Tinley Park's Plan Commission voted unanimously on Dec. 18 to recommend the village board approve a McDonald’s quick‑service restaurant and drive‑through on Lot 7 of the Brookside Creek retail center and to grant site‑plan and architectural approval subject to staff conditions, including a requirement that a fence be installed along the west and south property lines before issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

Planning staff described the 1.57‑acre Lot 7 as pad‑ready once master development improvements are complete. The plan shown to commissioners includes dual drive‑through lanes, an outdoor patio, dedicated parking for delivery and pick‑up, one‑way circulation to reduce conflicts and a landscape plan that adds taller evergreens and relocates plantings outside a pipeline easement to reduce headlight spillage toward nearby backyards.

Dan Olson of Upstream Design Group, the site designer, said the drive‑through layout allows stacking for about 16 cars with three service windows (cash, primary pickup, secondary pickup) and 46 parking spaces. Olson said the petitioner prefers to allow 24‑hour authorization for the site so an operator can choose hours later; he said operators rarely keep lobbies open 24 hours but sometimes operate drive‑throughs overnight.

Nearby residents urged limits. Pamela Maloney, the closest west‑side homeowner, asked that the commission restrict 24‑hour operation and asked whether deliveries would occur overnight. Jennifer Vargas presented ring‑camera images showing vehicle headlights in her backyard at about 4:30 a.m. and argued that landscaping will take years to screen lights unless a fence or other mitigation is installed promptly.

Commission discussion focused on possible hour limits. Staff initially offered 4 a.m.–10 p.m. as a baseline tied to the village noise ordinance, but commissioners debated alternatives including 5–11 p.m., midnight or allowing 24‑hour drive‑through while limiting lobby hours. On the record, the motion to recommend approval included a condition limiting hours; the motion text as read referred to hours "limited to 5AM and 10PM or 11PM," and commissioners later stated they intended a 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. compromise. Because the exact phrasing on the transcript is ambiguous, journalists and the village board packet should reference the motion text as recorded and the commission's discussion when confirming the final hours.

The commission also required, as a condition of site‑plan approval, that a fence along the west and south property lines be in place before issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Staff said the master developer, Larry Depp, had verbally committed to a six‑foot solid fence and additional landscaping and that fence timing could be included as a site‑plan condition to ensure it is installed before businesses open.

Commissioner Merrick made the motion to recommend the special‑use permit with the hours condition; Commissioner Gaskell seconded. The commission voted unanimously to forward the McDonald’s special‑use recommendation to the village board and then unanimously approved site‑plan and architectural approval with the fence‑before‑COO condition. Both items will appear on the Tinley Park Village Board agenda on Jan. 6.