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Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Guzman y Gomez looks to open second Naperville restaurant on Route 59
Naperville was the first city in the U.S. to have a Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen when the Australia-based chain opened in 2020 along Naper Boulevard near Ogden Avenue. Now, the company is taking steps toward its second restaurant in Naperville, with the unanimous endorsement of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission for its request to build along Route 59. Guzman y Gomez won a positive recommendation for its plans to demolish a former Juicy O restaurant in the Fox River Commons shopping center and replace it with a 2,600-square-foot dine-in and drive-thru restaurant. Jason Trombley, head of U.S. development for Guzman y Gomez, said the new site at 844 S. Route 59 would help the company promote 'our food and our people' while growing its U.S. presence. The company's seventh store in the country opened this week in Des Plaines; all are in the Chicago area. 'We think brand awareness is a big part of this puzzle, and a second store (in Naperville) will provide sales to the southern part of Naperville and also boost the store on the northern side of the city,' Trombley said, referencing its first location at 1519 N. Naper Blvd. The site where Guzman y Gomez hopes to open its second Naperville shop is near recent redevelopments, including The Matrix Club and Mall of India. In documents submitted to the city, the company said its store — designed in brown and gray with white and yellow accents — will be a 'new-look building' that will 'brighten a center that needs new growth and revitalization.' 'I am excited about that location with everything that's going on there,' said Whitney Robbins, planning and zoning commission chairwoman. Guzman y Gomez's plans for the site require Naperville City Council approval for a major change to the planned unit development for Fox River Square and a final plat for the land. Adam Beaver, with the city's planning services team, said a restaurant is permitted within the property's B2 zoning, and city staff found no concerns with designs for the site. Plans call for an outdoor dining patio with seating for 25 people, a parking lot with 31 spaces, new sidewalks and a bike path connection along Route 59. The drive-thru would have two lanes for ordering that merge into one for pickup, and the entrance to the restaurant would be on the north end of the site to avoid traffic backups near the entrance to the shopping center. The fast-casual Mexican food chain, which is said to have something of a cult following in Australia, is the brainchild of America cofounders Steven Marks and Robert Hazan. At the time the first Guzman & Gomez store opened in Naperville, Marks told the Naperville Sun the goal was put down roots in the U.S. the same way they have in Australia, Japan and Singapore. 'We chose Naperville because of the community,' Marks said in 2020. 'We kept hearing about this city, which is ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S., and the moment we arrived here and saw the site, we knew this was where our first U.S. restaurant had to be.'
Chicago Tribune
08-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Expanded food truck rules win Elgin panel's nod but plans for food truck park stall
Proposals to allow food trucks to operate in downtown Elgin, on publicly owned property and in Wing Park are headed to the Elgin City Council for approval, but plans for a food truck park stalled at Monday's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. Food trucks currently are allowed on private property if the zoning allows for an eating establishment as a permitted use and the owner requests a temporary use permit, which typically lasts for 60 days, Community Development Director Marc Mylott said at the meeting. Food trucks also are permitted at special events, like those held at downtown Festival Park, Mylott said. Those rules would be widened under an amended ordinance so that food trucks that obtain a conditional use permit can operate on private property downtown and on public property like parks, Mylott said. Trucks would need to be within 400 feet of a business to apply for the conditional use, he said. The applicant would need to provide access to restrooms, have a litter collection plan, and pass Elgin Public Health Department and Elgin Fire Department inspections, Mylott said. Commissioners voted 4-0 to recommend the council approved the amended rules. However, only one of two food truck-related projects passed muster with the commission at the same meeting. The first, a food truck to be located next to the new Wing Park clubhouse, is proposed by the city's Parks and Recreation Department. It would be run by the same vendor being hired to operate a whiskey bar inside the clubhouse, construction of which is to start later this year, officials said. Menus for the indoor business and the food truck would be the same. Commissioners recommended the council approve the plan but tabled One Eleven Holdings' request to permanently establish a food truck park at 215 DuPage St., where it's currently operating on a temporary basis under the name The Spot. A temporary permit granted by the city allows several trucks to serve food from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday to Sunday through October. 'We are running under that special use, and it's kind of a stress test we're doing,' said Germina 'Mina' Vega, who runs the business with her sister Yesenia Echevarria. The Spot is located next to the residential Artspace Lofts on Spring Street. Resident Nicole Prokop said she isn't a fan of the proposal because the food trucks have created problems in the few weeks they've been operating there. While she loves the idea of a food truck park, which can offer diverse types of food and keep people shopping locally, 'I just don't think it's fair to have a food truck parked 25 feet from our building when (it causes) light pollution and noise pollution,' Prokop said. But Krzysztof Nowicki, who owns trucks selling Polish food and desserts at The Spot, said he believes a food concept like this can bring people together. 'I know what it means to take a dream, put it on wheels, (then) work day and night to share it with the community,' Nowicki said. 'Trucks like mine often start with a single family, a single recipe, a single hope. We do not have corporate sponsors. What we have is a passion, a work ethic, and a deep desire to be part of something bigger. And a food truck park gives us that chance.' Vega and Echevarria said they have taken neighbors' feedback seriously and reduced the number of trucks parked at The Spot. They're also willing to invest $20,000 to upgrade the electrical system so the trucks don't have to use generators, which produce noise, Vega said. Echevarria's husband, Kevin, owns Dream Hall at 51 S. Grove Ave. He is listed on the application and provides the use of Dream Hall's restrooms for the food truck business. But he is also a newly appointed Planning and Zoning Commission member. He recused himself from the discussions and votes related to the amendment and the Wing Park and The Spot applications. Commissioner Karin Jones said it's unusual for the commission to hear a proposal from a fellow commissioner. 'It makes my stomach feel unsettled,' said Jones, who is a downtown business owner. 'It just doesn't feel great to me' that the commission appears to be 'passing a text amendment to accommodate an applicant,' she said. Instead of voting on the request from The Spot, Jones made a motion — approved with a 3-1 vote — to table the application to get more information and gather additional feedback from residents and downtown businesses. Commissioner Nancy Abuali cast the only no vote on the motion. The request will be discussed again at the commission's Aug. 4 meeting.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arlington has more than enough apartments and temporary residents
Arlington's Planning and Zoning Commission erred by approving a flood of apartment developments. Arlington became overrun with apartments and temporary residents who brought layers of problems. Now, the commission risks doing it again. It is considering yet another apartment development at the former site of the Randol Mill Nursing and Retirement Villa. To the north along Randol Mill Road are scores of apartments. And they all usually have 'for lease' banners flying. We do not want or need more apartments in this area. The zoning applicant, Avenue 5 Residential, has nice developments in other parts of Arlington. But it's already received its fair share of our city. - Deborah Cartwright, Arlington Will there be a treaty to stop Russia from launching shells and missiles and killing people in Ukraine? President Donald Trump must decide quickly on a swift and certain answer. It appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling Trump's bluff, concluding the president won't impose sanctions on Russia. This is a moment of truth, and the American people better ask ourselves: Will Trump take a firm and decisive stand, or is he using a stalling tactic? - John Patrick King, Fort Worth I served on Fort Worth's Redistricting Task Force in 2020 to 2021. Our panel and the City Council respected our city's minorities. We did not reduce the voting strength of any minority to favor any incumbent, challenger or political party. Any redistricting that dilutes the voting strength of any minority is morally reprehensible and legally wrong. Disenfranchising minorities today will have serious future political consequences for those responsible, their parties and their communities. Redistricting is best done every 10 years. Tarrant County's process is premature. - Bill Schur, Fort Worth Maureen Dowd quotes Glenn Thrush in her column in Monday's Star-Telegram online Edition, 'Tech Bro had to go,' as saying that Donald Trump 'is employing the vast power of his office to redefine criminality to suit his needs — using pardons to inoculate criminals he happens to like, downplaying corruption and fraud as crimes, and seeking to stigmatize political opponents by labeling them criminals.' In light of recent revelations about Joe Biden's health and the questionable use of an autopen to sign documents, Thrush would do well to substitute 'Biden' for 'Trump' in that sentence. - Mark Swanson, Mansfield A high tariff has two purposes: to raise a lot of money for the federal treasury and to protect some American businesses against unfair foreign competition. It also results in a high sales tax for the American purchaser of imported products. Most economists forecast that the tariff wars will cost the American family around $1,000 a year. That cost is an indirect and variable sales tax that could reach 30% on Chinese materials and products imported under tariffs. Who wins? The U.S. Treasury. Who loses? The American public. Do we really want a sales tax of up to 30%? Tariffs accounted for the vast majority of federal revenue until the Civil War. Tariffs to protect American businesses from unfair foreign competition began in 1816. But high tariffs have been economic disasters. - Marshall J. 'Joe' McFarland, Stephenville
Chicago Tribune
03-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Hindi temple complex/residential development in Elgin get thumbs down from commission
A proposal to build a Hindi temple complex and residential development will go to the Elgin City Council without the endorsement of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. Project plans submitted by Umiya Mataji Sastha Chicago Midwest call for the construction of a 231,372-square-foot temple, a 63,422-square-foot community center and a 56,042-square-foot recreation center on 34.4 acres at 840 Galt Blvd., off Lake Street/Route 20 and about 250 feet away from the Oak Ridge and Sherwood Oaks subdivisions. The development would also include a four-story, 81-unit apartment building, 38 townhomes, 1,284 parking spaces and a 2,797-square-foot gazebo, Elgin senior planner Damir Latinovic said. The temple's dome would be 125 feet high and topped with a 25-foot flagpole. In order to be built, the site's zoning would need to be changed and 19 code variances approved. The requested changes have the backing of city staff. The size of the project is 'just a little too large-scale for me,' said Commisioner Jordan Wildermuth, one of four to vote against recommending council approval. 'While I feel the idea meets the use, the magnitude is concerning to me,' Wildermuth said. 'I would support a scaled-down version, but I don't feel it meets the comprehensive plan standards.' Also voting against it were commissioners Nancy Abuali, Beto Valez and Brian Cox. Commissioner Karin Jones voted in favor of it. The property, located on the north side of Route 20 and west of Hilliard Drive, was subdivided into 15 lots in 1988 but was never developed, Latinovic said. It is zoned for general industrial use. Currently there's only one way into and out of the site, an entrance at Lambert Lane controlled by by a traffic signal and shared by the people who live at Oak Ridge and Sherwood Oaks subdivisions. Neighboring property owners were vocal in their opposition to the development, citing the size of the project, the scale of the temple and traffic increase it would generate. Temple representatives say about 800 people are expected to attend daily prayers and as many as 4,000 might come out for special events, like its New Year celebration. That volume of traffic would only add problems to an area already grappling with crashes, speeding and unsafe road conditions, neighbors said. 'This has nothing to do with racism or hate of any type as has been implied by some speakers,' Castle Creek homeowner Michele Bach told the commission. 'I fully support this religion. I support the peaceful intentions of this religion. There is no peace in traveling Route 20.' Route 20 is a 'death trap,' Bach said, with traffic going much faster than the posted 50 mph speed limit. The addition of more traffic signals along the road will not make the Route 20/Lambert Lane intersection any safer, she said. There are plans for protected green lights, but it's not going to help at the intersection of Route 20 and Lambert Lane, Bach said. 'It will not be safe,' she said. Latinovic said Umiya Mataji Sastha commissioned a traffic study in 2022, which found the 'surrounding roadway can absorb the additional traffic and will continue to function within acceptable and designed ranges' if the temple were to be built there. Another big concern for neighboring property owners was the project's scale. The temple would be almost as tall as the Tower building in downtown Elgin and would be the size of two box stores, opponents said. Alan Cruzan, an Oak Ridge homeowner, said the 19 code adjustments being sought were the equivalent of 'putting 10 pounds of potatoes in a five-pound sack. We are asking for a whole lot of variances to do that. That's what I'm opposed to,' he said. However, Peter Bazos, the lawyer representing the temple, said the request for rezoning meets all of the city's requirements, noting that it falls under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. 'This act requires communities to have a compelling reason to say no to a religious application. I don't believe you have heard any (compelling) reasons,' Bazos said. Opponents repeatedly said their criticism had nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with traffic and size concerns. Twinkal Patel spoke in favor of the development, saying she understood the opposition but wanted those in attendance to understand why temple supporters were behind the project. 'I … want you guys to understand this is basically like a home for us. It's basically a place where we come together,' she said. Even if Umiya Mataji Sastha wins council approval, temple officials must go to court to amend a 1966 consent decree created to protect the neighborhood from manufacturing uses and ensure transition yards are provided to buffer the Sherwood Oaks subdivision from the future uses on the adjoining property, Latinovic said. 'The consent decree remains in effect,' Latinovic said, and takes precedence over the city's zoning regulations.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Marlow reinstates offices, approves lot split request
MARLOW — Marlow City Council reinstated several offices within the council and Marlow Municipal Authority, including the Vice Mayor May 22. City councilors nominated and approved Jon Rich for the position of Vice Mayor. The board then re-appointed two Marlow Municipal Authority trustees and a Planning and Zoning Commission position. The board approved to re-appoint Tom Wheat as MMA Trustee for a 1-year term, Tandy Banks as a MMA Trustee for a 1-year term and Harbour Whitaker as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner for a 3-year term. In another segment, the city board opened up a lot split request from the Planning and Zoning Commission from Cameron Construction, Inc. The lot sits in the 1300 block of North 2nd. City Administrator Jason McPherson said everyone was happy with the presentation for the request. 'It's going to lead to four houses,' he said. McPherson noted a couple highlights from the presentation, such as the plans to get two completed and then build the others at the same time. He said with the garage, the property is around 1,400 square foot. McPherson said there's only one issue about possible flooding. 'We're going to work through that with the building permit process,' he said. McPherson said crews will perform a hydrology report. 'We think we know where the water is going to go,' he said. 'We're pretty sure with all this rain that we had, we actually got to see it.' McPherson said they don't think it will change, but they will have an engineer take a look at it. 'We think it should be a pretty successful use of that property,' he said. The board approved the rezone request with a 4-0 vote. Next, the board opened up a publication notice for a petition for annexation. McPherson said residents on Jerry Wayne Lane want to annex into the city. 'Portions of that were annexed into the city when that stretch made it out to the 'Y' so they'd like to be included back in that,' he said. 'This is their petition to the city, they are going to pay for the publication.' McPherson said this would lead into the June meeting for a public hearing for the annexation. The board approved to authorize publication with a 4-0 vote. Next, the board approved a Federal Fiscal Year 2025 SPR Mini Transportation Planning Grant for $12,000 from Southwest Oklahoma Regional Transportation Planning Organization through SWODA. McPherson said the grant will cover street sign mapping and pay for 80% of the street sign mapping through SORTPO. In a special meeting of the MMA, the trustee board opened a contract with Fast Forward for thermal imaging services for the electric distribution system for two years at $23,786. McPherson said this is the first item on the fiscal year 2026 budget. 'This is what we did last summer,' he said. 'Did a lot of good in finding issues that happened before an outage that we could go up and fix.' McPherson said the cost was $15,000 last year. 'We've helped them get a couple other towns down this way, so they cut our price for us and gave us a two-year deal, just under $12,000 a year,' he said. The trustee board approved the service with a 5-0 vote. In other news, the city council and MMA board approved: • To accept audit engagement letter from HSPG & Associates for audit services for fiscal year 2023-24. The City of Marlow will host its next meeting at 5:30 p.m. June 24 in the Council Chambers at 119 S. Second St., Marlow.
