2004-07-15 - Appearance Review Team - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑Appearance Review Team
Document Type: ❑Agenda 0 Minutes
Meeting Date: 07/15/2004
Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting
Appearance Review Team (ART) Meeting
6:30 p.m., 7/15/2004
Proposed Single Family Detached Villas, East Side of Prairie Road at Chestnut Terrace
Petitioner: John Green, Groundwork Limited, for Insignia & Concord Homes
ART TEAM:
Zill Khan, Plan Commissioner
Michael Samuels, Plan Commissioner
Susan Kenski-Sroka, Plan Commissioner
Robert Pfeil, Village Planner
Greg Summers, Associate Planner
ALSO PRESENT:
John Green, Groundwork Limited
Alan Scimeca, Insignia Homes
Jeff Hitz, Concord Homes
Karl Krogstad, Pugsley& LaHaie
CC:
Steve Trilling, Trustee Liaison to the Plan Commission
Jeff Berman, Trustee Liaison to the Plan Commission
Plan Commission
SUBJECT SITE
East side of Prairie Road at Chestnut Terrace (immediately north of Mirielle Phase II)
PETITIONER REQUEST
Insignia Homes, is seeking annexation of four parcels on the east side of Prairie Road at Chestnut
Terrace (immediately north of Mirielle Phase II), and approval of an R-7 Planned Unit Development. The
plan proposes the removal of the current single family residences and related structures and construction
of 21 new single family detached villas including associated streets, walks, water retention, landscaping,
and recreational features. John Green, Groundwork Limited, represents Insignia Homes. Insignia has
represented that the project will be conveyed to Concord Homes after annexation and zoning approval.
ART RECOMMENDATION / NOTES
John Green provided an overview of the revised plan. The plan consists of 21 single family detached
villa units each with four elevation options. Unit "590" ranges from 2,650 square feet to 2,900 square
feet and unit "591" is approximately 3,400 square feet. Unit sizes will vary slightly because the buildings
have bays, porches, and room extensions to vary the massing of the elevations. The unit mix is ten
"590" and eleven "591" units. All of the units will have three bedrooms. Mr. Hitz stated that units would
cost in excess of$700,000, possibly approaching $800,000 after finishes are selected.
Mr. Green acknowledged that units "590-K" and "590-L" do not vary significantly enough from one
another and are "substantially similar" as defined in the Village's Appearance Plan. He suggested that
although both models would be available they would not be used within four lots of one another thereby
meeting the intent of the Monotony Code as set forth in the Village's Appearance Plan.
Elevation materials would be defined as shown on the exhibits including fiber-cement siding, brick,
E.I.F.S., cultured stone, pre-engineered wood trim, architectural grade shingles, and two single garage
doors (plan "590"), and one double car garage door (plan "591"). Color choices for the materials would
be made by purchasers. Commissioner Samuels expressed his concern that purchasers do not always
make appropriate color choices and suggested pre-approved color palette choices which could be used
on any of the available elevations. Jeff Hitz explained that Concord Homes typically uses a hierarchical
color selection process in which a buyer's selection of one material limits the choice of the next. The
system allows buyers a sense of freedom in selecting colors while ensuring overall development
compatibility. That system will be used for this development. Mr. Green also acknowledged that
according to the Monotony Code adjacent buildings could not have the same predominant color and that
color choices are submitted to the Village at the time of permit in order to ensure conformity with the
Code.
Mr. Green stated that in this development the fireplaces (and the resulting chimneys) are standard. After
lengthy discussion Mr. Hitz stated that they could add masonry facing to the "591-K," "591-L," and "591-
M" chimneys. The "591-J" would not incorporate masonry on the chimney due to its traditional style and
likewise none of the "590" models would make use of masonry on the chimney due to the "590"
chimney's internal design.
Mr. Pfeil inquired about how the sides of buildings 12 and 17 would appear along Avalon Drive given that
both units are model "591" and have a minimum ten foot setback along the north side. Mr. Green noted
that the staff memo suggested that one unit be either a "591-J" or"591-L" and the other unit be a "591-K"
or"591-M" and Mr. Hitz stated they could work with that restriction. Furthermore, the two units would not
have the same siding color.
All units will have an 11 foot by 19 foot concrete patio which would not have a railing nor fence
screening. Restrictive covenants would not allow patio expansions or privacy fencing.
The development would be buffered from Prairie Road via a combination board-on-board and
high-impact plastic ornamental fence which would be five feet high. The north-south sections of the
fence would be board-on-board three feet from the west property line (four feet from the edge of
sidewalk) and the east-west sections of the fence would be high-impact plastic ornamental. The fence
would contain recesses 10 feet deep and 30 feet wide which would be landscaped. Mr. Pfeil inquired if
the developer could modify the fence plan to use all ornamental to which Mr. Scimeca indicated that at
this price point the buyer expects the level of privacy that a solid fence provides. Prior to this submittal
they shifted the fence away from the sidewalk and enhanced landscaping on the Prairie Road side of the
fence in order to address Mr. Pfeil's concern.
Mr. Summers noted that as currently designed the site contains board-on-board, ornamental, split-rail,
and chain-link fencing and asked if it possible to achieve a more uniform fence plan for the development.
Mr. Green stated that he wanted to keep the split-rail fencing because of its informal curve and open
vista to the recreation area. The petitioner will modify the cellular tower fence to board-on-board,
eliminating the chain-link. Additionally, they will modify the split-rail fence to a "ranch-style" rectangular
rail to blend it with the board-on-board fence.
Commissioner Khan asked about the term of the cellular tower lease, the schedule for removal of the
tower, and how the area would be incorporated into the site after the tower is removed. Mr. Green noted
that the lease expires in 2009 and at that time the cellular tower and surrounding fence would be
removed and the space added to the recreation area next to it. The recreation equipment and gazebo
could be relocated at that time to open the space up, and additional landscaping would be added as well.
Commissioner Samuels noted that the association's budget should set aside reserves for fence removal
and landscaping after the tower has been removed.
The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.