Board forwards preliminary plan for gas station at Mariano’s site to Plan Commission for review

Village staff presented a preliminary review Sept. 9 of a developer proposal to convert part of the southern parking lot at North Shore 770 (Mariano’s) into a gas station with a single canopy, five fueling dispensers and a small kiosk. Director Amy McEwen said the applicant proposes to remove roughly 83 parking spaces, operate a kiosk with limited convenience sales, and maintain 24‑hour fueling. The parcel is in the O‑4 boulevard office district and the comprehensive plan designates the site as “major corridor mixed‑use.” Staff said the request will require an amendment to the North Shore 770 planned development, a special permit to allow a gasoline service station, and a modest parking variation (staff estimated about a 5 percent reduction in total parking supply for the center). An applicant representative described the operator’s experience with grocery‑anchored fuel operations and said many customers combine fueling with grocery trips. Several trustees and members of the public asked for a traffic study, pointed to high traffic volumes at the Dundee‑Skokie intersection and asked how large‑vehicle deliveries and tanker‑truck tank fills would be handled. Trustees also asked staff to review safety, security and fueling‑hour operations, and whether unmanned or partially attended fueling would conform with local requirements. After preliminary discussion trustees moved to send the applicant to the Plan Commission for a formal public hearing and detailed staff review, including traffic analysis and operational constraints. Trustee Israel moved the referral; Trustee Koehler seconded. The motion passed by roll call. Ending: The Plan Commission will schedule a public hearing; staff and the applicant were asked to provide a traffic study, details on fueling operations, delivery/tanker procedures and security measures as part of the formal application.