Planning Commission recommends City Council approve Alero Financial drive-through at 3250 Kirchoff Road

The Rolling Meadows Planning and Zoning Commission on May 5 recommended that the City Council approve a Special Use Permit to allow Alero Financial to operate the existing drive-through at 3250 Kirchoff Road, the former Chase Bank site. The motion, made by Commissioner Gercken and seconded by Commissioner Roos, passed on a 5–0 roll call (Buckingham, Gercken, Modi, Rivera, Roos).

Alero Financial petitioner Margaret Lizak, vice president of retail banking, told the Commission the site will serve as the organization’s flagship branch after the lease at its current location in the Rolling Meadows Shopping Center expires at the end of June 2026. "The drive-through is essential to serve senior members and individuals with mobility challenges," Lizak said, and Alero intends to reuse existing drive-through infrastructure with no structural modifications.

Staff reported the application meets Town Center (TC) zoning standards, including stacking, bypass lane, and dimensional requirements, and noted that access occurs from the internal drive rather than directly from Kirchoff Road, reducing the risk of queueing onto the corridor. Deputy Director Jordan Ellena told commissioners that signage in the submitted package complies with ordinance standards and that illuminated building signs will be subject to timing requirements; the petitioner said the signs will be set on a timer to shut off at about 9:00 p.m.

During questioning, Alero’s Director of Facilities and Development Todd O’Rourke confirmed that "the islands, ATM wiring, tubes, night drop, and vault are all functional and will be reused with no structural modifications needed." Petitioner representatives also said the landlord has restriped and sealed the parking lot and will complete landscaping per the previously approved plan.

The Commission’s recommendation attaches a condition requiring that any removed plantings be replaced with selected native species at a minimum size, and staff noted landscaping restoration was a primary concern during the site’s vacancy period. The recommendation is advisory; final approval of the Special Use Permit will be by the City Council in a subsequent proceeding.

Next steps: the City Council will consider the Commission’s recommendation, and staff will enforce the landscaping and signage conditions if the Council approves the permit.