Resident urges DuPage County to adopt Aurora-style half-mile limit on video gaming

Glenn Nelson, a Glen Ellyn Woods resident, told the DuPage County Development Committee that a recent change in how the county measures distance for video gaming sites weakened protections and urged the committee to adopt a half-mile standard similar to Aurora’s ordinance.

Nelson said the committee had recently changed the county rule from measuring from property line to measuring building to building, which he described as “less restrictive” and called the change “a meaningless outcome.” He told the committee he had emailed board members with a Feb. 27 public-comment packet that outlined eight proposed changes and included a copy of Aurora’s ordinance for video gaming.

“Whether it’s door-to-door, property line to property line, or building to building, doesn’t matter. Because half a mile is all that matters,” Nelson said, arguing a half-mile standard would make local limits meaningful.

The transcript contains no recorded response from committee members to Nelson’s request at the time he spoke. Nelson said he came to the meeting specifically to press the committee to revisit the county’s approach and urged members to reread his Feb. 27 submission.

The public comment was heard near the start of the committee meeting; the committee proceeded to consider and approve a series of zoning and special-event items later in the agenda. The committee did not record any formal action on gaming-distance policy during this meeting.