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 add roughly 102–110 spaces (staff detailed 50 spaces behind the warehouse and about 90 where the current gas island sits), giving the site approximately 865 parking spaces under the proposal. Staff said the project would provide about 44% more parking than code minimums and recommended a modification to the code’s gas-station parking formula because the proposed fueling island will not include a convenience store. - Fueling layout: The new fueling facility is designed with 20 pumps (40 dispensers) and extended queuing capacity; the petitioner said the queuing area can hold roughly 80 vehicles plus an additional 20–40 vehicles in overflow lanes to avoid backups into Ravinia or 150th Street. - Traffic and access: V3 Companies traffic consultant Peter Weinhoeffer described four driveways in the proposed layout: retain the existing right-in/right-out on 150th Street; add a new right-in-only on southbound Ravinia aligned with Costco’s primary east–west drive aisle; convert the existing north Ravinia driveway to a landscaped one-lane roundabout; and maintain the southern full-access driveway as full-access until the Ravinia extension is constructed, when it would be converted to right-in/right-out. Staff and the petitioner indicated the roundabout design accommodates fire and delivery trucks and was sized to accommodate future development traffic from the Pulte Estates at Ravinia Meadow project. - Stormwater and wetlands: Civil engineer Dan Free said the project includes an underground storage chamber for volume control and dredging and restoration work in the detention pond to remove silt that has accumulated along the southeast pond bank. Free said the wetland limits themselves will remain undisturbed but the wetland buffer would be impacted by the roundabout footprint, triggering a special-use permit for activity within 50 feet of a non-title wetland. The stormwater measures must meet both village and the cited MWD/MWRD-related requirements and will be submitted in final engineering. - Utilities and landscaping: As a condition of approval, final engineering must include a water-main extension from the southeast corner of 150th Street and Ravinia Avenue to the east property line of the new gas-station parcel so future development east of Costco can access potable water. The petitioner presented a landscape plan that staff said meets code intent, including parkway trees and a 5-foot sidewalk on Ravinia, and heavy screening along the east property line.

Commission discussion focused on safety, traffic flow and stormwater. Vice Chairman Schuessler, who said he voted for the original Costco approval in 2005, supported the plan and praised the roundabout concept as a safety improvement. Several commissioners asked about pond capacity and who would bear costs for dredging and maintenance; staff confirmed there is an existing stormwater easement and maintenance provisions that will require coordination with the nearby Pulte development and that Costco will be responsible for the pond-restoration work as a condition of final engineering. A store manager, Bob Lestoyev, confirmed employee parking will be placed on the south and west sides of the site.

No members of the public registered to speak on the case during the public-comment portion of the hearing. After discussion, Commissioner Schuessler moved to approve staff’s recommended actions and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Patrick Zapparelli. The motion carried with recorded aye votes from Commissioner Paul, Commissioner Schuessler, Commissioner Zapparelli and Commissioner Nugent; two commissioners were absent (Joseph Zattire and Dan Sanchez).

Votes at a glance Case 2025-0348 — Costco Wholesale, 9915 W. 150th Street: Motion to approve staff-recommended zoning map amendment (COR to BIZ for lots 1–3), planned-development special-use amendment, special uses for motor-vehicle services and disturbance within 50 feet of a non-title wetland, and preliminary site, landscape and building-elevation approvals, subject to conditions (final engineering to include water-main extension and stormwater restoration). - Mover: Commissioner Schuessler - Second: Commissioner Patrick Zapparelli - Vote: Paul — Aye; Schuessler — Aye; Zapparelli — Aye; Nugent — Aye; Motion passed

Next steps and conditions The commission approved the preliminary approvals subject to standard and site-specific conditions that must be satisfied in final engineering: a water-main extension to the east property line of Lot 2, submission of a stormwater-management area restoration plan and final engineering review of lighting, photometrics and landscaping. The petitioner will also execute the plan-of-dedication paperwork to convey the roundabout parcel to the village for future maintenance. The item concluded with the commission closing the public hearing and adjourning the meeting.

Background/why it matters The project relocates Costco’s fueling facility from the northwest corner of the existing parking field to a new island on the vacant parcel east of Ravinia Avenue, frees up the current fuel footprint for retail parking and builds additional parking to respond to rising membership and fueling demand. The proposal also advances a village-led street-improvement strategy (roundabout and Ravinia extension) that the commission and staff said is intended to reduce queuing and improve circulation for shoppers, nearby residents and future development of the Ravinia corridor.

For the record: authoring and sourcing This article is based on the Nov. — Aug. 19, 2025, Village of Orland Park Planning Commission public-hearing transcript for case 2025-0348; direct quotes are attributed to speakers who appeared in the record.