLC also wants the village to allow storage of up to 12 trailers and up to 10 trucks outside a designated truck court area between two large warehouse/distribution buildings nearing completion.
Residents in neighborhoods to the west of the industrial area at 851-901 E. Park Ave. (Route 176) say they bargained in good faith with Bridge during the approval process. The rare speculative project replaces World War II-era buildings used by heavy equipment maker Frank G. Hough Co.
"A deal's a deal. All sides worked very hard last time around," said Dale Sherman, who lives nearby. "We reached a compromise with restrictions."
One of those restrictions barred truck deliveries or idling between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Village officials two years ago approved plans, subject to 19 conditions, for demolition of the old structures on the site and construction of two new buildings of 220,542 square feet and 185,670 square feet.
Frito-Lay North America Inc. is a proposed tenant for a portion of the eastern building. While that use is within the approved zoning, developers say adjustments for truck parking restrictions and access times are needed by the company.
"The limitation on truck traffic is hurting us getting businesses into the buildings," said Mark Houser, senior director of development for Bridge. "If we can't do that, they'll go to Waukegan or Wisconsin or wherever else they can go."
Frito-Lay would use all its available truck dock positions and needs an area to park trailers outside the truck court, according to Bridge. None of the spaces would be visible from surrounding homes, the developer says.
The company also needs to get trucks in and out through the night and early morning, Houser said. That kind of flexibility also is important to lure other tenants, he added.
Houser noted the area has been zoned for industrial uses since the 1920s and that truck traffic is constant on Route 176. Also, Bridge has shared access with other companies on the site that have no limitation on truck hours, he said.
Sherman said that stance amounts to a "bait and switch."
About 50 residents packed a Libertyville plan commission meeting this past Monday to make their case.
"We have never been anti-business or anti-development," Sherman said. "We wanted to partner with Bridge."
After nearly two hours of discussion, the plan commission voted 6-0 not to recommend approval of the Bridge requests to the village board, which has final say. Village planners also recommend denial, said David Smith, senior planner.