Rolling Meadows wants 'attractive gateway' to any Bears stadium, so no cars outside for body shop

Rolling Meadows officials may be willing to allow an auto body shop to expand its presence in the shadow of the Arlington Park property - so long as no vehicles are stored outside.

The prohibition on vehicles waiting to be serviced from stopping, staging or parking in the lot is included as a condition in Body Builders Automotive's request to operate a repair facility at 3737 Industrial Drive.

That's on the highly visible southwest corner of Industrial and Winnetka avenues just west of Route 53, where under the bridge is the entrance to the shuttered racetrack's backstretch barns - and to a potential new Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights.

In a preliminary first reading vote Tuesday night, Rolling Meadows aldermen unanimously supported a special use and other zoning relief that would allow the auto repair shop to move inside a 10,000-square-foot southern portion of the 48,319-square-foot building long home to Molon Motor and Coil Corp.

Employees from Body Builders, which is just down the block at 3960 Industrial Ave., would bring vehicles from that main location directly into one of a dozen new service bays at 3737 Industrial Ave. Then they'd bring vehicles back for customers to pick up when repairs are done.

But because the 3737 site doesn't have a parking or loading area behind the building - its spacious 92-space parking lot fronts the intersection - city community development department staffers told Body Builders they likely wouldn't allow outdoor vehicle storage given the proximity to Arlington Park.

"It is important that this highly visible corner remain an attractive gateway to a potential future Chicago Bears development on the Arlington Racetrack property immediately to the east," the city staff wrote in a council packet.

Though officials from Body Builders agreed to a site improvement plan - and suggestions of other upgrades including parking lot lighting, should the Bears become a neighbor - Alderman Nick Budmats on Tuesday sought additional guarantees from the property owner.

"Everything is based on what the tenant says that they think the owner is willing to do," said Budmats, whose 2nd Ward includes the property. "And honestly I don't think that the tenant has the ability to speak for the owner and I don't want to trust the tenant's testimony when the owner is the person who's going to be held responsible, especially based on the fact where this property is located so close to 53, so close to the potential Bears stadium.

"I don't want us to make a mistake all because we have a tenant who is eager to move into a space that would serve their purposes."

City Manager Rob Sabo said owner Lehmann Peterson Corp. has been part of the zoning application process, but he would follow up with officials there before aldermen take a final reading vote Feb. 14.