Developer MWI previews plan for nearly 400,000 sq ft industrial park on North Avenue; trustees press traffic, wetlands and access concerns

MWI Group representatives presented a concept review to the Village of Carol Stream Board of Trustees for a proposed industrial and commercial development on about 32 acres along North Avenue.

Robert McNeese of McNeese & Associates said MWI holds contracts for two parcels totaling roughly 32 acres south of the village water-reclamation center, with about 28.3 acres proposed for industrial buildings and 3.7 acres for commercial use. McNeese described two large speculative industrial buildings totaling approximately 397,322 square feet (rounded in discussion to about 400,000) and said the project would require zoning entitlements and coordination with state and county authorities.

MWI said access is a key constraint. McNeese told the board that MWI envisions three access points on North Avenue, with truck docks oriented to the north side of the buildings and additional truck parking along the northern property line. He said a 0.7-acre triangular parcel on North Avenue that adjoins the proposed access is owned by a private party and that MWI has made multiple purchase attempts; the owner declined to sell. McNeese said the village attorney advised that a license agreement would likely be prohibited by the Illinois Constitution, and that selling a small parcel of village property could be one workaround to secure permanent access.

Trustees repeatedly pressed MWI on truck routing and safety, especially on the local residential thoroughfare identified in the transcript as the primary concern. Trustee Berger and other trustees said they worry about trucks turning onto that road from the development site and asked for data-driven mitigation. MWI representatives said they expect to complete a traffic study as part of the development-review process and that access points could be designed as right-in/right-out for trucks where appropriate. MWI also warned that many commercial tenants prefer not to route trucks via U-turns or circuitous detours, which could limit the developer’s ability to rely on certain traffic mitigations.

Wetlands and environmental buffers were also discussed. McNeese said wetlands exist at the site’s northwest corner, partly extending onto village property, and that minimizing impacts would require realigning the village’s driveway to the water-reclamation center and possibly purchasing up to one acre of village land to avoid wetland boundaries. McNeese said MWI would pay costs associated with relocating the village driveway and signage if a land transaction or redesign were approved.

Board members and staff discussed potential mitigations including U-turns at signalized intersections, median widths, exclusive truck access points on North Avenue, and the use of a traffic study and IDOT coordination to refine access. Trustees underscored that any final design must address safety for school buses and nearby residents, and that road reconstruction or cross-section adjustments could be required as part of development approvals.

The presentation was framed as a concept review; MWI representatives and trustees agreed additional technical analyses (traffic study, wetland delineation, and detailed site engineering) and coordination with DuPage County and IDOT will be required before any zoning or formal approvals.

Quotes attributed to meeting speakers are taken verbatim from the transcript. "I'm here to ask for consistency, transparency, and context," said Barry Mizner, a nearby landowner who addressed the board during public comment about a 0.7-acre parcel he owns. Robert McNeese summarized the project and access challenges: "MWI is proposing 397,322 square feet of industrial buildings on 28.3 acres." Trustee Berger pressed for more data: "We have to take into consideration the impact to that area, which is why the board 7 years ago ... the residents were very clear." The village attorney's opinion about licensing and the Illinois Constitution was reported by McNeese during the presentation.

Next steps: the board received the courtesy concept review and trustees signaled concerns that will need to be addressed in future submittals: a formal traffic study, wetlands work, possible property acquisition or village land sale, and entitlements from DuPage County and IDOT for any new North Avenue access.