Drive-up ATM coming to Cary after mayor breaks tie vote

A U.S. Bank drive-up ATM will be coming to a Cary parking lot after it was narrowly passed by the village board with a tie-breaking vote with the mayor.

Petitioners Kimley-Horn will construct a drive-up ATM in the Cary Square shopping center parking lot, which is located at 700-732 Northwest Highway, houses businesses including Kojack’s and RamenDoBo Noodle Bar and is next to the Jewel-Osco parking lot.

Trustees were tied 3-3 to approve the drive-up, with Mayor Mark Kownick casting the deciding vote in favor of the proposal at a Tuesday meeting. The Zoning, Planning and Appeals Commission approved the proposal in a 5-1 vote last month.

The ATM will take up nine parking spaces and can hold a queue of up to three cars. The removal will bring down the total parking spaces to 84, still leaving eight spaces more than village code requirements, Community Development Director Brian Simmons said.

A drive-through ATM is allowed under the current business shopping center zoning with a conditional use, according to village documents.

Cary used to have a full U.S. Bank branch but left years ago

A U.S. Bank branch used to be in Cary, but left years ago, Trustee Ellen McAlpine said. She questioned why the bank wants to return, especially with a Fifth Third Bank a few hundred feet away.

Michael Villarreal of Flite Banking Centers, a company that builds drive-up ATMs for banking companies, said the bank cannot financially keep branches open, but providing ATMs is a viable alternative.

The nearest U.S. Bank locations are in Crystal Lake and Algonquin, according the the U.S. Bank website.

“You can deposit checks, you can deposit cash, you can check balances obviously, but you can also do a lot of other things we these ATMs,” Villarreal said. “They’re kind of smart ATMs now. They can call them a bank in a box, so to speak.”

U.S. Bank customers and non-customers can use the drive-up ATM, Villarreal said.

Though Kownick ultimately voted in favor of the project, he raised concerns that taking away the nine parking spaces could negatively affect neighboring businesses. No tenants nor residents raised any objections to the proposal, Simmons said.

Trustee Rick Walrath said the parking lot does not reach maximum capacity the vast majority of the time.

“It should not be our position to determine what business comes to town,” he said. “If they feel there’s a need for it, their job is to determine what is the best outlet for their goods and services. They’ve chosen this location.”