Schaumburg trustees to consider trucking HQ proposal April 12
With a 5-3 recommendation from Schaumburg's zoning board of appeals, a controversial proposal for a trucking firm's new headquarters on 55 undeveloped acres in the village's southwest corner will seek final approval from trustees on April 12.
Alsip-based Experior Transport is expected to close on its $7.5 million purchase of the site at the southwest corner of Irving Park and Rodenburg roads from the village shortly after receiving the approvals it needs to begin an anticipated two-year construction process.
Besides village approval, the company needs the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to sign off on the wetland mitigation aspects of the project. That approval may take another couple of months, village officials said.
Nevertheless, according to a redevelopment agreement reached with the village in January, the project should be able to start construction at the end of June and be complete by June 2024.
But neighbors of the site — mostly in Roselle and unincorporated Schaumburg Township — remain unhappy about it.
For more than a year, they have been voicing concerns over noise, pollution and traffic from the proposed development. Last week's zoning board hearing lasted four hours, during which about 20 residents presented either spoken or written testimony opposing the project.
“They spoke very well, and I commended them on their control of their emotions,” zoning board Chairman Harry Raimondi said. “I think we gave everyone a fair hearing. ... Given that we went the four hours, I think we gave it our best efforts.”
Whether it was the public's testimony that was persuasive, three members of the zoning board dissented on the recommendation vote. Raimondi said their reasons ranged from dislike of the location or the proposed fencing to sympathy for the residents' position.
“I think everybody voted their conscience on it,” he said.
One thing made clear early in the hearing in regard to traffic concerns, however, was that trucks from the facility would not be permitted to travel south on Rodenburg Road toward residential areas in Roselle, Raimondi said. Their intended destination would be the Elgin-O'Hare Tollway to the north.
Within Schaumburg, the surrounding area is more business-oriented than residential and includes Wintrust Field, Schaumburg Regional Airport and the Schaumburg Park District's indoor Sport Center.
Armed with the minutes of the zoning board meeting and other reports, the village board's intention is not to rehear the entire case on April 12, Mayor Tom Dailly said. Even the village staff and Experior representatives will be asked to keep their recaps brief.
But as far as residents' testimony goes, Dailly said he will let them have their say.
“Everyone who wants to speak can speak, but I'm going to ask them not to repeat themselves,” he said.