Lake County Gazette

The owner of the property at 1200 Old Skokie Valley Road is seeking approval from the Highland Park Plan & Design Commission for a proposed expansion of the Tesla parking lot intended for inventory parking.

"The property owner at 1200 Old Skokie Valley Road wants the Highland Park Plan & Design Commission to recommend approval of its proposed expansion of the Tesla parking lot for inventory parking."

The application was submitted by Jay Kam to the Department of Community Development and is set for design review. The request was presented during the Plan & Design Commission meeting held on Nov. 7. It is important to note that this property is located within the I Light Industrial Zoning District.

A proposal has been put forward for an expansion of the Tesla inventory parking lot, which would cover a space measuring approximately 26,315 square feet. As per the same request discussed in Nov. 7's meeting, there are also site improvements being proposed such as removing dead trees, installing new expanded parking lots and site lighting.

However, all requirements stipulated in the zoning code are fulfilled except for a required 10-foot wide landscape buffer along Highway 41. According to information relayed during Nov. 7's Plan & Design Commission meeting, it was revealed that the newly proposed inventory parking lot would provide room for an additional 82 parking spaces.

A small wetland present on site comes under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction. As stated in project narratives attached to Highland Park Plan & Design Commission meeting agenda dated Nov.7, plans and permit applications have already been sent over to Corps of Engineers by applicants, with conditional approvals given for potential impacts on wetlands that hinge on securing wetland mitigation credits at a wetland bank. Contracts have been drafted and purchases will be finalized once imminent design approvals are secured from Highland Park.