Trustees Lukewarm on Proposed Waukegan Road Retail Center

Northbrook trustees have some doubts about a proposed Waukegan Road shopping center that would include a Dunkin’ Donuts and Jimmy John’s, among other tenants.

Developer Hamilton Partners Inc. is seeking approval for a 12,000-square-foot retail facility at 2370 Waukegan Rd. The shopping center would be located just north of Willow Festival on the same property as a Chase bank branch already under construction.

The site plans were submitted to the village board at a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

In January, the board approved Hamilton Partners’ plans for the Chase bank, including a drive-through entrance. The developer seeks to construct drive-throughs for the Dunkin’ Donuts and the dry cleaners, which would require the village board's approval. 

Board members were concerned about many aspects of the developer’s current plans for the site, which has remained vacant since the Caravel Inn restaurant closed several years ago.

Calls seeking comment from Hamilton Partners were not returned before this story was published. (Look for a follow-up story on the developer's reaction Friday.)

Trustees’ complaints began with the proposed layout of the drive-throughs.

“The traffic pattern that is presented here is indefensible,” said Trustee Michael Scolaro.

With two additional drive-throughs adjacent to the one planned for the Chase branch, trustees feared bottlenecks and accidents would ensue as drivers attempted to park and pass through the same small area.

Trustee A.C. Buehler also raised the concern of fire and police department access, given the possibility of a high volume of drive-through traffic shuttling around the site.

When it came to the proposed tenants, Scolaro said they weren’t ideal, and worried that in a difficult retail environment, the village could be left with an empty strip mall.

But Trustee Todd Heller disagreed, saying that retail uses in a village should vary, from big regional malls such as Northbrook Court to small chain stores such as Dunkin’ Donuts.

“I remember when there was a Dunkin’ Donuts on Dundee in a strip mall that I would go to often to pick up donuts when my kids were small,” he said. “I think a Dunkin’ Donuts is a good thing to have in a community.”

“That being said, I do think we’re trying to stuff too much here,” he added.

Trustees were also displeased with an adjustment to the original plans, which specified that no more than 20 percent of the area could go toward uses that don’t generate retail sales tax. Hamilton Partners seeks to increase that to 27 percent, and in return, pay the village an annual donation of $2.50 per square foot for space not used to generate retail sales tax.

But several trustees pointed out that the proposal would not allow for adjustments to the $2.50 per square foot donation based on inflation over the years.

“The $2.50 is a flat figure, and 20 years from now that’s going to seem very, very inexpensive,” said Trustee James Karagianis. “Under no circumstances would I ever vote for that.” 

The village’s concern with the percentage of space used for retail was more than financial, however, said Heller. 

“We do want some retail here, we do want some uses on Waukegan Road for our community members,” he said. “When you start taking retail establishments away, you’re starting to lose that a little bit on a major corridor.”

Since trustees reviewed the project at a preliminary hearing, no vote was taken on the matter. If the developer chooses to go forward, its proposal will be submitted to the Plan Commission for review and ultimately return to the village board for approval.

The Plan Commission next meets on Sept. 6, but the agenda has not been finalized.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article listed some stores that have not, in fact, committed to locating in the shopping center if it is built. Look for a follow-up story with comment from Hamilton Partners on Friday.