Photo by Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
The vacant end unit at Plainfield Plaza may soon hold a Jimmy John’s Sandwich Shop, including a drive-through. The unit once held an auto parts store, but has been vacant for several years.
By Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
A bleak strip mall on the south side of Plainfield downtown area will see some new life if a plan to add a popular fast food restaurant is approved by the village board.
On March 6, members of the Board of Trustees approved a special-use permit for a drive-through Jimmy John’s restaurant on the south side of the Plainfield Plaza strip mall at the corner of Route 59 and Fort Beggs Drive.
The sandwich chain is seeking to add a new restaurant inside the vacant storefront on the building’s south side. In addition to adding a restaurant with a drive-through, the applicant plans to make improvements to the facade of the building.
Adding a drive-through feature will require removal of existing awnings on the south and east end of the building, and replacing with a new facade. Existing parking spaces in the area will be removed, in order to make way for the drive-through lanes and another lane for through traffic.
“I think it’s a great addition to this plaza,” said Trustee Margie Bonuchi. “I think it needs some life over there and some revitalization, so I’m really happy to see this business come in.”
The planned Jimmy John’s store will be 2000 square-feet, operating as a specialty carry-out food shop.
According to the staff report, in response to a concern from one of the neighboring residents, staff plans to work with the applicant to ensure that the rear of the property is clean, well-maintained, and that any debris is removed.
One issue that caused some concern for board members is a purposed right in/right out access point off Fort Beggs. The village engineer suggested in the staff report that the easternmost full access point on Fort Beggs be converted for traffic to only turn in or out at a right turn, however, some village officials were unsure if the idea was necessary or appropriate.
“The right in/right out, people coming out of the drive-through, they’d have to go down Fort Beggs by the high school to get back out to Route 59,” said Trustee Bill Lamb. “I can’t approve that. If it’s the same access we have now, I think it can be improved a little bit… but the right in/right out is a no-go as far as I’m concerned.”
Staff noted that the village plans to work with the owner of the plaza, as well as tenants, to find a workable solution for the parking lot.
“I think the owner and tenants would agree, the parking lot doesn’t function as well as it could,” said Director of Public Works Allen Persons. “The expansion of Route 59 over time has taken up parts of that parking lot, and restriping hasn’t occurred for what you’d see in a typical parking lot of this size in nature. We would like the developer or the property owner to come back with a proposal that shows the new configuration of the parking lot, and then reevaluate it at that time as well.”
The issue of access to the site will be discussed by the board at a future date.
PHOTO
P_Jimmy Johns proposal_030917_1