Citing concerns over possible traffic congestion, safety and excess noise, the Lake Forest City Council has rejected a controversial proposal to construct a Waterway Car Wash on the city’s west side.
With a standing room audience crowded into City Hall Monday, aldermen voted 7-0 against the application for a special use permit that would have allowed the combined car wash, gas station and convenience store at the southeast corner of Everett and Waukegan roads.
“The site is too small for what is proposed,” said Ald. Jack Reisenberg, 3rd Ward.
Specifically, Waterway, based in suburban St. Louis, proposed a 1.5 acre development with an approximate 7,800-square-foot building for a car wash and convenience store, adjacent to five islands with 10 fueling stations on the southern end of the site — where an abandoned building has stood for over a decade.
The plan, which was originally presented to the city’s Plan Commission in October 2015, had won the recommendation from that body in November 2017. Last December, the City Council voted 5-3 on first reading of the special use and forwarded the proposal to the Building Review Board, which recommended it in June.
However, the seven aldermen present — Ald. Jim Preschlack, 3rd Ward, was absent — decided it was not an appropriate site for the area.
“The traffic pattern within the site seems really awkward to me,” said Ald. Timothy Newman, 2nd Ward.
While acknowledging the current site of an abandoned building is not aesthetically pleasing, Ald. Ray Buschmann, 4th Ward, said the neighbors of the property see it every day.
“Are we going to punish them by putting in a development with something that is worse for them?” Buschmann said in his reasoning to vote ‘no’.
The Waterway operation would have generated an estimated annual $90,000 in taxes and fees for the city, according to city documents. If the plan had been approved, it would have been Waterway’s second location in the area, as an operation already exists in Northbrook.
Lake Forest resident Alexander “Sandy” Stuart owns the property and sat in the front row of the council chambers during the meeting listening to aldermen state their reasons for opposition. Afterward, he reflected on the long process.
“I’m obviously disappointed,” Stuart said. “The past two-and-half years have shown that it is not easy to do business in the city of Lake Forest.”
Stuart said he would now consult with Waterway officials and did not rule out litigation against the city.
Mayor Rob Lansing said after the meeting Stuart had that option if he chose to go that course.
“Property owners with property rights have the right to pursue courses of action they see fit,” Lansing said.
The City Council action was a clear victory for a group of residents of the property who had argued passionately against the proposal as it moved its way through the various city boards and commissions.
Many of the people hoped another type of development would be proposed for the site.
“We were delighted to see the City Council brush away an obstacle blocking the potential for an exciting, contemporary, innovative development at the corner,” Richard Sugar, one of the neighbors, said in an email. “With the help of Mr. Stuart, an enlightened council, and an engaged citizenry, we can now create something really special for the gateway to Lake Forest.”
The Waterway application now follows other recent plans such as those for Costco and Whole Foods that were proposed for Lake Forest, but ultimately did not get constructed.
Lansing said he was not worried the city would be viewed as not attractive to large businesses.
“There is a much, much longer list of things that have been approved,” Lansing said. “Decisions are made in moments of time. A room full of reasonable people can reasonably disagree.”
In separate action, the City Council approved a contract with Northbrook-based executive search based firm Gov HR USA to conduct a search for a replacement for outgoing City Manager Bob Kiely.
Under the arrangement, Gov HR USA is to bring a list of candidates to the City Council, with interviews occurring in November and December and a new city manager announced at a special City Council meeting in December. The new city manager would start in the role January 28, officials said.
“It’s essential we got this done right,” Lansing said.
Kiely’s last day is scheduled to be January 30, 2019. He announced his retirement July 3.