Plan commission backs reestablishment of motor vehicle sales, service at 434 E. North Ave.; sign permit unresolved

The Village of Lombard Plan Commission voted Jan. 27 to recommend the Village Board approve conditional uses to allow motor vehicle sales and motor vehicle service at 434 East North Avenue, the property occupied by Rims and Tires (Rim Time).

The recommendation comes after the petitioner, owner Sam Diah, said the business is seeking to restore the sales component that previously operated at the site before 2021. "We are petitioning today to go back to the same use that we had for the building prior to changing it in 2021," Diah said.

Staff told the commission that motor vehicle sales and motor vehicle service are listed as conditional uses in the B-4 Corridor Commercial District and that the sales component had lapsed because it had not operated for more than a year. The interdepartmental review committee report was entered into the record and staff recommended approval "subject to the conditions in the staff report," the record shows.

The petitioner told commissioners the building will not undergo exterior changes other than a requested second sign. Diah said the triple-basin sink, fire alarm and sprinkler systems are existing and recently inspected; the petitioner noted minor follow-up items such as one sprinkler head and alarm batteries. Staff said the sign would require a separate permit and might require additional review if it did not meet sign code standards.

Commissioner Springberg moved to accept the interdepartmental review committee findings and recommend approval of PC 24-15; Commissioner Johnson seconded. A roll-call vote recorded ayes by Commissioner Springberg, Commissioner Johnston, Commissioner Flanagan, Commissioner Versen and Chair Giuliano. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees for final action at its Feb. 6, 2025 meeting.

The staff report noted that similar motor vehicle sales businesses operate to the east and west of the property on North Avenue and that, to staff's knowledge, prior instances of motor vehicle sales on the property had not produced adverse impacts on adjacent properties. The staff report and the motion reference seven conditions of approval; those conditions are included in the staff report entered into the record but are not restated verbatim here.

The commission's action was a recommendation only; final approval rests with the Village Board. The petitioner and staff will proceed with any required permitting processes, including a separate review for the proposed additional sign.