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Plan commission backs Gandhi Foods’ special-use request for limited retail at 7550 Linder Avenue
Summary
The Skokie Plan Commission recommended approval of a special-use permit for Gandhi Foods to operate a limited retail area at 7550 Linder Ave, finding the small retail (1,910 sq ft; ~16% of floor area) compatible with the industrial neighborhood; the case now moves to the Village Board for final approval.
The Skokie Plan Commission voted Nov. 6 to recommend approval of a special-use permit allowing Gandhi Foods to operate a limited retail area at 7550 Linder Avenue, forwarding the case to the Village Board for final action.
Planning staff told commissioners the petitioner operates a wholesale food-distribution business at the southwest corner of Linder and Howard and opened a retail portion in 2024. Staff recommended relief from village code section 1-18-171(e) because the retail area — about 1,910 square feet — would equal roughly 16% of the building’s floor area, above the code cap of 10%. Staff concluded the use is low intensity, noted prior removal of landscaping for rodent control, and said the petitioner reconfigured the parking and will install a bike rack as part of compliance.
The owner, Anas Gandhi of Gandhi Foods, told the commission he began as a family wholesale business, expanded over time and opened retail pickup in February 2024. "Had we known about [the special-use requirement], we would definitely have complied with whatever the requirements were," Gandhi said.
Commissioners asked about a nearby small retail operation that previously received a special-use approval and about the delay between opening and seeking a permit; staff said enforcement discovered the retail operation earlier this year and required the petitioner to legalize the use. Commissioners also asked staff to add a condition for outdoor trash receptacles to limit litter along the frontage road; staff agreed to include that as a recommended condition.
A motion to recommend the special-use permit passed by voice vote; the commission recorded ayes and the case will be considered by the Village Board/Board of Trustees at its next available meeting. No final changes to the village code were made at the meeting; the commission approved the recommendation subject to the conditions and findings noted by staff.
Next steps: the Village Board will take final action on the petition; staff recommended limiting the retail area to the existing 1,910 square feet and granting the requested relief from section 1-18-171(e).
