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Board moves to rezone Green Valley Shell at 7501 Route 53 amid resident safety and health concerns
Summary
Senior planner presented a map amendment and special‑use request to make the Green Valley Shell at 7501 Route 53 compliant with village zoning; the Plan Commission had given a unanimous recommendation and the board approved the ordinance after hearing public concerns about setbacks, traffic incidents and potential health risks raised by a resident.
The Woodridge Village Board on July 16 considered a map amendment and special‑use permit to rezone an existing gas station at 7501 Route 53 (Green Valley Shell) from R‑1 to B‑3 to make the site zoning consistent with its current commercial use.
Senior Planner Gabriela Bolasieri outlined the case: the station existed before annexation, was legally nonconforming under the current R‑1 designation, and the applicant requests rezoning to B‑3 plus a special use to formalize the gas‑station operation. Bolasieri said the village assigned the legal address 7501 Route 53 at annexation and confirmed the public notice and plan‑commission procedure complied with statutory requirements. The Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval on July 6.
At the public‑comment portion of the meeting, resident Amanda Arnold submitted written materials and urged the board to reconsider permitting and the rezoning process. Arnold cited crash statistics for the intersection, alleged setback and egress noncompliance with IDOT guidance, argued the proposal constituted a de‑facto upzoning and raised health concerns citing a 2011 EPA report she said advises setback distances from residences because of benzene and related emissions. Arnold asked staff and elected officials to ensure full code compliance and to reevaluate public‑safety and health impacts before approving additional site improvements.
Village counsel confirmed the notice was correct and the plan commission and village code procedures were followed, and the board proceeded to consider the ordinance. The board voted to approve Ordinance 2026‑53 to grant the map amendment and special use for the gas station.
What this means: The rezoning regularizes the gas station’s current use and allows the owner to pursue improvements that would otherwise be restricted in an R‑1 district. Residents raised traffic‑safety and health concerns that the board and staff said they heard; the plan‑commission recommendation and a staff legal review informed the board’s decision to approve the ordinance.
Claims and status: Amanda Arnold alleged setbacks, egress and health‑risk violations; those allegations were presented as resident claims and not adjudicated during the meeting. Staff and the village attorney said notice and procedural requirements were met; any technical code compliance or environmental review would be addressed through staff processes and future permits.
