Planning Commission approves Chicago Lightworks office with accessory warehousing at Oakmont Tech Center

Chicago Lightworks, a lighting‑sales agency headquartered in Lisle, received a unanimous 5–0 recommendation to operate its administrative office with accessory warehousing at 600 Oakmont Lane. The petitioner, represented by owner Julie Blankenheim, described the business model: the company represents lighting manufacturers to designers and contractors; it does not retail fixtures on site but maintains sample cases and demonstration materials that sales staff take to client sites.

Staff noted a 2022 text amendment that allows accessory warehousing in the OR (Office Research) District when used in support of an office use and when the warehouse portion remains below 25 percent of the unit area. The petitioner said the proposed warehouse footprint of about 4,200 sq ft would occupy less than 18 percent of the approximately 23,000 sq ft unit and would be enclosed. The petitioner said normal operations involve staff using personal vehicles to pick up and transport samples, occasional FedEx/UPS deliveries, and rare customer visits or open‑house events for manufacturers; no outdoor storage or regular tractor‑trailer deliveries were proposed.

Commissioners asked about traffic, customer access to the showroom and inventory handling; Julie said most days the space functions as administrative offices, training center and sample room and that samples are packed into cases for staff to take to job sites. Staff referenced prior special‑use approvals at the same property (Midwest Mechanical; an events business previously) and recommended the request is compatible with the OR district and the comprehensive plan. The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval; staff will forward the file to the Village Board.