Oswego village trustees debate whether to give proposed gas station video gaming license

Oswego village trustees are debating whether a gas station and fast-food restaurant proposed for the northern intersection of Plainfield and Woolley roads should be allowed to offer video gaming.

At their Sept. 19 Village Board meeting, trustees reviewed plans to build a gas station with six gas pumps along with a small multi-tenant-style building that would contain a convenience store, a fast-food restaurant with a drive-through and two additional spaces for lease (800 square feet each). The 3.47-acre property is zoned for a community shopping district.

A gas station is a special use in the B-2 district. Trustees have been discussing recently whether to implement restrictions on video gaming in an attempt to reduce its proliferation in the village.

Village President Ryan Kauffman said he wouldn’t be in favor of granting the proposal for a video gaming license, especially since the issue of whether there should be restrictions on video gaming hasn’t been resolved.

Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty said the developer has indicated he would consider proceeding with the proposal even without a gaming license. “That’s what they have been informing us so far,” Leighty said.

Trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange said while she would be in favor of the proposed concept for the project, she is not in favor of issuing more video gaming licenses. Trustee Karen Novy said she is leaning toward not granting the developer a gaming license.

Village trustees Tom Guist, Jennifer Jones Sinnott and Kit Kuhrt said they are open to both the proposal and giving the developer a gaming license.

Trustee Andrew Torres said the location is not the ideal place for a gas station, noting that it is across the street from Prairie Point Community Park as well as near houses. “I could be swayed perhaps, but that’s kind of where I’m starting from,” he said.

Jones Sinnott disagreed. “As we continue to grow in this community, that is a section of town that is in need of obviously a gas station and whatever he might desire for a quick service type of restaurant,” she said.

During the July 18 Committee of the Whole meeting, staff presented trustees with different options regarding video gaming, including putting a cap on the number of video gaming licenses, putting a cap on the number of gaming cafes, putting a cap on the number of gaming licenses for gas stations and convenience stores and putting a cap on the number of gaming terminals.

Another option would be to require establishments with a gaming license to be a certain distance from another establishment with a gaming license. Based on the discussion at the meeting, the village plans to ask residents their thoughts on video gaming as part of a community survey.