The owners of Nic’s Organic Fast Food will try this week to relaunch the approval process for a proposed drive-thru restaurant at Gross Point Road and Crawford Avenue that was rejected by Evanston officials two years ago.
A primary stumbling block to approval then was limited parking for the restaurant and fears about increased traffic.
The owners say they have addressed the parking concerns in the new plans by seeking to resubdivide a residential lot across an alley from the restaurant site — using a triangular section for added parking for the restaurant, while leaving the remainder as a buildable lot.
The plan would also widen the existing alley from 13 feet to 25 feet to permit two-way traffic in the alley.
In addition, the would-be restaurant operators have agreed to lease six parking spaces at Hillside Free Methodist Church a block northwest of the site for employee parking.
The Citgo gas station that once stood on the corner.
Both lots are now vacant. The corner lot formerly housed a Citgo gas station that was demolished several years ago.
Neighborhood opposition also doomed previous plans for a Chase Bank branch on the site.
The new proposal is on the agenda for the city’s Design and Project Revew Committee, which meets at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Civic Center.
Nic’s Organic…..No need to worry
i would not worry about this location being busy. The Rolling Meadows location is mostly a ghost town. The food may be organic, but it has no taste. Tried it a couple of times and gave up. Rather pricey for what it is.