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Plan commission recommends approval for electronics‑recycling distribution center with security and fencing conditions
Summary
The commission recommended Village Board approval on March 19 for Elite Energy Distribution’s conditional use and site plan at N160 W19170 Sherman Road, requiring a southern gate and that a rear proposed lot be fenced within one year; the applicant said the site would focus on distribution and certified recycling with battery‑handling safeguards.
The Village of Jackson Plan Commission voted on March 19 to recommend Village Board approval for Elite Energy Distribution to operate an electronics‑recycling and retail battery distribution site at N160 W19170 Sherman Road, contingent on specified site‑security improvements.
Staff presented the conditional use/site plan and described the property as a large, partly vacant site with two buildings and room for parking and screened exterior storage. The applicant, introduced in the packet as David Strange, told the commission his firm would use the site for corporate offices, warehousing and distribution and that they are certified and audited to industry standards for handling e‑waste and batteries.
"We are certified to three different bodies ... and those just meet and compliant with environmental, health, and safety and occupational standards," David Strange said, describing packaging practices and a fire‑suppression containment system the company calls a "cell block." He added that insurance and industry standards limit lithium‑ion battery inventory in a warehouse (the applicant said about 10% of warehouse contents is the typical insured limit).
Commissioners pressed on safety and security of exterior storage. A commissioner raised local concerns about lithium‑battery fires in other facilities and asked whether the applicant had encountered such problems. The applicant said the company packages batteries for safe storage, uses containment and suppression systems, and works with fire departments to accept collected batteries.
To address security and illegal dumping concerns for a proposed rear lot that would hold fenced containers, the commission added a condition: install a gate at the south end of the gravel access and fence the rear proposed lot within one year (the applicant agreed the lot would be secured and that fencing would be a priority once grading and initial repairs are complete). The commission’s motion to recommend approval included those conditions; the motion passed by voice vote.
The applicant said he plans to repair the roof and make building upgrades before occupancy and expects to be owner‑occupant. He said the business would mostly bring trucks in and out for distribution and would not conduct large‑scale exterior processing at the site.
The commission’s recommendation will go to the Village Board for final approval as part of the conditional‑use/site‑plan process.
