Evanston Alderman Melissa Wynne, 3rd Ward, says developers of the planned Trader Joe’s supermarket have now agreed to completely eliminate alley access to the store.
Wynne, in a newsletter sent to residents this afternoon, said that over the past 24 hours, Terraco, the developer, and Trader Joe’s “worked to re-orient the site to close the eastern lot line to restrict all vehicle access to the alley from the street.”
Wynne noted that she lives on the 1100 block of Hinman Avenue with a home that backs up to Whole Foods, and is “intimately aware of the day-to-day experiences of living next to a grocery store” and that she always had opposed alley access to the store.
She said that after learning of the concerns from residents she met with the developers to discuss how the site plan could be revised to closs off all vehicular access to the alley.
The developers had proposed that cars and trucks enter and exit the site from Chicago Avenue, but that trucks be allowed to use the alley to maneuver into position at the store’s loading dock.
Wynne says she’ll be available at the Civic Center, in the conference room next to the City Council chamber, starting at 6 p.m. this evening to meet with residents concerned about the Trader Joe’s development.
The Plan Commission is scheduled to hold a hearing on the project starting at 7 p.m. in the City Council chamber.
Above: A rendering of the Trader Joe’s site.
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alley access issue
I suspect alley use issues are also responsible for the layout at the soon to open Illinois Bone and Joint on Green Bay Road. In that case it appears cars will enter and leave the rear parking lot by driving through the building itself – one tunnel for entry and another for exit – instead of using the alley.