Glenview OKs McGrath move to Avon’s old site

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Updated: March 11, 2012 8:27AM

Glenview trustees approved a request Tuesday to relocate the car dealership McGrath Imports to the former Avon property at 1601 Overlook Drive.

The Plan Commission still needs to review the 8-acre site plan, rezoning, conditional use and building operation issues.

Commission meetings begin Feb. 14, followed by a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Feb. 20 and the village board is tentatively scheduled to study those recommendations April 17.

McGrath Imports will invest $20 million in the project to expand its business that has been in Glenview 20 years, currently located at 301 Waukegan Road with 200 workers.

Traffic, tree cutting and landscaping remain concerns, but will be studied by the commissions.

Several trustees said despite financial incentives to bring in McGrath, such as a 15-year sales tax rebate, a $250,000 building site waiver and no charge for building permits, dealerships pay a lot in sales taxes to village coffers.

Trustees also pointed out the high volume of sales taxes villages receive from businesses that sell vehicles.

“Auto dealerships are very important to our village, and there’s a lot of hungry competition out there,” said Village President Kerry Cummings.

“It’s a difficult time in competing for tax dollars, so we seek out this opportunity to keep a long-time dealership in Glenview.”

Trustee Deborah Karton noted McGrath could raise $800,000 a year in sales taxes for the village.

Scott Britton was the lone trustee to vote against the deal, saying he did not support giving large businesses financial breaks.

“I feel a lot of individuals in Glenview would love a rebate or say they were leaving for Lake County.

“This is happening because McGrath is getting us to let it happen this way,” Brittany said, adding he believed the trustee approval process was “short-circuited.”