DeKALB | DeKalb City Council approved special use and parking permits, making construction of a CVS pharmacy on the southeast corner of Annie Glidden Road and Lincoln Highway one step closer to reality.

Fifth Ward Alderman Ron Naylor expressed concerns over traffic flow in and out of the proposed establishment.

“I have a problem with that hard right coming in from Annie Glidden,” Naylor said. “I don’t know why they can’t consider a one-way loop around the south side of the building.”

CVS developer Michael Haaning said these plans are still in the preliminary stage.

“We are not at final engineering,” Haaning said. “We have to spend another $50,000 to get to the final stages once we know this is a plan we can move forward with. Along the way we will make changes as need be with recommendations from the council.”

Fourth Ward Alderman Brendon Gallagher said it has been proven in the past customers want corner locations. He said he is confident they will find a way to deal with construction.

DeKalb City Manager Mark Biernacki said when he spoke with the owner of Molly’s Eatery and Drinkery, 1022 W. Lincoln Highway, it was indicated to him the decision to sell the property was contingent on him being able to relocate the establishments.

Haaning said CVS is interested in helping, but it is not contingent in the contract. Biernacki said the city does not have to assist Molly’s, but they will assist the owners in finding a new location if need be.

The city council also welcomed the two new aldermen who will be taking a seat at the council next month, 1st Ward Alderman-elect David Jacobson, 3rd Ward Alderman-elect Kristen Lash and 7th Ward Alderman-elect Monica O’Leary.

First Ward Alderman Bertrand Simpson welcomed the new aldermen by saying the council will be in good hands with their presence, but he also struck back against his critics as well.

He asked for an apology from people who accused him of voting to raise property taxes and for voting to lower social service funding. Simpson said these statements were not true. Simpson also criticize the notion that students were under-represented.

“I resent the implication that students can only represent students,” Simpson said. “If that were the case, why would the citizens of DeKalb at some point in time in the past change their voting structure to make sure students could vote? If the people who did that only thought students could represent students why would they let you into the process? They wanted to make it more inclusive.”

Simpson also challenged anyone who said he did not represent students. He said he worked with Sigma Chi to keep it open, spent his personal time to reorganize the Skulls fraternity and stopped the raffling off of a computer purchased with student funds.

“I will gladly step over because I believe the council will be in good hands,” Simpson said. “I resent the implication that only a student can represent the interests of students.”

Before concluding, Naylor said his thoughts and prayers as well as the council’s are with Devon Butler and his family. Butler, an NIU middle linebacker, was wounded in a shooting on April 5.

This story has been edited to reflect a correction that ran in the April 14, 2011 print edition of the “Northern Star.”