Lake Bluff residents press board to act after North Chicago approves M3 zoning for chemical site

Dozens of residents from the Sanctuary subdivision urged the Village of Lake Bluff on June 23 to help monitor and respond after North Chicago approved an M3 zoning change at a property occupied by EMCO Chemical Packaging.

The residents told the Board of Trustees they are worried about nearby chemical storage and handling, possible leaks or fires, and long-term air and water impacts. Jan Bartoli, a Sanctuary resident, said EMCO’s North Chicago site lists “flammable, corrosive, and toxic materials” on its website and that the company “has 3 hazardous materials warehouses.” Bartoli asked the village to work with regulatory agencies and help monitor the situation.

The comments came during the meeting’s public-comment period. Speakers described prior violations by EMCO and noted that the zoning change was first denied by North Chicago’s zoning board and later approved by the North Chicago city council. Matt Dollard told trustees that EMCO has “a very well documented history of polluting” and urged Lake Bluff to consider legal or other supports; Connie McCabe said she had been diagnosed with a large brain tumor that was described to her doctors as environmentally caused and urged preemptive action.

Residents emphasized proximity to homes and community assets. Several speakers said the Sanctuary neighborhood sits roughly 400 feet from the site and cited an elementary school “right next to the EMCO chemical packaging distribution” site. Brian Harrington and others described the Sanctuary’s history of annexation and said their homeowners association lacks funds to pursue litigation; multiple speakers said their HOA had declined to hire counsel.

Village officials responded that Lake Bluff’s direct land-use authority is limited because the property and zoning decision fall inside the City of North Chicago. Village President (title used in the record) said village staff reviewed distance measurements and that “we don’t know what’s happening in this building” and acknowledged the difficulty of predicting emissions following a fire or leak. Village Attorney Peter (last name in the transcript) and other staff agreed to follow up: Peter will attempt to contact a representative of the Sanctuary HOA and serve as a point of communication between residents and village staff.

The board did not vote on any ordinance or legal action during the meeting. Trustees agreed to open lines of communication and directed village staff to follow up with Sanctuary residents and the HOA representative to identify next steps and possible options. The board advised that North Chicago retains legislative authority over the zoning decision but said it would pursue strategic follow-up where appropriate.

Residents urged several specific tools or responses they would like the village to explore, including monitoring, increased transparency from EMCO, coordination with state environmental regulators, and legal options to challenge or limit operations; the village made no commitment to fund litigation. Village staff said they would continue communications with the Sanctuary and report back to the board.

The matter remains active and residents asked the board to keep the issue on future agendas.