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2011-11-16 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: ❑A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 11/16/2011 Type of Meeting: PUBLIC HEARING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION November 16, 2011 Special Use for a recreation facility at 368 Lexington Drive In the Industrial District Chairman Smith called the hearing to order at 7:30 pm in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Chairman Smith read the Notice of Public Hearing as published in the Buffalo Grove Daily Herald, explained the procedure to be followed for the public hearing, and swore in all persons who wished to give testimony. Commissioners present: Chairman Smith Ms. Bocek Mr. Khan Mr. Stark Mr. Weinstein Ms. Johnson Commissioners absent: Mr. Cohn Ms. Myer Also present: Mr. Matt Kuhlman, The Sweatshop, LLC Mr. Frank Schwab, FSGB, LLC Ms. Beverly Sussman, Village Trustee Mr. Andrew Stein, Village Trustee Mr. Mike Terson, Village Trustee Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner The following exhibits were presented by the petitioner at the public hearing: Exhibit 1: Memo from Robert Pfeil to the Plan Commission dated November 11, 2011 Mr. Kuhlman stated he is petitioning for a special use permit at 368 Lexington Drive. He stated he is a personal trainer and runs a group personal training fitness program. He stated that the business is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and on the weekends from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. The maximum number of occupants is usually is about 15 to 20. On average there are about 3-5 people per time. He stated they do individual personal training, group training and also weight loss classes as well. Commissioner Weinstein noted there are criteria for a special use that need to be addressed. Mr. Kuhlman noted his business does serve the public health, safety, morals, comfort and general welfare as the focus is definitely on general health and obesity and he trains people from ages 7 to 77. He stated he has children fighting obesity, adults with weight concerns and seniors fighting osteoporosis and arthritis. Mr. Kuhlman also stated the access points of the location have no problem and are definitely appropriate and in harmony with the district within the location. Thirdly, he noted his business is definitely not injurious to the other property owners in the vicinity. Mr. Schwab addressed the fourth criteria noting the facility is 2,050 square feet and is less than 10% of the building and will not adversely affect parking as they have excess parking. The daytime and evening parking counts have been gone over and as a property owner he has a vested interest in making sure they do not have an adverse use near the other tenants nor to the ability to rent. Commissioner Weinstein asked in terms of the 15-20 people that would be coming to the facility, what time period that would occur. Mr. Kuhlman stated that would be between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm on weekday nights. Commissioner Weinstein noted he presumes at that time there is very little other parking being used and there is no issue at that time of day. Mr. Schwab stated they have done the counts before. He stated they have one other special use which is Amber Music and Dance which is the only other parking element that would be at that time of day. Commissioner Weinstein asked if there is any particular reason that this facility is needed in this building as opposed to a building that might not need a special use permit such as in a general business in a strip center or other area. Mr. Kuhlman stated after much searching throughout the Buffalo Grove area and the surrounding suburbs he came across this place and the actual location is epicenter to where most of his clients live and the inside warehouse and office space are definitely what he is looking for to accommodate his business. Chairman Smith noted that criteria six has been adequately addressed in the discussion. Commissioner Stark asked if the building is fully leased now. Mr. Schwab stated he has one vacancy in the entire building. Commissioner Stark asked where Amber Music and Dance was located. Mr. Schwab noted it is adjacent to the proposed use. Commissioner Stark asked where Mr. Kuhlman's business is currently located. Mr. Kuhlman stated at 355 Hastings Drive which is in the same area. Commissioner Stark asked if people just come and go during sessions. Mr. Kuhlman noted no appointments are needed and he is there 8-10 hours per day and people come in whenever they want. He noted it is based on a monthly membership fee. Commissioner Stark asked how many employees there are. Mr. Kuhlman stated he is the only one there. Commissioner Stark asked if there would be loud booming music. Mr. Kuhlman stated there would definitely be music but it would not impede any surrounding businesses. Commissioner Bocek asked what the other uses in the building are. Mr. Schwab noted there is a distribution facility, a sign company, three contractors and Panosh catering which has very little traffic going in there. Trustee Sussman asked if Mr. Kuhlman was a certified personal trainer. Mr. Kuhlman stated yes. There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Smith closed the public hearing at 7:45 pm Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED BY: ERIC SMITH, Chair Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 11/16/2011 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION November 16, 2011 Special use for a recreation facility at 368 Lexington Drive In the Industrial District Plaza Verde East, amendment of planned unit development and A special use for a drive-through facility, 1205-1209 Dundee Road In the B-3 District—Workshop #1 Chairman Smith called the meeting to order at 7:45 pm in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Smith Ms. Bocek Mr. Khan Mr. Stark Mr. Cohn Mr. Weinstein Ms. Johnson Commissioners absent: Ms. Myer Also present: Mr. Matt Kuhlman, the Sweatshop, LLC Mr. Frank Schwab, PSGB, LLC Mr. Lawrence Freedman, Ash, Anos, Freedman& Logan Mr. David Mangurten, KMA& Associates, Inc. Mr. David Miller, Sam Schwartz Engineering Ms. Beverly Sussman, Village Trustee Mr. Andrew Stein, Village Trustee Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner Mr. Marty Sussman APPROVAL OF MINUTES Moved by Commissioner Weinstein, seconded by Commissioner Khan to approve the minutes of the public hearing of October 5, 2011. All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and the motion passed unanimously with Commissioner Stark abstaining. Moved by Commissioner Bocek, seconded by Commissioner Khan to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of October 5, 2011. Commissioner Weinstein noted a correction on the date of the regular meeting was required. Commissioner Bocek asked that her comment on page 2, paragraph 6 be changed to reflect that she did not believe an appearance review would make the appearance any better. All Commissioners were in favor of the amended motion and the motion passed unanimously with Commissioner Stark abstaining. COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS—None SPECIAL USE FOR A RECREATION AT 368 LEXINGTON DRIVE IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT Moved by Commissioner Weinstein, seconded by Commissioner Stark to recommend approval to the Village Board of the petition for a Special Use for a recreation facility in the Industrial District for the property located at 368 Lexington Drive. Chairman Smith called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: Bocek, Khan, Stark, Weinstein, Johnson, Smith NAYS: None ABSENT: Cohn, Myer ABSTAIN: None The motion passed 6 to 0. PLAZA VERDE EAST, AMENDMENT OF PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT AND A SPECIAL USE FOR A DRIVE-THROUGH FACILITY, 1205-1209 DUNDEE ROAD IN THE B-3 DISTRICT—WORKSHOP 91 Mr. Freedman stated they were here last May for approval of this area that replaces the building that was the Melting Pot. At that time they indicated they had one tenant and the third was speculated. The two tenants were Noodles & Company and Moe's Southwestern Grill and they have since signed leases and they were in the process of marketing the third space. They have now been approached by coffee shop that wants to be there. However, a prerequisite is a drive-thru before they will lease a facility like this. They are therefore here tonight to review the changes in the plan that would be necessitated by adding a drive-thru facility. Mr. David Mangurten, the architect, reviewed the plan approved in May and highlighted the differences and then addressed the 6 to 7 bullet points from the staff memo. He noted this is a conceptual plan. Mr. Mangurten explained that in order to provide a drive-thru along the east side of the building and wrapping around the north to exit, four trees would be eliminated. The trash enclosure is to be relocated from the current approved location at the southeast corner of the building. The drive-thru approach will also result in losing three parking car spaces. Mr. Mangurten said that a variation is requested concerning the requirement to provide 10 stacking spaces for the drive-thru lane. The proposed conceptual plan shows five spaces. Mr. Mangurten indicated that the project landscape architect will discuss the trees that would be eliminated and the replacement plant materials that will be provided. Mr. Mangurten said that a variation is requested concerning the required 25-foot landscaped yard along Arlington Heights Road. The proposed plan shows the drive-thru lane at 12 feet in width, but it may be possible to reduce the width to 10 feet and add two feet back the landscaped yard area. The landscaped yard would then be 12 feet in width. Mr. Mangurten noted that the distance between the service window and the cars is being reviewed in response to a staff comment. Staff also suggested that some of the plant material be changed from deciduous to evergreen to provide better screening from headlights of vehicles in the drive-thru lane. The last bullet point in the staff memo concerns traffic and parking impact. The Plaza Verde East shopping center has 499 parking spaces including 17 handicapped accessible spaces which according to code is more than the minimum requirement of two percent of the total number of spaces. He said that the shopping center has a surplus of parking in relation to the actual demand. Mr. David McCallum, project landscape architect, reviewed the plan approved in May 2011 and the new proposal. He stated they had several goals in mind when preparing the initial plan. It is an important corner with high visibility. They had determined that it was necessary and desirable to create a landscape plan that would be attractive to the users of this center and to those passing by. With that in mind they created a plan that consisted of a variety of evergreen and deciduous flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennials, ornamental trees and shade trees. He noted they have kept the same flavor with this new proposal. The same varieties of perennials will be used as well as ornamental trees. They have actually increased the quantity of plant materials from the initial plan. They have increased the number of shade trees by five, the number of ornamental trees by two, and the number of shrubs by 84, but they have decreased the amount of flowering perennial by 45. Mr. McCallum discussed the plan for preserving certain trees. There are three maple trees and an ash tree that would need to be removed or relocated for the drive-thru. He is evaluating ways to save some of these trees. Mr. McCallum noted staff had also suggested they change out some of the plant materials to increase the quantity of evergreen shrubs to cut down the glare from headlights. They propose to eliminate the first row of shrubs at the curb where the headlights would be most noticeable and replace that with a hedge of evergreens. The overall flavor of the new landscape plan is consistent with the original approved plan. Mr. David Miller, Sam Schwartz Engineering, stated they were asked to look at the parking and the drive-thru. With the drive-thru there is the potential of losing about six spaces. He noted the Village code is 1 space per 220 square feet or about 4.55 spaces per thousand square feet which is a lot more than a lot of other municipalities. The new latest ITE parking generation report shows the average peak parking demand for a non-December on a Friday peak adds 2.94 per thousand square feet or 1 space per 340 square feet which is considerably less spaces. He stated it is their feeling that the reduction of the few spaces in this area there should still be more than adequate parking to accommodate the site and will have no impact on the overall center. Mr. Miller stated the other issue is the drive-thru and the plan as shown only has stacking for five cars. He noted his company has done surveys of other coffee shops with drive-thru facilities and it has been their experience that the typical peak demand which is usually between 7 am to 10 am is about eight spaces. To get close to the Village code of 10 stacking spaces, one option would be eliminating a few of the parking spaces adjacent to the southeast portion of the building. Another option would be modifying the access in the parking area south of the building to create a more direct approach to the drive-thru lane. Mr. Miller noted another issue is the width of the drive-through lane which is shown as 12 feet. He said that 10 feet is more than adequate. Traffic moves a low speed going through the lane, and there are no trucks. Typically drive-thru lanes tend to be narrower than other types of travel lanes in a parking lot. A narrower lane will also allow a bit more room to save trees. Commissioner Bocek asked if the building elevations have changed due to the addition of the drive-thru facility. Mr. Mangurten stated the building has not changed, but a service window would be added in the east wall. When the elevations were developed for the May 2011 PUD amendment for the building, input from the Village commissioners and staff was very helpful in guiding the design process. Modifications to accommodate the drive-thru facility will go back to the Appearance Review team if the Village determines it's necessary. Commissioner Bocek stated the elevation is very important, and she would like to keep the integrity of the design. She asked about the height of the plant material to avoid the glare from headlights of vehicles in the drive-thru lane. Mr. McCallum stated their intent is to show an evergreen hedge about 3 to 4 feet high. Commissioner Bocek commented that the trash enclosure should not be along Arlington Heights Road and perhaps it can be integrated with some of the landscaped islands. Mr. Mangurten said he understands the intent to move the enclosure away from Arlington Heights Road and making it as accessible as possible for the everyday operations of the businesses in the building. The access pattern in the south parking lot may need to be modified, as well as the location of the two accessible spaces along the south side of the building. They understand the need to make sure that the accessible spaces have a direct travel route from the parking lot pavement to the sidewalk along the building. Commissioner Bocek noted that turns for vehicles accessing the drive-thru lane have to be evaluated to maintain a safe and workable traffic flow in this part of the site. She expressed concern about cars getting rear-ended when trying to exit parking spaces adjacent to the building. Mr. Mangurten stated the concept they are looking at is extending the drive-thru so that there would be a curve that brings the cars towards the east. Commissioner Stark stated he is also concerned about the headlights from cars in the drive-thru facing north into traffic on Dundee Road and Arlington Heights Road. He asked if there are entrances on both the north and south end of each building. Mr. Mangurten stated yes. Commissioner Stark noted his first inclination in order to expand the drive-thru is to go down toward Arlington Heights Road. He asked for the pros and cons for the two drive-thru expansions being considered. Mr. Miller stated part of it will come down to how many parking spaces they lose. They have not yet looked into the details of both but he really feels they need to add more spaces for the drive-thru. Commissioner Stark asked if Noodles and Company or Moe's would have any say in the plan. Mr. Freedman stated no, not under their leases. Their primary concern is the design of the building. Mr. Miller stated the spaces adjacent to the south entrances to the building are prime, and they would try to avoid eliminating spaces closest to the building. To accomplish this, the drive-thru lane may work best if it is parallel to Arlington Heights Road. Commissioner Johnson asked if the setback would be considered safe and provide enough space to safely accommodate pedestrian traffic from Buffalo Grove High School. Mr. Mangurten noted there is a sidewalk, there is only one crossing point that would be encouraged. Commissioner Johnson asked about the width of the yard and the landscaping along Arlington Heights Road. Mr. Mangurten noted that the landscaped yard is being narrowed by the drive-thru lane, but the required 25-foot building setback would still be provided. It may be possible to provide a 12-foot wide landscaped area. Pedestrian access can still be safely accommodated. Mr. Pfeil commented that the intent of the 25-foot setback standard is to have an attractive landscaped yard. He noted that pedestrian access from the sidewalk along Arlington Heights Road needs to be carefully considered to make sure there is safe access to the building entrances. Mr. Mangurten stated right now there is a 4 to 5-foot drop and the way the transition occurs is today and when the Melting Pot was there the ground actually has a 1:4 slope up. That will happen in this design as well. The Melting Pot had a series of stairs which was not a real user friendly approach to the building. The sidewalk remains, and perhaps control signage could be used for the pedestrian crossing. Commissioner Cohn commented that students from the high school will cross the drive-thru lane to get into the building. People in the drive-thru will be focused on their coffee purchase and cell phones while kids are walking across through cars in the lane. He said pedestrian safety needs to be addressed. He noted in the area closer to Dundee before you make the bend will be the first location they will want to cross. You may want to have something that says not to cross here and encourages them to cross on the south with a sidewalk. Mr. Mangurten noted there are some barriers here with landscape features and the two restaurants have fenced in areas. Noodles will be seeking a liquor license which is the reason for the patio corral fence. The primary pedestrian movement would be along the Dundee Road frontage to access the sidewalk that leads to the north building entrances. Pedestrians using the sidewalk along Arlington Heights Road may want to cross the drive-thru lane to access building entrances. There is, however, some grade change. There won't be a ramp but more likely a sidewalk with steps. Trustee Stein asked why the two rear handicapped parking spots are not closer to the main entrance. Mr. Mangurten stated the original plan did not have these two spaces. The shopping center is already overparked for handicapped accessibility and these were provided at staff s suggestion. Because there is an intersection of two sidewalks that allow entrance to the south of the building as well as towards the front or the Noodles entrance on the side, these two were placed here. Trustee Stein asked if the businesses going in intend to have entrances on the backside or will those be service areas where deliveries are made. Mr. Mangurten stated it is both. Trustee Stein stated that when deliveries are made all those parking spaces are lost including the handicapped spaces. Mr. Mangurten stated obviously these two restaurants are only open for lunch and dinner so they would have early deliveries but he cannot speak to their operations. Trustee Stein asked if exiting left onto Arlington Heights Road had a signal. Mr. Mangurten pointed out all exits and entrances and stated they are not signalized. Commissioner Bocek noted you may have handicapped employees so that is another reason you might want handicapped spaces in the rear. Mr. Sussman commented that the Village's Commission for Residents with Disabilities recommends that the parking lot pavement and adjacent sidewalk be at the same level. Trustee Terson said he lives close to Plaza Verde, he thinks there is plenty of parking based on his observations at various times. Commissioner Stark noted exiting on Arlington Heights Road to the north is usually not a problem even during rush hour. Trustee Sussman noted a safety concern for the high school kids who will run across the street. Between the traffic, the drive-thru lane and all the cars on the site, she is concerned with everyone's safety. She asked if there will be a traffic study to evaluate conditions during peak times. Mr. Freedman stated yes. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT-None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil noted that the petitioner for the Plaza at Buffalo Grove/Chase Bank project has requested a special meeting on November 30, 2011. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS—None STAFF REPORT—None NEW BUSINESS—None ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Cohn, seconded by Commissioner Khan and carried unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Smith adjourned the meeting at 8:40 pm. Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED BY: ERIC SMITH, Chair