Traffic a Major Concern for Residents Near Proposed Super Walmart

For the last 30 years, Parikh Yogesh has yet to make a left turn from Hamlin Avenue onto Touhy. Instead, he avoids the area all together.

Yogesh, who lives just off the intersection on Hamlin Avenue, is concerned as talks of constructing a Super Walmart near the intersection are progressing. The project — which is tentatively labeled as "Touhy Marketplace" — isn't official, but residents could see the center completed as early as next year.

"I wish they wouldn't build it," Yogesh said. "There is so much traffic already and we avoid it right now at all cost."

Read more: See our other coverage regarding Super Walmart

Other businesses to be located at Touhy Marketplace include Chase Bank, which will feature a four lane drive-through, another unnamed bank with a three lane drive through and 17,000-square-feet of strip mall shops likely to be cell phone stores or quick service restaurants. Finally, a medical building will round out the area that will have at least 700 parking space.

For now, Yogesh, a Lincolnwood resident, has been taking Pratt Avenue to avoid the congestion on Touhy. His wife, Pretty Yogesh, is concerned that more accidents may also come as a result of building Touhy Marketplace.

"There are already a lot of accidents near the gas station on Hamlin and Touhy," Pretty said.

The couple said most of their neighbors are older residents who rarely go out. But due to the location of the proposed site, motorists traveling east on Touhy Avenue may congest traffic to frustrating levels, as turning left from Touhy is already holding up traffic.

A quick tour of the proposed site shows that the most logical entrance would be off Touhy Avenue, as much of the side streets surrounding the land are narrow and located in an industrial area. Yet developers are saying much of the suggested traffic will come from Howard Street.

Either way, Skokie officials are aware of the traffic concerns and have asked Clark Street — the developer behind Touhy Marketplace — to contribute $50,000 for future road improvements. While those terms have been proposed, they have yet to be accepted by the developer, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The village would like to conduct traffic studies and possibly post a new traffic light in the area.

“This will add considerably to the traffic,” said Richard Block, who is employed on the 7300 block of Monticello Avenue. He said he and his fellow employees can already wait up to 15 minutes just to turn onto Touhy Avenue, and that's before construction.

Some of the site's surroundings include a Illinois Vehicle Emissions Testing facility and a school bus yard. More familiar businesses include a Lowes — which would be located just across the street from Touhy Marketplace — a Wendy's and a BP gas station.

The side street surrounding the area are narrow, and drivers most likely seldom travel those roads unless they happen to work in the area. A quick drive through the area revealed several businesses that operate large construction-type vehicles.

"I like the idea of having a Walmart across the street," said one area resident who asked to have her name withheld. "But I know that convenience is going to come at a cost because anyone who says traffic isn't going to be an issue is crazy; you got McCromick and Lincolnwood Mall just east from here. It's going to be an issue." 

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