Village directs attorney to draft annexation term sheet for proposed QuikTrip at Milwaukee Avenue sale barn site

QuikTrip representatives outlined a proposal to annex and develop the property at 971 Milwaukee Avenue, commonly known as the Sale Barn site, and the Village of Riverwoods board voted to direct the village attorney to draft a term sheet for an annexation agreement.

The motion to authorize the attorney to prepare an outline for an annexation agreement passed on a roll call vote with all trustees voting aye. Trustee Jamerson made the motion to proceed; a second was recorded and the motion passed.

QuikTrip real estate project manager Ali Bucharest introduced the company and the site plan, saying, “Quick Trip was founded in 1958 in Tulsa, Oklahoma,” and described a typical QuikTrip prototype with a convenience store, a canopy with 16 fueling positions and a small pad for future development. Bucharest said the company uses double‑walled tanks and multiple monitoring sensors, and emphasized an emergency response team and environmental safeguards in its fuel systems.

The village attorney explained the process the board would follow if it chose to proceed: staff would negotiate an annexation agreement and term sheet, the plan commission would conduct the required public hearings on zoning and special use, and the board would then consider the annexation agreement and any implementing ordinances. The attorney told trustees, “Annexation agreements are 1 of the unique instances in Illinois where you can negotiate the terms of the zoning.”

Trustees asked about utilities, traffic, employment and commercial impacts. Director Witt and consultant notes on the record described two options for extending municipal water to the site: routing a new line south along Milwaukee Avenue from the Thornton’s area or extending a Riverwoods water line under the Des Plaines River to the parcel. Witt said consultants GHA and Farnsworth had begun preliminary work but had not completed design or permitting analysis.

QuikTrip representatives said the typical construction schedule for the building itself is about 24 to 26 weeks after permits are in hand, and that staff sizing would be about 20–25 employees for a 24‑hour operation, with roughly 10 full‑time positions. Bucharest said the company would prepare the technical studies the village requires, including traffic and environmental reports, as part of the zoning and special‑use review.

Village finance director Vasquez noted potential revenue impacts the village would see if the site were annexed, including a municipal sales tax on fuel (the village’s municipal fuel tax is 2 cents per gallon) and sales tax generated by an in‑store operation. Vasquez said motor fuel tax distributions from the state would not change because those are population‑based.

The board’s direction authorizes the village attorney to prepare a draft term sheet and petition for annexation. The attorney said that, if the term sheet proves acceptable, the next steps would be a plan commission public hearing on the zoning/special use followed by a board hearing and ordinance. No annexation agreement or zoning was approved at the meeting.

Trustees and staff noted constraints at the site: much of the property east of the proposed building footprint lies in the floodplain and floodway, which limits the developable area and shapes how future phases could be engineered. The attorney and staff also warned that extending utilities (particularly water) and obtaining permits could add months to the overall schedule.

The board did not set a timetable for completing the term sheet; the village attorney and QuikTrip representatives said they would coordinate follow‑up meetings and technical submittals. The board vote authorizes only preparation of an annexation agreement outline and does not commit the village to annexation or to granting any zoning or special use.