Long Grove Village Board village trustees voted Tuesday night to continue deliberations on a proposal for a QuikTrip gas station east of the intersection of routes 83 and 53.
The decision came after trustees reached an impasse, with only two willing to vote in favor. Four votes are required for passage.
One trustee supporting the development, Anne Kritzmire, will not be back when the board continues discussions. Her term has expired, and a new trustee, Village Clerk Adam Harris, will join the village board. The other yes vote would come from Kent Tinucci.
Trustee Bobbie O’Reilly was absent.
“We always wanted something on this property,” Kritzmire said. “It’s going to create opportunities for other businesses.”
Trustee Chris Borawski expressed concern about light pollution, while Trustee Rita O’Connor said a 24/7 operation is too intense.
Trustee Mohammed Jameel recommended sending the proposal back to the plan commission, which voted unanimously to reject, to clarify what specific codes it violates. Despite this station possibly being the fourth in a relatively small area, he said that’s not a reason to deny it.
QuikTrip is seeking preliminary approval for the station on the nearly 15 acre property. The station would be the first phase of a development on the property. Trustees pressed QuikTrip on what other users might be coming.
But Jeremy Foreman, QuikTrip’s real estate broker, said potential business partners are awaiting the outcome of the village’s discussions.
An overflow crowd attended Tuesday’s meeting, with residents outside village hall following the action on Zoom. Several spoke at the meeting, nearly all in opposition.
“We have environmental concerns. We have aesthetic concerns. We have concerns about safety at night,” resident Steve Ernsteen said. “I very much understand the village needs to make money. This is not the way to go about it.”
QuikTrip representative Skyler Evans said all of the company’s stations are operated around the clock.
Archana Mohanchandra, a member of the planning commission and zoning board of appeals, said a number of factors went into their decision to reject the proposal, including the need to widen Route 83, the impact on traffic and how future users will affect residents.
The property owner, Frank Karkazis, said QuikTrip, has been willing to cooperate, removing pumps for semitrucks from the plan, changing the canopy design and toning down the branding colors.
“This project will generate significant retail sales tax revenue and hundreds of thousands of dollars to the TIF district,” he added.
