Driving down Green Bay Road in Winnetka, it is easy to miss the only McDonald’s in the New Trier Township area, with its small sign and no sight of the famous “Golden arches” until you are in the parking lot.

Contrary to popular belief, the Village of Winnetka does not have any specific ordinances limiting chain stores and restaurants. Yes, there are limits on sign sizes, but the fact that Winnetka’s McDonald’s lacks the traditional drive-through is due to traffic, not any rule about style.

“Having a drive-through at this McDonald’s, with the intersection around it, would destroy the traffic pattern and make that intersection worse than it already is,” said Andrea Shelton, a Hubbard Woods resident.

Village Trustee William Krucks summarized the Village Council’s past practice: “Each application for a business license is treated fairly without discrimination based on ownership or affiliation.” Village Manager Robert Bahan added, “All three business districts in Winnetka (Hubbard Woods, East and West Elm and Indian Hill) have chain stores in them.”

Even though there is no policy against chain establishments in Winnetka, there is a lack of both chain and independently run stores, as the empty storefronts along the business districts streets prove.

The Winnetka Village Board has realized that for the residents of Winnetka to be content with the village, and to make the most of the tax profits from the business districts, they will need to find ways to bring more chain and independent stores to Winnetka. In order to meet this goal, the Board is currently working with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to develop plans to bring more stores to each Winnetka business district.

Trustee Krucks understands the challenges of bringing new business to the area. Many chain stores are wary of opening new locations due to the economy and the lack of customers in Winnetka. ”National retail brands have contracted as a result of the recent downturn in the economic climate and have focused their locations in areas with higher customer traffic,” said Krucks.

According to Krucks, the Village of Winnetka is also facing problems such as a lack of rental space of substantial size, and a lack of parking in the business districts. The Urban Land Institute Report was commissioned by the Winnetka Village Board in 2013. Recently completed, it was discussed at the last Winnetka Village Board meeting.

The ULI report gives examples, plans, and cost for improvements and additions to each of the three Winnetka Business Districts: Hubbard Woods, Elm Street, and Indian Hill. These improvements list ideas to create more parking, create more of a family-friendly environment, and create a better atmosphere and area that would attract both chain and independently run stores.

The Winnetka Village Board is considering doing major work to each of the three business districts to make the village more attractive to business owners and residents.

Krucks stated that the Winnetka Village Board is “Focusing on the more wide-ranging strategies to revitalize Winnetka’s commercial areas while still remaining balanced, economically sustainable, and consistent with existing community character.”

The ULI report was also commissioned by the Village of Wilmette and has greatly improved its business districts. The Village of Winnetka is following Wilmette’s example. According to Krucks, the Village of Winnetka has recently hired a new employee to focus on commercial development in each of the three Winnetka business districts.

If the Village of Winnetka goes ahead with these recommendations all three business districts would be changed to accommodate more businesses. These changes could come to affect New Trier students, since the Winnetka campus is in the middle of one of Winnetka’s business districts, Indian Hill.

Many students and residents share a common wish that more restaurants could soon be part of the Indian Hill business district and other Winnetka business districts. Junior Lily Lyman and sophomore Liza Boscow expressed their desire to see Chipotle and Potbelly added to Indian Hill area.