Palatine car dealership could relocate to Mundelein
A Palatine used car dealer is taking steps to relocate to central Lake County.
Autoland wants to move from 2240 Rand Road to a vacant building on the 800 block of North Lake Street in Mundelein. That's at the northwest corner of routes 45 and 176.
It would take over a roughly 2-acre site that once housed Elite Motors but has been unused since Elite moved to Waukegan in 2018.
The Mundelein village board on Monday directed administrators to draft an ordinance that would create a special use permit for Autoland. The property is zoned for commercial uses, but auto sales require special permission.
The ordinance to be drafted also would, if enacted, give Autoland permission to store vehicles outdoors and repair autos. Outdoor storage and auto repairs aren't allowed on the property now.
The ordinance is expected to be ready for a Sept. 12 vote.
Autoland plans to have 90 to 110 vehicles for sale at any given time. The minimum price for any vehicle would be $5,000.
That minimum price is one of 21 stipulations being required by village officials as part of the proposed permit. Others concern delivery hours, test-drive routes, operating hours, lighting and other aspects of the business.
A few residents asked questions about the plan during Monday's meeting. They were especially concerned about the village's plan to require an 8-foot-tall fence around the property along Ridgeland Avenue, Laramie Street and Lyndale Street. That fence would act as a buffer between the dealership and nearby homes, and the residents supported the idea.
Trustees insisted on the fence, too.
"I'm going to hold your feet to the fire on the 8-foot fence," Trustee Kerston Russell told Autoland representatives. "I think it's an important thing."