Important Notice Regarding Lake Zurich Industrial Park

This letter is to alert you to a public hearing that is currently scheduled for Wednesday, October 16th at

7:00 pm in front of the Lake Zurich Plan Commission. You may have already received a notice for the

first meeting (held September 18th). At that meeting, the Industrial Zoning Working Group (made up

entirely of owners and managers of businesses in the Lake Zurich Industrial Park) presented their

proposal for changes to Lake Zurich’s Zoning Code. ALL OF THE CHANGES WERE DESIGNED TO

BENEFIT THE INDUSTRIAL PARK BY OPENING IT UP TO A WIDE RANGE OF INDUSTRIAL

USES. THERE WAS NO CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO THE FUTURE IMPACT ON THE

RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORS.

The proposed changes to the Zoning Code are sweeping, and if they are adopted as they are written right

now, they will definitely affect the residential neighbors. Below are a few bullet points of the types of

changes being proposed.

• The entire industrial park is targeted to be rezoned from I1 (light industrial) and I2 (general

industrial) to I (Industrial). The Industrial Park has had the 2 distinct classifications for a very

long time. They separate light industrial from heavier industrial. The I-1 classification is

typically used next to residential. Now they want to merge the two classes. The I-1 classification

has a clause in its description stating the businesses would be NUISANCE FREE. Now, the

newly proposed I zoning district does not include language requiring the business to be

NUISANCE FREE. As a resident, you may want to attend the next meeting and ask “why are

they changing this?” How much of a nuisance will you have to endure in the peace of your

backyard?

• The proposed Zoning Code includes hundreds of new types of Industrial business uses that have

never been allowed in the past. Lake Zurich uses SIC codes to describe allowed uses. Just to

give you an idea of two of the uses (out of the hundreds being proposed) that will now be

allowed right next to your residence:

o Dairy Processing. These types of plants are smelly and are high generators of waste that

will be added to the local waste water treatment plant.

o A very large category of Chemical and Allied Products, including:

  Carbon Black, which is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of

heavy petroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar or ethylene cracking tar. It is

widely used in the production of tires. It is the blackest and finest substance

available. The current International Agency for Research on Cancer says it is

possibly carcinogenic to humans. Short-term exposure to high concentrations of

carbon black dust may produce discomfort to the upper respiratory tract, through

mechanical irritation.

  Chemical Storage would now be allowed

These are just a sample of the types of business that would now be allowed.

• In addition to the many new uses that will now be permitted in the Industrial Park, the new

Zoning Code also strips away a HUGE part of the review process for hundreds of questionable

uses. In the past, uses that could be problematic to neighbors were required to apply for a

Special Use permit. This required them to hold a public hearing in front of the Plan

Commission, and notify residential neighbors who were adjacent to the parcel. Everyone was

allowed to review the plans and give comments as to whether it would fit within the

neighborhood, and the Plan Commission would send their recommendation to the Village Board.

Now, THERE WILL BE NO REVIEW OF MANY OF THESE USES. All they will have to do

is apply for a building permit, or just move in to an existing building.

• Outdoor Storage has always required a Special Use permit in the past, and now they want to

allow it as a Permitted Use. (Again, no public hearing. No review by the Plan Commission.)

Outdoor Storage in Industrial Parks can get very messy and will definitely add extra noise as

they move products around outside. They will also be able to store products up to the rear

property lines and above the fence line with no limits on height.

• Bulk Regulations will be very relaxed with the new Code:

o They will be able to construct taller buildings. Previously the height limit was 35 feet.

They are now proposing 60 feet! Keep in mind that the tall trees are about 30 feet. 60

foot buildings will twice as high as the tallest trees.

o There is nothing to prevent an existing building from adding additions to raise the height

of the building.

o With the proposed zoning these 60 foot buildings can be next to residential areas. This

includes Quentin Road, Route 22 and Midlothian Roads.

o Buildings will be allowed much closer to property lines.

o Landscape requirements are being reduced (from 30% to 20%). This represents a

dramatic reduction to the green space,

All of the changes being proposed benefit the Industrial Park businesses and give no consideration to

the neighbors. The examples highlighted in this letter are only a small part of what is being proposed.

The Industrial Park businesses who wrote the amendments to the Code met 25 times over the course of

a year and a half to create their “wish list”. No residents were asked to participate or provide any input.

Please attend the Plan Commission meeting on Wednesday, October 16th and let the Plan

Commission know that you care about the residential impact of the proposed amendment to the

Zoning Ordinance. Ask them to take your quality of life into consideration when they review the

proposed changes. By attending the meeting, listening to the discussion, and respectfully voicing

your concerns, you will be showing Lake Zurich they have wonderful neighbors who care about

the future of their community. The meeting is scheduled for 7 pm at Lake Zurich Village Hall, 70

E. Main Street. You may want to check ahead for the agenda, as it should be posted on their website

on the Monday before the meeting at www.volz.org. You can also send me an email and I will update

you if the date changes.

It’s important that you voice your concerns at the October 16th meeting because if the proposed

amendments are approved, it will permanently change the area and could very well have a negative

impact on your home value and your quality of life.