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2005-10-05 - Appearance Review Team - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑Appearance Review Team Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 10/05/2005 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting The meeting was called to order at 8:50 p.m. Mr. Kollman's letter [attached] dated September 30, 2005 provided observations and comments concerning the exhibits submitted by John Green of Groundwork, Ltd with his letter dated September 20, 2005 [attached]. Mr. Wytmar, representing Jacobs Homes, presented the following materials: 1. Preliminary Site Plan dated 9/19/05 [1lxl7-inch color] by Groundwork, Ltd. 2. Preliminary Unit Floor Plans, Villa A and Villa B, dated 9/19/05 [11x17-inch color] by Groundwork, Ltd. 3. Color Depictions of Exterior Front Elevations [undated] by Groundwork, Ltd. 4. Preliminary Exterior Elevations 9/19/05 [24x36-inch blackline] by Groundwork, Ltd. 5. Preliminary Elevations, Villa B-1, received October 5, 2005, by Groundwork, Ltd. 6. Material Identification List dated 9/19/05 by Groundwork, Ltd. Mr. Wytmar noted that a landscaping plan will be submitted for future review, and the concept is a unified landscaping plan for the entire property, including the areas adjacent to each villa unit. Commissioner Bocek inquired if individual lots will be provided for each villa unit. Mr. Wytmar said that buyers would own their dwelling unit, not the land. There will be common ownership and maintenance of the outside elements, including landscaping. Commissioner Teplinsky commented that more trees should be preserved on the east side of the site than what has been represented on the tree survey presented to the Plan Commission at the workshop earlier this evening. Commissioner Bocek concurred with Commissioner Teplinsky, noting that screening is needed on the east side of the Villas site for the homeowners who will reside in the Estates at Hidden Lake subdivision across the pond from the Villas site. She noted that no trees were preserved along the east side of the pond when the site preparation work was done for the Estates development. She suggested that a more natural appearance can be achieved for the Villas if clusters of trees are left in place. Mr. Wytmar commented that selective pruning could be used to try to retain as many trees as possible. Mr. Kollman noted that the side and rear elevations of Villa Units 10 and 11 will be seen from Buffalo Grove Road, and the side and rear elevation of Unit 1 from Deerfield Parkway, so more attention should be given to enhanced design elements and materials. He noted that the bulk of the design effort has been put into the front elevations on all the units. For units with extensive exposure to Buffalo Grove Road and Deerfield Parkway, design features such as porches and roof elements can be used to enhance the side and rear elevations. He said that Villa B should be re-designed to break up the flat wall elevations with design enhancements to the roof elements. He suggested that masonry be extended farther along the left side elevation of Villa B, since the current design appears awkward with the transition between different materials being done in the same plane. Commissioner Bocek commented that Unit 9 needs some enhancements to the side elevation, since it will be visible from Deerfield Parkway. She noted that a change in the planes of the wall elements is an appropriate place to use different materials. Mr. Wytmar responded that the view to the units along Deerfield Parkway will be screened with landscape plantings. He said that the price point of the units is important, and adding more architectural elements to the elevations will increase the cost of the respective units. He commented that homebuyers prefer to spend more money on the front elevation than the side or rear elevations. He said that he would consider how to provide more extensive wrapping of the materials used on the front elevation to appropriate areas of the side elevation. Mr. Kollman said that trim can be used to enhance the side and rear elevations without significantly increasing construction costs. He reiterated that the B elevations need the most improvement, since the extensive flat side elevations look awkward in terms of how different materials are joined. He said that the B-2 elevation is somewhat more attractive than the B-1, which has a very large area of continuous roof on the rear elevation. Mr. Wytmar responded that the elevations are based on "volumetric massing" to provide visual differentiation between architectural features, wall surfaces and the various materials. He said that instead of different materials to provide visual variety, the one and two-story elements step in and out on the respective elevations. Mr. Kollman commented that modifying roof elements is a fairly low-cost way to add visual interest to an elevation. He said that more effort should be focused on the elevations that are visible from the adjacent roads. He suggested that features such as a covered porch would be attractive to homebuyers. Mr. Wytmar said that he does not think that homebuyers would use the rear porches, so they probably wouldn't select this option. Mr. Kollman inquired if any fencing is proposed along the external right-of-way. Mr. Wytmar said that fencing is not planned along Buffalo Grove Road, but may be used along Deerfield Parkway. Mr. Pfeil commented that the various versions of the site plan have not shown any exterior fencing. If fencing is being considered, the design should be submitted for Village review and comment. Commissioner Bocek commented that neighboring communities such as Arlington Heights, Mundelein and Itasca are achieving higher quality exteriors in housing designs than Buffalo Grove, and the costs of land acquisition and construction are similar to the market conditions in Buffalo Grove. She noted that the exterior materials used in these communities include stone and EIFS as well as brick and the exterior designs have much more detail. She commented that higher quality material, rather than siding, is being used on all elevations while in Buffalo Grove it is more typical that brick or other higher quality materials are used only the front elevation and sometimes a portion of the side and rear elevations. Commissioner Bocek inquired if material samples have been provided for review. Mr. Wytmar said that the list of materials submitted with the review packet for tonight's meeting provides a general outline, and samples can be provided for most of the materials on the list. Commissioner Bocek asked if the various elevations are intended to be a particular style such as country or contemporary. Mr. Wytmar indicated that buyers of the homes at the Estates at Hidden Lake have favored traditional elevations. He is not sure what the buyers of the Villas will prefer, so the designs are intended to achieve variety in the elevations by using different volume elements. Mr. Kollman suggested that other design enhancements should be considered, such as adding a roof over the rear entry on the A-1 unit. Window casings can add attractive detail to the various elevations and provide an upgraded look. Mr. Wytmar said that he can consider simplifying roof elements and adding trim and casing elements. He said that roof modifications that involve moving door locations would be more difficult to do, and he is not sure that the developer would be willing to make this type of change. He noted that roof load issues have to be considered in the garage area where a steel beam is needed for support of a wall. He indicated that he does not want to do elements such as wainscoting on the side elevations. Commissioner Teplinsky suggested that more windows be considered for the left side elevations, since buyers would probably consider more windows to be a desirable feature and windows would also add some interest to the elevations. Mr. Wytmar commented that sometimes windows are minimized in elevations to avoid situations where residents of adjoining units would be looking into the neighboring unit. Mr. Kollman commented that the B units do not have rear elevation windows, and this is unfortunate since it eliminates lake views for the units adjacent to the pond. Commissioner Bocek suggested that windows for the respective side and rear elevations be available on the plans so that the buyers can decide if they want them. Mr. Kollman asked about the materials that would be used for fireplace chimneys. Mr. Wytmar indicated that some fireplaces may be vented and not require a chimney. Commissioner Teplinsky asked if the individual driveways will be asphalt or concrete. He suggested that using the same material on all the driveways will result in a better overall appearance than if both asphalt and concrete are used. Mr. Wytmar requested clarification concerning the priorities for making modifications to the exterior designs for the villas. Mr. Kollman summarized the priorities as: 1. Enhance the elevations along Buffalo Grove Road and Deerfield Parkway. 2. Three of the four elevations [A-1, A-2 and B-2] are basically acceptable, but some design details should be considered to enhance these elevations. The B-1 elevation is the weakest design and should be modified. The garage gable should be eliminated and the side elevation should be made less busy. The front elevation of the A-1 unit can be improved by simplifying the roof elements. This would also lessen possible problems with maintenance and accumulation of snow. The rear roof of the A-2 unit needs adjustment. 3. Areas where different materials come together should be in locations where the plane of the elevation changes. Wexler-Kollman review_9-30-2005.pdf ART submittal Villas at Hidden Lake_9-20-2005.pdf WAOAr/ oui�a . Wexler/Kollman P.C., Ltd. 16595 Easton Avenue Prairie View Illinois 60069 $47.913.0407 September 30, 2005 Ms. Ghida Neukirch Village of Buffalo Grove Fifty Raupp Blvd. Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089-2196 Re: Appearance Review Team Meeting October 5, 2005 Jacobs Homes SF Villas Dear Ghida, I have reviewed the information that you sent me in reference to the above project and offer the following observations and comments in anticipation of the October 5 ART meeting. Site Plan Observations The site is a prominent corner with a long exposure along Buffalo Grove Road to the west and Deerfield Parkway to the south. Units number 1 and 11 have a strong side presence and the corresponding side elevations should be considered unique as compared to other units in this development. Units 1, 2, 10 and 11 have very visible rear elevations that also need to receive consideration. Unit Design Comments Generally speaking, the units convey a sense of quality with the use of materials and the variation in roof lines. The front elevations are playful and break up the garage- dominated facade with dormers and changes in massing. The side and rear elevations are much weaker and the roof lines appear busy and forced in a couple of the alternatives presented. Architectural details are lacking in all but the front elevations. Orientation and unit selection as they respond to site plan comments above are important. Architecture•Site&Land Planning•Landscape Design www.wexko.com WWW/ , Villa A-1 It is unclear as to whether the entryway is covered a projecting roof element but it should be. The confluence of roof elements over the entry and the associated maintenance should be considered. A roofed rear entry would be a big improvement and solve some of the rear elevation comments above. Chimneys are not specified but should be masonry to match front elevation. Casings around all windows would improve the overall appearance. Villa A-2 Front elevation seems to work well. Side and rear would benefit from additional architectural details. Rear entry porch roof with column, window casings and masonry chimney with decorative flue pipes should be considered. The rooflines contain some irregularities where the peaks project over the main roof lines. These should be eliminated where possible. Villa B-1 Weaker front elevation than the A units. The asymmetrical dormer appears to squeeze the smaller dormers into the loft area. Doesn't look like there will be enough headroom in the loft for access to Bedroom No. 3 as shown. Material transitions are weak at sides as they occur in the same plane. They should either continue or break planes. Window casings and rear porch feature would help. Villa B-2 Better front elevation. Adjust roof pitch to omit projecting over gable from front dormer. Asymmetrical garage dormer appears to pinch entry roof and create maintenance concerns. Material transitions are weak at sides as they occur in the same plane. Window casings and rear porch feature would help. Chimneys should be masonry to match front elevation. I hope this information will be helpful and look forward to our October 5 meeting. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, ,41' Michael 5 Kollman, AIA kECEIVEC September 20, 2005 SEP 2 l 2005 Village of Buffalo Grove PLANNING SERVICES Department of Planning 50 Raupp Boulevard Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089 Attn: Mr. Bob Pfeil Re: Jacobs Homes, Proposed Single-Family Villas Village Planner NE Corner, Buffalo Grove Rd. & Deerfield Pky. GW#L 110 Dear Mr. Pfeil: Enclosed are 10 copies of the following items for the referenced project for use at an ART meeting scheduled for October 5, 2005. 1. Preliminary Site Plan—by Groundwork, ltd., revised 9-19-05 (11"x17" color). 2. Preliminary Unit Floor Plans—by Groundwork, ltd., revised 9-19-05 (11"x17'). 3. Color Depictions of Exterior Front Elevations—by Groundwork, ltd., undated. 4. Preliminary Exterior Elevations— by Groundwork, ltd., dated 9-19-05. (24"x36" b/w). 5. Material Identification List—by Groundwork, ltd., dated 9-19-05. The basic materials and their locations are shown on each of the elevations. The material outline indicates the type of material to be used. Final selection and colors will be coordinated directly with the purchasers. The color depictions have been provided as a tool to understand the balance and massing of the various base materials being incorporated into each fagade and do not represent specific color programs. The developer has been advised of the need to ensure that the Appearance Ordinance will need to be followed with regard to color/material separation of buildings. For past projects in which we served as the Architects, a developer was required to submit a listing of the selected material colors at the time of permit submittal for each specific lot. We presume that this is still the general practice. It is our understanding that the client, Jacobs Homes, is coordinating everything relative to the partial tree inventory and preservation options. If you should need any other information, please feel free to contact our office. Thank you. Very truly yours, GROUNDWORK, LTD. By: —�— JotiA P. Green AI A, President Cc; Mr. Steve Goodman—Jacobs Homes Mr. Larry Freedman —Ash,Anos, Freedman & Logan Mr. Mike Snyder—Landscape Architect (cover only) GROUNDWORK, LTD. -7 ARCHI GROUNDWORK, PLANNERS/ENGINEERS 351 WEST DUNDEE ROAD,SUITE A BUFFALO GROVE,ILLINOI5 60059 QW 847.541.4151 FAX 847.541.4066 In gworkltd@aol.com•www.grounclworkiti.com