Commission recommends approval of 70‑acre Vernon Hills Industrial Park with conditions, flags tree removals and truck access

The Vernon Hills Planning & Zoning Commission on June 6 recommended approval of the Vernon Hills Industrial Park (VHIP), a proposed multi‑building industrial development on roughly 70 acres at 100–230 South Milwaukee Avenue that redevelops the former American Hotel Registry site. The commission voted unanimously to recommend site, landscape and architectural plans and to waive preliminary plat requirements, subject to conditions set by staff and modified by the commission.

Developer Barry Misner of the Misner Group said the venture acquired the property in 2024 and aims to start mass grading in late June or early July, with a build‑to‑suit, north‑end 'building one' just under 700,000 square feet planned to start vertical construction this fall and to be occupied by late 2027. The plan also includes three speculative 'shallow‑bay' buildings of roughly 100,000 square feet each designed to be divisible down to about 20,000 square feet for smaller industrial tenants.

“We are here tonight seeking approval of a resubdivision and plan approval of what we have branded VHIP — Vernon Hills Industrial Park,” Misner said, summarizing the team’s timeline and permitting milestones.

Ben Goldenberg (self‑identified) representing Hand Mind described consolidating distribution operations from four nearby facilities into one new distribution center at 100 South Milwaukee; he said the consolidation would retain about 280 Illinois employees and centralize shipping, receiving and light assembly activities.

Katherine Talty, the project landscape architect, told the commission the project’s tree inventory and mitigation plan would remove roughly 300 trees across the 70‑acre site (staff characterized many removals as fair or good condition and noted ~77 undesirable species). The team proposes planting 223 high‑quality replacement trees, enhancing evergreen screening along the south property line, and expanding detention basins with native planting shelves. Commissioners asked the team to increase canopy planting on the west side and to ensure continued access to vegetation south of the existing sound wall for future maintenance.

Traffic consultant Lou Albano presented counts showing existing truck traffic on Milwaukee Avenue and estimated that truck movements generated by the development would be spread throughout the day rather than concentrated in morning or evening rush hours; the team committed to routing truck traffic through the signalized northern entrance and signing the south entrance for cars only. Albano said intersection capacity built for the former American Hotel Register use is sufficient for the projected vehicle volumes and that truck generation is not concentrated in peak commuter hours.

Staff read a set of technical and site conditions to the record; the commission added preferred conditions during deliberation. Conditions include: revising grading and basin overflows to comply with engineering requirements; IDOT review of a proposed new driveway access and any multi‑use path; screening any visible rooftop mechanical units; ensuring future trash enclosures comply with code; increasing canopy trees on the west side; cleaning/maintaining vegetation south of the sound wall with access for equipment; pulling sign junipers off curbs and increasing foundation landscaping at building entrances; signing the south entrance “cars only/no trucks”; and enlarging select parking islands (a 12‑foot back‑to‑back island depth was proposed) while reconciling land‑banked parking for future tenant flexibility.

Commissioners said they wanted stronger landscaping and physical screening to mitigate visual and noise impacts for neighboring ball fields and residences. Commissioners and staff also emphasized that some operational restrictions (for example, explicit truck curfews) would generally require discretionary approvals of future tenants or additional special‑use overlays rather than being enforceable by the site‑plan approval alone.

The commission recommended approval on a unanimous roll call vote; commissioners asked staff to carry the record of conditions forward to the Village Board committee packet for its June 16 meeting.