Life Time Fitness, Neighbors Spar Over Facility Proposal

The gulf between Life Time Fitness, which wants to build a large health club at the old Hackney's location at 880 N. Old Rand Road, and the Lake Zurich residents who would have to live near it seemed to be as wide as ever during a meeting of the village's planning and zoning committee Wednesday night.

So many residents came to the meeting to speak about the proposal that at 10 p.m. - after about two hours of public comment - the commissioners asked that the discussion be continued at their next meeting on Dec. 20.

Life Time Fitness wants to build a 125,000-square-foot health and fitness club with luxurious amenities and an outdoor pool deck.The building would have three floors and be 60 feet tall. Life Time Director of Development Aaron Koehler said the club probably would charge members a monthly fee of $140 to $150.

The plan was last before the public for a courtesy review by the Lake Zurich board on Aug. 21, and Koehler appraised the planning commission of the changes made to the plan after suggestions from the board and from residents such as moving the building 62 feet farther south.

Commissioner Craig Danneggar asked Koehler if Life Time had considered making the building shorter. Koehler said Life Time then would have to make the building wider and that the height of the building seemed fine to him. That declaration that was met with laughter from many members of the standing-room-only crowd.

Maury Vandeneykel said his house is located 20 feet from where the building is being proposed. "If you don't think this is going to affect my quality of life, you're crazy," Vandeneykel said.

Mike Gannon, another Lake Zurich resident who lives nearby, said he didn't think the changes Life Time made went far enough and that they company was building too much on the space. "I saw the two different proposals, and to me they looked the same," Gannon said. "They are trying to put a round peg into a square hole."

Not every Lake Zurich resident was against the plan. Saleem Molani, a resident since 1999, said he had been going to the Life Time Fitness in Schaumburg for 17 years and it had made life better for him and his family. Looking around at the people at the meeting, he said the term NIMBY came to mind, which stands for Not In My Back Yard.

Sarosh Saher, the village's community development director, said after the meeting that Life Time Fitness could submit more documentation or change its plan between now and the December meeting.

Koehler said Life Time was willing to work with the community "Our goal is obviously to build a facility here, but we're open to hearing the commentary tonight and continuing this conversation," Koehler said. "Our intent is not to plow forward at all costs."

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