Orland Park planning commission approves Costco gas-station relocation, parking and roundabout plan

Costco Wholesale’s plan to relocate its fuel facility, expand parking and build a roundabout at 150th Street and Ravinia Avenue was approved Aug. 19 by the Village of Orland Park Planning Commission.

The commission voted to rezone three parcels from COR (regional mixed use) to the BIZ General Business District, grant a planned-development special use and several related special uses and modifications, and approve preliminary site, landscape and building plans, with conditions that final engineering must include a water-main extension and a submitted stormwater-management restoration plan.

The project covers three lots that include Costco’s existing warehouse, an undeveloped 6-acre parcel to the east where the new fueling facility will be located, and the stormwater detention area to the northwest. Petitioner Larry Jerjek, identified as Costco’s real-estate project manager, told the commission the proposal is the product of more than two years of work and said the primary driver is safety. “Safety,” Jerjek said when asked to summarize the project’s goals, adding the changes are intended to reduce traffic backups at the site and improve circulation.

Staff described the case as a rezoning and special-use amendment needed to allow motor-vehicle services in the site’s planned-development area. The staff report, entered into the record and dated Aug. 19, said the plan would demolish the existing fueling island, convert that footprint to parking, add parking south of the warehouse, and build a new gas station on the vacant parcel east of Ravinia Avenue. The petitioner also proposes to deed land to the village for construction of a one-lane roundabout at the northern Ravinia intersection to improve intersection control and reduce congestion.

Key technical details presented to the commission included: - Parking: Costco currently has about 763 spaces on site; the proposed plan would…