Burr Ridge board directs staff to deny AT&T special‑use for Village Center wireless facility

During public comment on agenda item 8C, the board heard from Derek Mcgru, who identified himself as a contractor for AT&T Wireless and described a multi‑year effort to fill a coverage gap in the Village Center. Mcgru said the current application places antennas inside the building rather than on the exterior, provided coverage maps and photo simulations and said the application met ordinance requirements in staff’s report.

Mcgru criticized the Plan Commission’s prior review, saying commissioners questioned material longevity and raised issues outside their zoning purview such as structural snow‑load concerns. He said AT&T would comply with all FCC requirements and that the proposed stealthing material is designed to match the building exterior. "We will comply with the FCC, happy to as we always do with every site we build," he said.

After brief trustee discussion and an opportunity for public questions, a trustee moved and the board voted to direct staff to prepare an ordinance denying the special use application for the AT&T wireless facility (Z07206501) at Village Center Drive; the motion passed on roll call 4–0.

Mayor Graasso said the denial will be memorialized in an ordinance at the next meeting. The applicant asked the board to remand the matter back to the Plan Commission for limited review, but trustees declined that approach at this meeting.