Montgomery trustees for the second time have voted down a request from Christian Brothers Automotive to build a facility in the Orchard Road shopping complex on Route 30.
The automotive company had petitioned the village to build a facility on vacant land next door to the Merlin 200,000 Mile shop.
Trustees originally voted down the plan, saying they didn’t want two similar facilities next door to each other. However, developer John McVickers, with McVickers Development, asked trustees to reconsider at a recent Village Board meeting, and a trustee asked for it to be put on the agenda for reconsideration at this week’s board meeting.
Trustees Doug Marecek, Denny Lee and Steve Jungermann voted to send the matter back the village’s planning commission for review. Trustees Stan Bond, Theresa Sperling and Pete Heinz voted against another review of the plan. Mayor Matt Brolley was on vacation, so the voted ended with a tie, meaning the measure was defeated, according to the village attorney.
The issue brought out a number of residents to the board meetings in support of the owner of the Merlin shop. Steve Golz was born and raised in the community and has run the Merlin store for years, supporters said.
Ray Munoz, a general manager with Merlin, said at the time the village needed to think hard about allowing another facility that would be similar to Merlin right next door to the existing facility.
“You have a man who put his entire life savings into this,” he said.
Jonathan Wakefield with Christian Brothers said the Montgomery vote hasn’t changed his company’s view of the marketplace.
“We have already approved and broke ground on a store in West Chicago,” he said.
The company began in 1982 and currently has some 180 locations in 26 states.
“We plan to build six, maybe more in the Chicago suburban area,” Wakefield said.
Wakefield, who serves as the director for new store development, said he had some support in the community for a new facility in Montgomery.
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“It seems pretty clear, even with mayoral support, there weren’t enough of the council members agreeing so we are not looking at Montgomery anymore,” he said.
Judy Pochel is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.