Riverwoods trustees halt fast-track annexation for proposed QuickTrip at 971 Milwaukee Avenue after residents press traffic, floodplain and environmental doubts

Riverwoods trustees paused a fast-track annexation process for a proposed QuickTrip gas station and 6,445-square-foot convenience store at 971 Milwaukee Avenue after a lengthy public hearing and board discussion that exposed disagreements over traffic modeling, floodplain risks and the project’s fit with the village’s sustainability goals.

Mayor Ford opened a continuation of the public hearing and Attorney Hoover (village counsel) and Director Whit summarized the annexation agreement process: the agreement would allow the village to annex and zone the site as B1 neighborhood business and to require a later special-use approval for a gas station if the final plan substantially conforms to the preliminary plan. Village engineers told the board that the development will require additional approvals, including an amendment to the watershed-development ordinance, a FEMA flood-map amendment, county utility connections and IDOT review of intersection improvements.

Traffic consultants and developer representatives said the project would include signal upgrades, new turn lanes, a single signalized access, sidewalks and pedestrian signals, and other mitigation to meet IDOT standards. KOA traffic engineer L Abuna said the driveway alignment and signal modifications are being coordinated with IDOT; the design will widen the driveway to include one inbound lane and two outbound lanes, add a northbound right-turn lane, and install pedestrian signals and landing areas.

Residents and local groups sharply disagreed with the developer’s assurances. Dimitri Skylark presented a neighborhood survey of 188 respondents with 185 opposed to the proposal and warned of “site saturation” (several service stations within roughly a one–square-mile corridor). Judy Mendoza pointed to an apparent mismatch between the traffic study and the proposed building: the traffic analysis submitted to the village modeled a 5,312-square-foot store, she said, while the current application requests approval for a 6,445-square-foot building — a 21% increase she argued could materially raise peak-hour trip generation and alter intersection level-of-service conclusions. Mendoza asked the board to require a supplemental traffic letter that (1) recalculates trip generation for the larger building, (2) analyzes pedestrian demand and the IDOT-directed driveway alignment, and (3) models the overlap with the planned Deerfield Road reconstruction.

Other public commenters raised floodplain and environmental risks, contending underground fuel tanks and pump infrastructure posed long-term contamination risks in a site partly within the floodplain and that the proposal conflicted with Riverwoods’ newly adopted sustainability and climate-action plan. Sarah Merritt of the Riverwoods Preservation Council urged enforceable penalties and strict maintenance standards if the village moved forward. Manuel Huerta highlighted cumulative exposure concerns, citing benzene from multiple nearby stations and the risks of placing additional fuel-storage infrastructure near residences.

Trustees pressed both the developer and village staff for more specifics. Trustee Jamerson and Trustee Smith pushed to change annexation language that originally said the developer would “provide for” electric-vehicle charging to a requirement to “furnish and install” charging stations (trustees asked for Level 3 chargers where feasible). Trustees also asked for clearer, enforceable sustainability commitments (solar panels, native landscaping, dark-sky photometric controls and green-demolition practices) and requested more information about potential economic impacts on existing village stations, noise, and long-term maintenance obligations for stormwater and flood controls.

When asked to waive the first reading of the annexation ordinance that would authorize the annexation agreement, the board’s roll-call vote resulted in a 3–3 tie and the motion failed. Attorney Hubard told trustees the ultimate ordinance to annex and classify the property would require a higher affirmative vote (five trustees) and stressed the village’s legal posture if the board later refuses a final plan that substantially conforms to the preliminary plan. With the first-reading motion defeated, trustees indicated they want additional and revised engineering, traffic and sustainability information before taking further steps.

Votes at a glance: while the annexation ordinance did not advance, the board took separate action on a set of largely unrelated items on the agenda. The board approved a contract to retain HR Green for sustainability consulting services (motion passed by roll call), adopted a resolution approving the Chudy subdivision final plat, approved an amendment to the county solid-waste intergovernmental agreement (Swalco membership appointments), authorized roof replacement at the Ravenia water-tower telecom shelter (to be reimbursed by tenants), and adopted an electronic-sign policy. Each of those votes passed by roll call in the meeting’s later business.

What’s next: trustees asked the petitioner to return with a revised traffic analysis reflecting the actual proposed store size, a pedestrian-level-of-service analysis for the IDOT-directed driveway alignment, additional sustainability commitments (or measurable conditions), clarification on water-service arrangements (Buffalo Grove vs. Riverwoods), and—if available—an economic analysis of market impacts on existing local stations. The board signaled it would revisit the annexation ordinance once that information had been supplied and reviewed.