CarMax proposal in Antioch draws resident pushback over noise, lights and truck traffic

CarMax representatives presented detailed site plans and technical studies to the Antioch Committee of the Whole on Dec. 11, outlining a two‑building reconditioning and wholesale auction facility with about 16 acres of vehicle storage and an estimated 150 reconditioning employees and additional auction staff.

The applicant’s counsel, Bruce Goldsmith, said the project would generate roughly $13.2 million in payroll and create about 190 total jobs across operations and reconditioning, and that most heavy truck movements and vehicle handling would be concentrated on the east side of the 92‑acre corporate park parcel, away from nearby homes. “The nearest homes are over 2,000 feet from the property,” Goldsmith said, noting additional landscaping and perimeter screening added at staff request.

The auditor and engineers for the project described stormwater protections: bioswales and double filtration before runoff reaches the detention pond and creek. The applicant also proposed lighting changes to reduce lumen output near the west perimeter, use downcast LED fixtures and raise the perimeter chain‑link fence to 8 feet with slats to provide a visual buffer.

CarMax’s engineer and a traffic consultant said truck movements are the loudest operation, estimating a truck‑related peak sound level that attenuates over distance to roughly 40 dB at adjacent residences. Traffic consultant Justin Opitz said the intersection of Route 173 and Gregory Drive currently performs at a high level of service and that the CarMax buildout would likely shift the grade from an A to a B; the study modeled a conservative peak (auction) day and projected about 500 additional vehicle trips on those peak days.

Residents who spoke during the public‑comment period urged the board to consider quality‑of‑life impacts. Rob Hawood, speaking for neighbors near Peterson Drive, said repeated amplified music and bass from a separate business had already prompted police calls and distributed a petition signed by more than a third of neighbors asking the board to enforce the village noise ordinance. Other residents asked whether the town benefits from storing high‑value inventory nearby, whether police response would be taxed, how many semi‑trucks would queue, and whether lighting and vehicle reflections would still affect neighbors at night.

CarMax clarified that auctions are typically concentrated on a single weekday (about 10 a.m.), that much customer buying is done remotely, and that site inventory is actively turned over (applicant cited ~97% throughput), not warehoused indefinitely. The applicant estimated an approval‑to‑open timeline of about 18–24 months and said it aims to offer auction services by 2028 if permitted.

The board did not vote on CarMax during the committee meeting; trustees directed staff to schedule the matter for a regular board meeting in January for further consideration. The company will return with any technical refinements requested by staff and the plan commission.