West Dundee approves U-Haul storage expansion plan

After months of negotiating with West Dundee, U-Haul has been granted permission to expand its parking and storage space in exchange for reconfiguring and beautifying its prominent site.

The moving equipment and storage rental company owns three buildings in the Spring Hill Gateway, an area nestled between Spring Hill Mall and the high-traffic intersection of Route 31 and Main Street. In addition to housing U-Haul's operations, for which the village board approved a special use in 2014, the property includes a handful of retailers and available tenant space.

In a 5-1 vote this week, trustees pushed forward a plan to expand U-Haul's self-storage into the south building along Route 72 and add more truck parking near the building closest to the mall. The east building will be reoriented so the storefronts face Route 31, and a portion of the structure will be torn down to create a new development-ready outlot.

The plan allows U-Haul to expand its operations, while also making the area more attractive to potential tenants, Community Development Director Tim Scott said.

A positive vote was the culmination of several months of discussions between West Dundee and U-Haul, Scott said.

The company's request for more storage space initially was met with resistance from village leaders, some of whom expressed concerns over how the changes would fit into a long-term vision for the entire Spring Hill Mall area.

An earlier version of U-Haul's proposal was tabled because the village board felt it lacked detailed landscape and site plans, as well as a redevelopment schedule. Those provisions and safeguards were included in an updated plan Monday, making Village President Chris Nelson and several trustees more comfortable with moving forward.

However, Trustee Michelle Kembitzky, who voted against the measure, said she still is not confident the work will be completed in a timely manner.

"They have demonstrated that they make promises that they don't keep," she said.

U-Haul representatives could not be reached for comment, though Scott said the company already has begun some maintenance and other preliminary work. The partial building demolition and other improvements are expected to take place by year's end, village officials said.

"I'm glad we put the effort in to get this all here," Trustee Thomas Price said of the updated plan. "Hopefully the folks at U-Haul are satisfied."