Clarendon Hills Rejects Dunkin' Donuts Drive-Thru

CLARENDON HILLS — The Clarendon Hills Village Board on Monday rejected a controversial proposal for a drive-thru at a planned Dunkin' Donuts.

The meeting room was jam-packed with the development's opponents. Some residents sat on chairs they brought in.

The proposed development is at the southwest corner of 55th Street and Western Avenue, the site of the old Tracy's Tavern.

The Village Board heard from Deputy Fire Chief Roger Krupp on the fire department’s access to the proposed development. He said it would be problematic for fire trucks to enter from Western Avenue during rush hours.

Also at the meeting, Mike Kaspar of Hinsdale-based developer KrohVan made a final plea to get the board's approval. Kaspar cited the owner’s willingness to close by 8 p.m. and the design’s intention to blend in with the area

He also noted the elimination of parking spaces in favor of outdoor seating and the willingness to address the issues brought up by Krupp.

However, Joliet attorney Michael R. Martin, who represented nearby homeowners, argued the development plans did not comply with the village code. But the village's community development director, Jonathan Mendel, clarified the code did not require the plans to be fully compliant at this stage.

Martin also focused on the lack of space for emergency vehicles.

"For the life of me, I don’t understand why staff is downplaying the fact there is not enough room for a fire truck," Martin said. "Conditional uses should not be inconveniencing the neighbors. It should not be requiring neighbors to change their habits."

Some residents also said they were concerned with traffic and safety.

Diane Smutny, a resident of the Coventry subdivision, pointed to the fire department's issues.

“The last thing any of us want to hear from the fire department is that getting to our house is going to be problematic,” Smutny said.

Taps Gallagher, a former village trustee, also urged the board to reject the drive-thru, saying the intersection was already the most dangerous in Clarendon Hills.

“I caution you, you cannot vote yes on this. It’s impossible,” Gallagher said.

Trustee Greg Jordan said zoning requests always draw opposition at first. Over time, he said, people come around to support them. He listed projects in recent years that received similar pushback.

“I think it’s a reasonable probability five years from now, you guys are going to say I’m happy that there’s a Dunkin' Donuts there,” Jordan said, drawing groans and sarcastic chuckles from the audience.

In the end, trustees Jordan, Matt DeDobbelaere and Allyson Russo voted for the drive-thru. Trustees Megan Lazar and Meredith Lannert voted against it. Village President Len Austin cast the deciding vote against the drive-thru.

Austin said that although he believed the proposal met nearly all the factors in consideration, he drew the line at safety. He said he was not comfortable with "conflicting left turns" and he does not "want to see kids playing Frogger to get to Dunkin’ Donuts."

Austin said the area in question would be developed, whether by KrohVan or another company. And he said that would result in more traffic.

The audience cheered the board's decision. Afterward, residents congratulated each other for their work in opposition to the development.

However, Kaspar said he thought the decision was unfortunate. In an email to Patch, Kaspar said the village now has no input on the property zoning moving forward.

He said the property owner just needs to go through the building permit process. There is no word yet on what KrohVan’s next steps are with the development.