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2008-12-17 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 12/17/2008 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION December 17, 2008 Discussion of Village Comprehensive Plan Update Chairman Ottenheimer called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Ottenheimer Mr. Smith Mr. Khan Mr. Stark Mr. Cohn Ms. Myer Mr. Weinstein Commissioners absent: Ms. Bocek Mr. Teplinsky Also present: Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES Moved by Commissioner Weinstein, seconded by Commissioner Myer to approve the public hearing minutes of November 5, 2008. Chairman Weinstein noted a correction necessary on page 2. All Commissioners were in favor of the amended motion and the motion passed unanimously with Commissioner Khan abstaining. Moved by Commissioner Weinstein, seconded by Commissioner Smith to approve the regular meeting minutes of November 5, 2008. All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and the motion passed unanimously with Commissioner Khan abstaining. Moved by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Stark to approve the public hearing minutes of November 29, 2008. All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and the motion passed unanimously with Commissioners Khan and Cohn abstaining. Moved by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Myer to approve the regular meeting minutes of November 19, 2008. All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and the motion passed unanimously with Commissioners Khan and Cohn abstaining. COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS Commissioner Cohn attended the Village Board meeting on December 15, 2008 where discussion was held on the property formerly approved by the Plan Commission for the El Pollo Loco restaurant. That restaurant is not being built and the owner of the property came back with a new plan which was not viewed favorably by the Board and probably will not be referred to us. The plan called for a three store strip mall with a T-Mobil lease signed and no other tenants for the other two stores. The Village Board was not looking for another strip mall in this corner and the property owner is looking to see what he can do. DISCUSSION OF VILLAGE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Mr. Pfeil noted that the final step in the Plan Commission process will be a public hearing. He noted that the Goals & Objectives section has not had major changes since the previous Commission review. The Transportation section contains new information that has not been discussed by the Commission. The Future Land Use recommendations contain a new map of the Aptakisic Road area. An Implementation section has also been completed. Mr. Pfeil said that the Transportation section focuses on the surface road system. The road system will be built out and there are only a couple of new roads to complete the Village's street system. Widening of some roads and completion of the arterial system will include Buffalo Grove Road, Aptakisic Road and Weiland Road. These roads will all be 4-lane sections, with construction dependent on available funds. Lake-Cook Road will continue to be studied by the Cook County Highway Department. The County is working on a phase I plan for segments of Lake-Cook Road, particularly in the Buffalo Grove Road to Weiland Road area. The Village has consistently made its position with the County that there is no local support for a 6-lane section through the middle of the Village. The Village strongly supports completion of other improvements to the regional road system, including extension or Route 53 north of Lake Cook Road. However, the bottlenecks at Rt. 83 and Buffalo Grove Road need to be addressed, and Cook County is working on this with the Village and other agencies. Other intersections such as Arlington Heights Road and Lake Cook Road may get a "continuous intersection" design that creates more capacity for turning movements while maintaining the capacity for through traffic.. Mr. Pfeil noted that the Village has been a strong supporter of additional commuter service on the Metra North Central rail line. There are other plans for regional initiatives that could provide linkages between rail and bus service. Mr. Pfeil commented that the Village has an excellent bike path and sidewalk network, and further links should be actively explored. Whenever new developments are reviewed, bike and pedestrian facilities should be a major focus. Commissioner Myer asked if PACE actively studies the transportation patterns and whether there is communication with the Village concerning service levels. Mr. Pfeil indicated that PACE continually evaluates ridership levels makes service adjustments based on the analysis. The Village should continue to communicate with PACE, particularly to make sure that proposed service cuts are explained to the community. He noted that in at one time the Village had a transportation commission that focused on establishment of a bus system in the area. The Village was very active in getting bus service in Buffalo Grove and connecting to the Arlington Heights Metra rail service. It would be appropriate for the Village to re—evaluate possible ways to participate more actively in ensuring that bus service remains in place. Commissioner Cohn stated the bike system is very important. He stressed that for commercial and other developments it is very important to have a place to put your bike when you get where you are going. He sees that as the biggest problem for biking around Buffalo Grove. Once you arrive at your destination there seems to be a lack of racks for bikes. The other item is that an event held by the Village such as Buffalo Grove days also needs to include areas for bike lockup. Lastly, the continuity of the Des Plaines trail is important as to whether the Village has a plan to connect the bikeway system to the trail. Mr. Pfeil noted there is access to the Des Plaines River Trail at the Riverwalk development. A traffic signal on Milwaukee at Riverwalk Drive makes it feasible for bicyclists to access the trail. Along other segments of Milwaukee Avenue signalized crossings are not adequate to properly serve bicyclists and pedestrians who want to access the trail. The Aptakisic Road area is a logical location for bicycle access. The plan for the Land and Lakes property south of Aptakisic Road includes a signalized intersection on Milwaukee Avenue and conceptual agreement by the property owner to cooperate in creating a link to the Des Plaines River Trail. The signalized intersection at Busch Parkway may be another location that could be enhanced to provide access to the trail. Commissioner Cohn stated that some way that must happen. Mr. Pfeil explored future land use issues. He noted the plan calls for redevelopment of the Cambridge Commons property for mixed use with residential and commercial components. The land owner has indicated that when the Dominick's lease (subleased by Rogan's) expires, he would be very interested in redevelopment. Current economic conditions do not support redevelopment, but in a few years the property may be ready for re—use. The new plan could focus on a compatible mix of uses, and the proximity to the Wheeling Metra train station and access to bus service may make the residential component very attractive to some buyers. Mr. Pfeil said that the Village has been working on enhance street lighting along the Dundee corridor. He noted that Greg Boysen, Village Public Works director, is working with a consultant on landscaping and sidewalk and crossing enhancements for pedestrians. Mr. Pfeil commented that some properties in the Dundee Road corridor will need upgrading or redevelopment. We need to determine if traditional strip centers are to be continued, if mixed use redevelopment would be a better use of some of these properties. Redevelopment with residential components on some properties should be considered in planning for re—use. We also need to think about what is next for the auto dealerships, particularly if new auto dealer doesn't occupy the Toyota property after the current dealership relocates to a new site. Mr. Pfeil reviewed the Stancliff property noting that the boundary agreement with Lincolnshire dictates two residential units per acre, which is a very low density. The Comprehensive Plan carries a single family designation and a conceptual park area in the middle of the property. If and when that property is ready for development the Village should consider site planning that clusters the residential units to minimize the public investment in roads and utilities. Preserving a substantial portion of the 40 acres as open space should be considered. Mr. Pfeil stated there are substantial areas of agricultural land now along Aptakisic Road, particularly the Didier farm and Hoffman property. The Village's planning has been very focused on single family, low density on quite a bit of the acreage in this area. Mr. Pfeil reviewed a recommendation for the Didier property going from west to east which proposes that a majority of the agricultural parcels stay agricultural, and the south end along Aptakisic be some type of commercial that is related to the current agri-entertainment use. The rest of the Didier and Hoffman area is shown as single family residential use on the Plan. Commissioner Stark asked how many parcels are in the area between Prairie Road and the railroad tracks. Mr. Pfeil said there are approximately 20 parcels. A lot of the parcels along Arlyd Road are existing single family lots. Commissioner Stark asked if all those parcels are owned by different entities. Mr. Pfeil said there are multiple owners. Mr. Pfeil reviewed the Pet Lane area, noting that the Weiland Road extension to Prairie Road will go through the existing Best Friends Pet Resort property. Acquisition of the area needed for the road extension is a major issue in planning and development of this area. Lake County supports the road extension, but the County will not participate in land acquisition. Mr. Pfeil commented that when the road extension is built, the proposed plan contemplates commercial use near the railroad tracks and along both sides of the new road, and some mixed use development in the Pet Lane area. Residential development of medium density such as townhomes is indicated north of the road extension. Mr. Pfeil reviewed land use recommendations for the south side of Aptakisic Road east of Buffalo Grove Road. Property in this area is characterized by relatively small parcels and multiples owners. He noted that the plan proposed a collector road extending from the Old Farm Village subdivision to Aptakisic Road. This collector would cross Aptakisic Road into the Didier property. The plan shows some commercial use on the south side of Aptakisic Road, near the Com Ed property where the collector road would be located. Mixed use is planned to the east of this area, as well as some townhome density to the south, and single family adjacent to the Old Farm subdivision. Some of these land uses designations are new concepts that have not been previously shown on the Village's Comprehensive Plan for this segment of Aptakisic Road. Market forces will determine how much commercial and mixed use development can be supported. A basic concept with this land use mix is placing residential closer to commercial use to reduce the necessity to travel for basic goods and services. Mr. Pfeil noted that the mixed use plan and agricultural designation for a major portion of the Didier farm affects the population and housing unit projections. The tabular summary of projections shown in Scenario 4 would add 1,000 residents. The land use assumptions in Scenarios 1 through 3 would add 1,700 to 2,700 residents. Mr. Pfeil reviewed the implementation section and noted that one of the main themes is evaluation of the Village's regulatory ordinances to reassess the types of developments that the standards dictate or encourage. The standards and policies should be carefully examined concerning environmental protection and ways to reduce public investment for improvements such as sewer and water lines. Mr. Pfeil commented that a housing plan will be a major work item for the Plan Commission in the upcoming year. Housing affordability has been a major issue for many suburbs in the Chicago region. Clearly the Village needs to be concerned about housing for different segments of the population such as the elderly, young families and people who do not live in traditional family households. The Village's housing stock is aging, and some teardown and replacement housing has occurred. It would appear that rehabilitation of existing houses will be a significant component of the Village's housing stock for the foreseeable future, so retro—fitting for energy conservation and enhanced livability should be a main focus. The Zoning Ordinance should be evaluated in terms of bulk regulations for new homes on lots that were originally occupied by smaller homes. When large two—story homes are placed on lots originally occupied by ranch homes, the impact on adjacent properties and the neighborhood can be significant. Mr. Pfeil noted that the recycling of property, both residential and commercial, is very likely to happen, so the Plan Commission will need to be ready to work with property owners and developers concerning the highest and best use of property, including compatibility with adjacent properties and links to the sidewalk and the street system. Redevelopment is going to be one of the Village's main areas of activity as time goes forward, so there will be opportunities to enhance existing properties and neighborhoods. Mr. Pfeil noted that the Village has an excellent urban forestry program and a great stormwater management system. It is important to keep working in these areas to enhance environmental components and integrate recreational opportunities. He noted that a lot of the property owned by the Village is currently maintained with grass lawns. Perhaps some of the current grass areas could be converted to native vegetation that does not require regular maintenance. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT—None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil stated the next scheduled meeting will be January 7, 2009. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS—None STAFF REPORT—None NEW BUSINESS—None ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Weinstein, seconded by Commissioner Smith and carried unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Ottenheimer adjourned the meeting at 8:06 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED BY: LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chair