McHenry City Council approves plans for new refueling station, drive-thru food and car wash business near Parkland School

A new Trio fueling station, car wash and drive-thru restaurant business are coming to a vacant parcel just south of Parkland School in McHenry at 5520 W. Elm Street.

The development proposal by Vernon Hills-based Graham Enterprises received unanimous City Council approval, despite concerns expressed over a lengthy discussion of whether a plan to have two separate exits onto Ringwood Road, one for commercial trucks and the other for passenger vehicles, would be safe.

Under that traffic flow design, which was ultimately given the OK to proceed, trucks would turn left to head back toward Route 120. Some city staff felt the design left potential for cars and trucks to turn simultaneously as they were both leaving from the separate exits onto Ringwood, but McHenry Police Chief John Birk said he believes the plan to have separate exits would be safest.

“While we understand the concern about the proximity of the two driveways, the fact that the truck driveway is restricted to exit only and only to left turns makes that proximity less of an issue. It solves problems that are more critical in our opinion than the closeness of the two driveways,” said Luay Aboona of Rosemont-based KLOA Inc., which performed a traffic study for the development.

A drive-through restaurant for the site has not yet been announced by Graham Enterprises.

The plan’s approval required the property’s zoning change from C-2 Neighborhood Commercial District to the C-5 Highway Commercial District designation, which officials granted. McHenry’s future land use map suggested the west half of the property remain commercial while the east half is made into office space.

“Although inconsistent with office land-use on the east half of the subject property, the demand for office space has generally decreased over the years,” according to a city staff memo. “This decline in office space demand has also been accelerated due to COVID-19 as well as working from home becoming a more accepted work arrangement. Staff believes this trend will likely continue for the foreseeable future.”

Mayor Wayne Jett celebrated the approval of the project, which will be similar to a Trio location in Bull Valley.

“The site you have on Crystal Lake Road in Bull Valley is stellar, so I can only imagine what this is going to look like when you’re finished,” Jett said to John Graham, one of the backers of the development group.