Many residents are opposed to a gas station near Salt Creek for the following reasons:
Traffic
- The developer projects over 2,000 cars per day pulling in/out of gas station.
- Drivers leaving the site may choose to make difficult and aggressive turns, creating dangerous conditions at the intersection. These difficult turns will be for drivers trying to go Eastbound on St. Charles Road (crossing a turning lane) or Southbound on Route 83 (crossing the turning lane). Creating unsafe turn-arounds and cut-thrus in nearby neighborhoods and businesses.
- 77 accidents occurred at the intersection in 2018, one every four days.
- Traffic at this intersection is rated an “F” according to developers traffic impact study.
- The traffic study states ” people must rely on “courtesy gaps” & “stop control” to be able to turn.” (east/westbound St.Charles, southbound Rte. 83).
- Developer states “Gas stations are pass by in nature…” Exactly! The pass-by nature IS the problem; this site takes existing traffic and negatively changes the flow of traffic.
- Fast in/out high volume will negatively impact public safety & streets. Vehicles will likely backup onto St. Charles & Rte. 83 causing delays and unsafe conditions.
- There are currently 9 gas stations in a 1 1/2 mile radius. Being the desirable area Elmhurst is, is a 16 pump 24/7 gas station/drive-thru cigarette window, truck stop the “look” Elmhurst is going for?
- Let’s take into account Chicago weather conditions. How safe will it be then?
Environmental
- Fuel spills and leaks (particularly because the gas station is adjacent to Salt Creek and forest preserve property), as well as significant increase in light and noise pollution. (The Forest Preserve and Salt Creek Watershed commission are concerned about runoff and spills from the gas station into city storm sewers which lead directly to the creek.)
- The current site proposal does not include a drainage plan. While the developer gave assurances at the March 19 Zoning Commission Meeting that he intends to provide one in the future, this is no simple task. The code requires that all site storm receptors and drainage are to be retained and all oils and fuel should be separated and contained in a triple basin receptor. Due to the amount of surface area on the property, this TRIPLE receptor will have to be quite large and will have to comply with all setback requirements of the city. A local, licensed Illinois plumber testified at the zoning commission meeting that even if this basin system is perfectly maintained and regularly cleaned, it won’t be able to contain all of the toxins that it will be receiving, and will inevitably release toxins which will end up in the nearby creek.
- The gas station’s Underground Storage Tanks (UST’s) WILL LEAK. This is not an “if,” but a “when.” According to the EPA’s Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) website, there have been 192 reported incidents of leaking tanks, with 4 cases currently unresolved. Leaking UST’s are a huge concern. They will contaminate the local environment, and pose a risk to nearby homes. Even though UST’s have a monitoring device that alerts gas station owners to potential leaks, this doesn’t mean that the owner will follow the proper procedures and shut down the gas station until the tanks can be repaired or replaced. (Consider the Speedway gas station in Westmont in 2017: the station’s UST’s drained into local sewer systems, causing explosions and fires in ten separate locations. Local news reported that the gas station knew about the leak several days before the explosions that displaced residents, destroyed homes, and injured two people.)
- Fires are extremely common at gas stations. Should a fire occur at this proposed gas station, in this particular location (adjacent to forest preserve property and Salt Creek), fire retardants used to put out the fire will not be completely contained by a storm receptor and will most definitely end up polluting Salt Creek and forest preserve land.
- Noise and light pollution will negatively impact local wildlife and park enjoyment by Elmhurst residents and guests.
Increased Crime
- Late hours (24/7), cash registers, and typically small staff make gas station/convenience stores a high target for crime.
- Potential safety concerns on Salt Creek Trail – the path isn’t patrolled by Elmhurst Police (it’s under Forest Preserve jurisdiction), and the potential for increased crime and pedestrian traffic will result in increased safety concerns for those who use the path, particularly at the St. Charles underpass.
- This will change the demographic of the neighborhood, replacing a family restaurant with a dangerous gas station that adds to traffic congestion and decreases safety for pedestrians and bikers.
- The convenience store drive-thru plans on selling cigarettes, and the developer has not yet indicated whether or not the gas station will sell liquor.
Economic
- Elmhurst taxpayers will pay millions when UST’s need to be removed in the future. Gas stations are becoming more and more obsolete, and the proposed development site has a high concentration of other gas stations in the area.
- A local real estate agent with years of experience in Elmhurst estimates that a gas station on the corner will decrease property values by as much as 30%. A gas station would be considered a negative for potential home buyers, and would affect the perception and value of the Pick Subdivision (thus, affecting the perception and value of the city of Elmhurst).
Health Issues/Statistics
- According to the developer’s plans, city storm sewers are less than twenty feet from both projected fuel storage tank locations and property lines, and our subdivision’s water line is less than 12 feet from the projected location of the gas station’s fuel storage tanks. Both of these are setback violations. While the developer can apply for variances to bypass the setback regulations, these regulations are in place to protect both our environment and our water, sanitary, and storm sewers from potential hydrocarbons and toxins.
- The proposed gas station poses increased health risks to nearby residents. A local doctor submitted a letter to the City of Elmhurst, stating that “there have been various studies to suggest that living near toxin producing sites, including gas stations, increase the risk of many health conditions including cardiovascular, respiratory conditions and most concerning — pediatric cancers. Please consider this strongly before putting financial gains at the cost of human detriment.”
- The proposed development is located less than 200 feet from the Salt Creek Trail and less than 500 feet from a local playground and the homes of families with young children. In 2013, the DuPage County Board denied a conditional use permit for a gas station at Butterfield Road and Route 53, next to a Butterfield Park District facility, due to concerns centered around the health risks of having a gas station in such close proximity to an area frequented by children and seniors. And recently, a judge ruled against the village of Glen Ellyn’s proposal to build a gas station at the intersection of Main Street, Geneva Road, and St. Charles Road, partly due to the gas station’s proximity to a local elementary school and out of concern for the health and safety of the neighborhood’s children.
Building in Elmhurst should be a privilege and not a right.