2003-12-17 - Appearance Review Team - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑Appearance Review Team
Document Type: ❑Agenda 0 Minutes
Meeting Date: 12/17/2003
Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting
Appearance Review Team (ART) Meeting
6:00 p.m., 12/17/2003.
55 Lake Cook Road — Bank of America
Petitioner: George Boddy of Jones Lang LaSalle— Proposed Bank Facility
ART TEAM:
Steve Trilling, Trustee Liaison to the Plan Commission
Susan Kenski-Sroka, Plan Commissioner
Howard Teplinsky, Plan Commissioner
Robert Pfeil, Village Planner
Greg Summers, Associate Planner
ALSO PRESENT:
Sidney Mathias, Law Office of Sidney H. Mathias
George Boddy, Jones Lang LaSalle
Ray Kennedy, Gensler Architects
CC:
Jeff Berman, Trustee Liaison to the Plan Commission
Plan Commission
SUBJECT SITE
55 Lake Cook Road (SWC Lake Cook Road & Route 83)
PETITIONER REQUEST
Petitioner George Boddy, Jones Lang LaSalle (on behalf of Bank of America), is seeking approval of a
preliminary plan in the B-2 District. The plan proposes construction of a new one-story bank facility with
three double-stacked drive up lanes (two for teller access and one ATM lane).
ART RECOMMENDATION / NOTES
The ART noted the petitioner, at the encouragement of the Village Board, has modified the proposed
bank style from a contemporary flat roof bank to a more traditional bank style with a pitched roof. The
ART was in agreement that the general direction of the changes made since the Village Board referral is
appropriate although minor details, as discussed below, should be modified to further enhance the
traditional style of the proposed architecture.
The current proposal calls for a primarily brick building with a cast stone base and drivit to be used only
in the drive-thru lane soffit area. A contrasting sand color accent brick is used in select areas of the
elevations. ART members were in agreement that the primary field brick color selected for the building
blended well with adjacent buildings and wooded setting. The contrasting color accent band works well
to complement, but not duplicate, the accent bands of the proximate Town Center shopping center.
However, the ART did not find the inset accent brick sections of the elevations, which result in retrofit
appearance, to be appropriate . Ray Kennedy stated that they could use the field brick color in the insets
with limestone lintels over the windows. Other limestone accents should also be worked in throughout
the design to enhance the overall image of the building . Additionally, the petitioner should explore the
use of brick quioning, or other brick details, to create a sense of more depth on the relatively flat
elevations.
The glass storefront entry design was determined to be too contemporary for the evolving style of the
elevations. ART members suggested individualized windows with brick and cast stone separating them
from one another and the entry door . Ray Kennedy indicated that they could explore that option although
the Bank feels that the glass storefront design has an appearance of being more open to the customers
and the high degree of visibility lends itself to security measures. The ART Team responded that a
similar quantity of glass could still be achieved and continue to lend the interior of the bank to be highly
visible while also achieving the traditional style on the exterior.
The petitioner clarified that all exterior HVAC equipment would be located on the flat roof section at the
rear (west) side of the building and that the parapet was of a sufficient height to screen the equipment.
ART members noted that the flat roof portion of the building has a very detached appearance and does
not blend visually with the main portion of the building . Ray Kennedy indicated that they can extend the
cast stone and cornice around that portion of the building to make it appear more cohesive. They can
also explore using a pitched roof to screen the mechanical well to further integrate the look of the rear
portion of the building.
The proposed red entry canopy of the building is very bold and contemporary in style. A suggestion was
made to substitute a more neutral color in lieu of the "Bank of America"red. Ray Kennedy and George
Boddy indicated that the red canopy is Bank of America's signature element on their buildings and that
the company would push hard to maintain the canopy style and color.
Bank of America representatives were informed that the Village Building Commissioner had preliminarily
reviewed the signs and indicated that the proposed south wall sign would require a variation and that the
roof mounted sign installed above the canopy is prohibited. Ray Kennedy confirmed that the canopy sign
is typically mounted on the top of the canopy but can be modified to be a wall mounted sign .
The ART Team noted that the drive thru area encompasses nearly 1/3 of the east and west building
elevations. Team members asked if brick columns or arches could be used to define the drive thru lanes
and reduce the visual scale of the lane area . Bank of America will explore various options to reduce the
drive thru's visual scale prior to the next submittal.
Ray Kennedy provided an overview of the proposed trash enclosure indicating that enclosure is proposed
to be brick on three sides with corner bump-outs, a contrasting color brick accent band to match the bank
building, a cast stone cap rail, and wood gates painted to match the brick. ART member were in
agreement that the enclosure is appropriate as proposed.