Amazon Facility Gets Unanimous Skokie Plan Commission Backing

SKOKIE, IL — Village plan commissioners unanimously recommended approval of a request for a special use permit for online retailer Amazon to operate a package delivery hub at Linder Avenue and Howard Street.

The online retail, logistics, entertainment and web services conglomerate has been operating out of the approximately 300,000-square-foot building with a temporary occupancy permit after leasing it from Panattoni, the California-based developer that built the structure on spec from the ground up.

"We did not, unfortunately, know that we did not have zoning right away when we started retrofitting, and then we found out later that it was not zoned for that type of operation that Amazon does," said Jill Crozier, construction manager for Amazon in the Midwest.

"So that's what we're looking for, is a special-use for the freight and transportation that occurs in the facility."

Crozier said the site is considered a "sub-same-day," or SSD, site, where drivers working as contractors for Amazon pick up products from the site and deliver them to customers within a certain radius.

There will be up to 140 employees and 65 "flex drivers" using the site, according to the commission's parking determination.

Paul Luke, chair of the plan commission, confirmed that the plan involves potential traffic at all hours of the day.

"Since it will be operating 24/7, there's going to be either trucks or vehicles in and out of that location almost around-the-clock?" Luke asked the Amazon representative.

"Correct," Crozier said.

Crozier said she has contacted the site leader about making sure the flex drivers follow parking and traffic requirements and respect their neighbors at the property.

"These are not wide roads that you're going down and there's cars parked on both sides and people need to be respectful. Amazon needs to be respectful of that," Crozier said.

"I have reached out to him and told him you've got to go out there and regulate it. He told me he was going to take care of it," she said.

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Steve Marciani, the village planning supervisor, said staff added a condition requiring Amazon to commission a study by September to determine whether an additional traffic light is necessary. Commissioners said there was precedent for such a request of new developments.

"We do have a deadline for them to do the warrant study for the traffic light, which they said that they need," Marciani.

"They had said it's the village's responsibility to do that, we do not agree with that position. If they're creating the traffic then they have to mitigate the traffic."

The company's special use permit request next goes to the Skokie Village Board.