Lemont Annexation May Affect Darien Area, Pave Way For Gas Station

DARIEN, IL – A gas station chain is a step closer to coming to a site south of Darien, despite neighbors' opposition.

Earlier this month, residents feared that Woodridge would annex four residential lots on Lemont Road.

Instead, it was the village of Lemont.

On Monday, the Lemont Village Board approved annexing the four houses. They are just south of a Lemont National Bank branch.

Before the annexation, the bank was an island of Lemont jurisdiction in an unincorporated area. If a gas station comes, Lemont would get the sales tax money, but would have no residents of its own near the business.

Since last year, the Lenny's Gas N Wash chain has bought the four houses, which are next to residential neighborhoods.

The chain requested the annexation.

At the board meeting, Lemont Mayor John Egofske praised Gas N Wash's existing Lemont location.

"Speaking on behalf of all of us, it's been a very successful, a very clean operation," the mayor said. "It was a win-win for everyone."

He asked Gas N Wash representative Mike Hackett whether a gas station was planned, to which Hackett replied, "That's potentially correct."

Hearing opposition in the audience, Egofaske warned against "hooting and hollering."

Neighbors said the gas station would hurt their area by creating more traffic and potentially contaminating their wells.

Gas N Wash has not presented any plans, but some residents referred to what was likely coming as a truck stop.

"It's not just a car wash. We've heard alcohol, gaming. We've heard of an all-night truck stop. We're talking noise. We're talking lights. We're talking unsavory behavior," resident Wendy Berliner said. "This is a residential neighborhood. It could be destroyed. We love our neighborhood."

Trustee Kevin Shaughnessy said the village has a responsibility to look at whatever plan Gas N Wash presented.

"In the room, there's a tremendous amount of emotion, and so I think it's our job to separate what is really emotion vs. reality," he said. "No one up here wants to destroy a neighborhood, to harm a child, to ruin a well, your drinking water. Nobody."

The trustees voted unanimously for the annexation of the properties as residential zoning.

Gas N Wash is expected to seek a zoning change to pave the way for its station. Lemont officials promised an open process.