Neighbors still suspicious about Navistar proposal

The village of Lisle continues in its efforts to bring Navistar and its 3,600 jobs to the Arboretum Village.

But neighboring residents are suspicious of the plan, the company and the possible negative effects of a firm long noted for its manufacturing.

"I'm concerned that this is an industrial piece of property," Lisle resident Tere Long said to the Lisle Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 21.

While a room full of residents in opposition to the plan spoke to concerns about traffic, noise and the possible loss of green space, by far the biggest worry -- and the most contentious exchanges -- came from fears that the plan to move Navistar's international headquarters onto 87 acres of the old Lucent Technologies campus was a Trojan horse to bring industrial manufacturing to an area primarily zoned for office and research.

After officials representing Navistar presented detailed plans for the Planned Unit Development at 2600 Warrenville Road that requested several zoning variances, including setback changes, increases in floor space and a decrease in open spaces, residents made their concerns clear.

Prominent among the concerns for the residents present, many of whom live just north and east of the property, was the planned Advanced Technology Center and Vehicle Preparation Center, scheduled to be 335,000 and 25,000 square feet, respectively.

The two buildings, which Tom Rowland, representing Partners by Design, described as "not an industrial building," but a "clean design environment," will come with underground storage tanks capable of holding up to 162,000 gallons of fluid.

Moreover, the fact that many of the Navistar employees slated to move to the Lisle facility are moving from industrial plants in Melrose Park and Fort Wayne, Ind., leads many in the community to suspect the worst.

The Planning Commission's attorney, David Silverman, spoke directly to Long's concern that the facility would include traditional manufacturing.

"It's not zoned for that (manufacturing)," he told her, stressing that Navistar would have to come back before the Village Board to include manufacturing at the site.

Commission Chairman Charles Rego noted that Navistar's PUD did not ask the village to change the zoning to accommodate industrial activity.

But the residents and their attorney, Abigail Ortman, were skeptical of the company's intentions.

Ortman noted that testimony had already been given that Melrose Park and Fort Wayne were manufacturing facilities and asked, "So this is a departure from what's happening in Fort Wayne and Melrose Park?"

"Absolutely," responded Navistar's attorney, Russ Whitaker.

When Cynthia Moderi said she feared "they are trying to sneak in light manufacturing," Silverman admitted that the zoning classification did allow for some light manufacturing, but Whitaker said the site "will contain absolutely no (traditional) manufacturing."

As for the 162,000-gallon storage tanks, Whitaker noted that the tanks would contain a variety of different fluids and because they couldn't be mixed, the total capacity would likely never be used.

The matter will be addressed at a special Planning Commission hearing Nov. 9, after which the commission will likely make a recommendation on the project to the Lisle Village Board.