Crystal Lake could still see a truck terminal expansion, although the city council rejected an earlier rezoning request from NVA Transportation.

The City Council unanimously rejected NVA Transportation’s preliminary plans for an expanded truck terminal in February. However, according to city staff emails obtained by the Northwest Herald, NVA Transportation is currently seeking building permits and another proposed facility that fits within the current zone, meaning the transportation company does not need City Council approval for an expansion.

NVA Transportation, 7013 Sands Road, now wants to create 284 parking spaces for trucks and cars next to a new building, with the setback to the residential area to the north increased by 200 feet (instead of the original 125 feet). Those numbers could change as NVA goes through the permitting process with the city to determine a final plan, said NVA attorney Mark Daniel.

NVA originally applied to build a 35,000-square-foot freight terminal with 324 truck parking spaces on its 8-acre property. The proposal for the building included seven service areas, covered loading docks, and areas for storage, offices and a warehouse. The plan required a rezoning because it involved a larger portion of undeveloped land and NVA described the use as a “logistics operation,” according to city documents.

But in a July 12 letter to Daniel, Crystal Lake’s community development director Kathryn Cowlin wrote, “City staff has determined that the proposal can be accurately characterized as a primary use for ‘warehouse distribution,'” which she said is a permissible use in an industrial area of ​​the city.

To have a plan that would not require NVA to seek City Council approval again, Cowlin said, the company would have to meet a number of requirements: There could be no sleeping accommodations; drivers would not be allowed to sleep in the trucks; trucks parked within 300 feet of north-facing homes could not be idle between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. or for more than 30 minutes at any time of day, depending on the weather; access to the property would be protected by a gate; and the proposal would have to be designed, developed and implemented in accordance with city regulations.

Resident Kevin McVearry said during a city council meeting Tuesday that the combination of truck traffic and school buses in neighboring residential areas is a dangerous mix.

“It’s ridiculous to me that I have to keep coming back here and begging you. This is about public safety,” he said. “It’s unacceptable that city staff are bypassing this council and the planning commission and approving this project.”

Local resident Russ Jorgensen expressed concern that the NVA could still create more parking spaces for trucks despite the city council’s unanimous rejection of the plan.

“What happened to the process? For me it is still a safety issue,” he said.

The building permit process does not require public notice or City Council approval, City Manager Eric Helm said. Mayor Haig Haleblian said no contracts are being made under the table and the city has not yet seen any official plans.

“The property owner has the right to make sure this works,” he said. “Nobody is going around anyone.”

City council members made it clear in February that they were simply opposing the rezoning and said they would support NVA Transportation continuing to operate in Crystal Lake.

Residents’ biggest concerns include increased traffic, impacts on well water, potential flooding, and noise and light pollution. Residents organized against the expansion by creating the website SaveSandsRoad.com and an online petition with more than 1,900 signatures.