Wilmette Village Board votes against McDonald's permit after negative feedback from residents

WILMETTE, Ill. - A group of Wilmette residents took their fight against a new McDonald's drive-thru to the village board Tuesday — and won.

McDonald's wanted to put a location at the corner of Skokie Boulevard and Old Glenview Road, where an old Baker's Square used to sit.

The property's current zoning required McDonald's to obtain a special-use permit.

While supporters say the tax revenue generated would be better than the empty lot, some residents say all the idling cars and the pollution generated would go against Wilmette's sustainability plan, among other concerns.

"All of those cars idling are sending air pollution into the air. I mean, toxic chemicals that everyone in the neighborhood is going to have to breathe and that's a safety concern for all of us, not just for people in the immediate area, but for all of Wilmette," said Wilmette resident, Kathryn Bauer.

The Wilmette Village Board of Trustees voted on McDonald's special use permit application Tuesday night and unanimously voted against it after numerous negative comments from residents.