Plan Commission approves McGrath Kia parking expansion; asks applicant to confirm fixture shields

The St. Charles Plan Commission voted Aug. 19 to approve a PUD preliminary plan and final plat of subdivision for a McGrath Kia parking expansion, allowing the undeveloped portion of the McGrath Business Center PUD to be platted as a single lot and developed for vehicle inventory parking.

Applicant Chris McGrath said the 4.8-acre parcel east of McGrath Kia would provide roughly 474 parking stalls accessed from the existing drive, expand stormwater detention at the south of the site and bring inventory storage on site rather than at an off-site Fieldgate lot. McGrath said the expansion will reduce vehicle shuttling between sites and improve service operations.

Commissioners and engineering staff discussed exterior lighting along Route 64 and requested confirmation that the light fixtures closest to the right of way include house‑side shields to reduce glare for drivers; Anders Strelkov of RDG Engineering said the lighting company used the same fixtures as previous lots and agreed to check whether house‑side shields are incorporated and to confirm fixtures can be procured or retrofitted as needed.

Formal action: the commission moved and seconded a motion to approve the McGrath Kia parking expansion PUD preliminary plan and final plat of subdivision; roll-call votes were recorded as unanimous in favor. Commissioners noted that the first row of fixtures near the right of way is lower in height and that the applicant should confirm shield details and provide product information for staff review.

The approval authorizes the platting of the lot and the proposed parking layout subject to final technical conditions in the staff report.