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Politics & Government

Westway Coach Bus Terminal Request Headed for Village Trustee Vote Once Again

Planning and zoning commissioners made the decision after a lengthy cross-examination.

Lisle's planning and zoning commission recommended a special use permit for a on Indiana Avenue a month after village trustees to clear up a clouded record.

The decision came after a lengthy public hearing Wednesday involving cross-examination of the property owner, as well as the petitioner, Westway Bus & Coach.

John Benish, Jr., chief operational officer at Westway's parent company Cook-Illinois Corporation, said a school bus yard housing 69 buses would bring jobs and property tax revenue to a long-vacant lot. Bryan Barus, who co-owns the property at 4951 and 4979 Indiana Avenue, said the same.

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But neighbors and others in the community expressed concerns regarding traffic safety, environmental impact, and deteriorating property values in the area.

"I don't see where this is really a good idea for anyone other than (Westway and Barus)," Ronald Amato, who lives on Indiana Avenue just south of Hitchcock Woods, said. "It's certainly going to create more noise than there is now and more air pollution than if (the depot) didn't exist."

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Amato was also concerned with the value of his home once Westway moves in.

"We’re going to look out our backyard in the winter, when the leaves are off in Hitchcock, and see a sea of yellow buses staring us in the face," he said. "And we’re going to try and tell someone 'wait until the summer comes along, you won’t see 'em' when we try to sell our house."

Benish said that Westway has "always been a good neighbor" in their other Chicagoland locations, including Willow Springs, where their location is "surrounded by multi-million dollar homes."

Still, residents were unimpressed. Local business owner Brian McClure cross-examined the petitioners, who revealed that each morning, bus drivers would have to "pre-trip" their vehicles. That process includes testing lights and horns before departing.

"At 5:15 in the morning we're going to start honking horns on the bus," he said.

McClure then urged the PZC to think about their constituents, and not just a zoning proposal that would contribute jobs and property tax.

"You got to think of everyone, you can't think of yourselves," he said. "You got to think of the people you represent."

Although buses would be staggered every five minutes, other residents were concerned with nearly 70 buses making a left turn off Ogden Avenue onto Indiana Avenue, and left turns from Indiana onto Ogden. Others dismissed a traffic review performed in June.

Still, engineer Thomas Adomshick, who conducted the traffic review, said traffic levels at the proposed site would be acceptable.

"There will not be an excess of traffic issues," he said.

The commission later approved the special use by a four to one margin, with Commissioner Gary Farrar dissenting.  The proposal now heads to village trustees, but McClure indicated he will sue the village for pushing through the Westway proposal as a special use, when the supposedly nine-acre development is actually a Planned Use Development requiring noise, environmental, and other studies similar to Navistar hearings of the past.

"I believe this is an illegal hearing," he said.

Benish said the village should not tremble at the threat of litigation.

"I just hope the council takes this on, and the zoning committee takes it for what it is, for merit, and not from somebody bullying the council because of a lawsuit," he said.

Property owner Barus said the petitioner planning to locate to his site have done everything they have asked, and that the use is appropriate.

"There are more uses that can be more offensive on so many different levels, and we’re not asking for that," he said. "These guys have bent over backwards, it's amazing they still want to be here."

But residents like Amato fear that they may bend over backwards once a new business, complete with blinking lights and sounding horns, moves next door.

"This may not be a big issue to you because you see so many different issues, but to residents in the area and businesses, this is a major impact on our livelihood," he said.

The proposal heads next to the village council during their meeting Monday, Aug. 15.

A long process

The buses will operate for Downers Grove and Woodridge school districts, who are streamlining their transportation routes with this comprehensive contract.

Westway first appeared in front of the PZC in May with mixed reaction from residents and a couple nearby business owners concerning traffic and environmental impacts. Some commissioners questioned the terminal’s potential benefit to the village. They requested a study of current traffic, as well as a list of fleet arrivals and departures.

PZC commissioners reopened the hearing in June to . A few residents alleged the traffic study was flawed because it had been conducted after Benedictine University, Benet Academy and Lisle Senior High School had adjourned for the school year.

McClure said the re-opened hearing had not been properly noticed. He also alleged that his proxy at May’s meeting, resident MaryLynn Zajdel, was not given the opportunity to cross-examine petitioners,

A majority of commissioners voted to approve the request, and send it to village trustees. Commissioner Brad Hettich, who voted against the request, felt they should search for a longer term solution to the property’s vacancy.

Westway will operate a portion of its fleet out of its Villa Park location, in addition to the Lisle terminal. Maintenance on Lisle buses will be performed at an alternative location. Buses would be leaving and returning to the facility from 5:30-7 a.m. and 1-4:30 p.m.

Throughout previous discussions, village staff found the use consistent with the special use request. In memos for the Aug. 3 meeting, staff liken the function to a freight terminal facility.

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