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2002-04-03 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 04/03/2002 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION April 3, 2002 Prairie Station commercial development, Southeast corner of IL Route 22/Prairie Road Annexation with B-3 zoning and approval of a Preliminary Plan—Workshop #1 Review of Plan Commission Annual Report April 2001-March 2002 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. Samuels Commissioner Trilling Ms. Dunn Mr. Feldgreber (recused at 7:45 PM) Mr. Panitch Mr. Smith Ms. Bocek Ms. Kenski-Sroka Also present: Mr. Scott Gendell, Terraco Inc Mr.Wayne Marth, Arcline Associates Mr.Gregg Didech, Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner Mr. Greg Summers, Associate Village Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES Moved by Commissioner Panitch, seconded by Commissioner Smith and approved unanimously to approve the minutes of the Special Meeting of February 13, 2002. COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS -None PRAIRIE STATION COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOUTHEAST CORNER OF IL ROUTE 22/PRAIRIE ROAD, ANNEXATION WITH B-3 ZONING AND APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN- -WORKSHOP#1 Commissioner Feldgreber stated that he has an economic interest in the proposed development, so he would recuse himself from discussions and review by the Plan Commission. Commissioner Feldgreber left the meeting at 7:45 PM. Mr. Scott Gendell stated that he is the contract purchaser of the property. He noted that the plan proposes three buildings: a fast-serve restaurant of 3,500 square feet, a two-story office building of 12,000 square feet and a gymnastics facility of 20,000 square feet. He said that Buffalo Gymnastics, which has operated in the Village for 10 years, would be relocating to the new facility. Mr. Gendell said that the development concept is to create an attractive architectural appearance, probably in the "Prairie" style. He noted that the fast-serve restaurant presents some design constraints, but the building would blend in with the other two buildings in the development. He said that the site landscaping would use plantings such as pear and crab apple trees and ornamental grasses that are consistent with Prairie style architectural design. Mr. Wayne Marth noted that he is the site planner. He said that the Prairie style design concept is to achieve "organic" buildings that blend into the site. The exterior elevations of the buildings and related elements would be designed with this concept in mind. Horizontal banding on the buildings, the type of windows and landscape plantings at the base of the buildings are examples of these Prairie style design elements. Landscaped berms would be used along the base of the buildings to a height about 30 to 36 inches. He said that the office building and gymnastics facility would have HVAC equipment in their basements, but rooftop condenser units would be screened. The screening for the rooftop equipment would be four and a half feet, which is higher than the equipment. Mr. Gendell noted that the site has constraints including the proximity of the Wisconsin Central rail line and the necessity to grant right-of-way along IL Route 22 and Prairie Road. He suggested that a variation of the Village's landscaping may be necessary to accommodate the amount of land that will be lost to right-of-way dedication. He said that a fence would be used to screen the site from the rail line to the east. Mr. Gendell indicated that stormwater management will be provided by an underground vault. He said that a traffic impact study has been commissioned. He noted that sidewalks will be provided in the adjacent right-of-way as well as within the site. Commissioner Bocek commented that the basic land use concept is acceptable for the site. She asked if the alternative of combining the office building and gymnastics facility has been considered. Mr. Gendell said that approximately 2,000 square feet of the gymnastics facility would be used for administrative offices. He commented that the conceptual planning for the site has included an analysis of whether the office building and gymnastics facility could be combined. Generally, office users want their space to be separated from other users such as recreation. He said that 9,000 square feet of the 12,000 sq.ft. in the two-story building is pre-leased. Commissioner Bocek asked how many students would be served by the gymnastics facility at one time. Mr. Gendell said that 90 children would be at the facility at peak times. He noted that most of the students are dropped off by their parents. The peak demand for parking would be 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, including weekdays and Saturdays. The facility would have 15 to 20 employees who rotate in and out of the facility at various times of the day. Commissioner Bocek commented that the Dairy Queen building would have most of the traffic traveling to the site, and she asked if moving the restaurant closer to the Prairie Road entrance would be possible. Mr. Gendell said that the restaurant use needs visibility, so the building needs to be close to the Route 22 frontage. Commissioner Trilling suggested that a right-turn out to Prairie Road could reduce the amount of traffic circulating through the site from the main entrance on Prairie Road. He inquired if soil tests have been conducted for the site and he requested more information concerning the stormwater management plan and wetlands on the site. He asked where stormwater would exit the site. Mr. Gendell stated that there are no wetlands on the site. He said that soil test have been commissioned. Mr. Marth indicated that the underground vault for stormwater storage is essentially a pipe with a four to six-foot diameter. He said that the flow of stormwater from the site is to the northeast. Commissioner Trilling inquired how the basement would be used. He noted that if the basement is intended to have "habitable" space for offices or meeting rooms, this should be planned now to ensure that code items are addressed and the impact on parking demand is determined. Mr. Gendell said that the basement would be used only for storage. Commissioner Trilling commented that floor plans for the buildings should be provided and pedestrian travel patterns should be evaluated in terms of building exits and the overall vehicle circulation patterns on the site. Mr. Marth said there would not be exits on the sides of the buildings. He said that the parking areas would have internal paths for pedestrians. Mr. Gendell suggested that the pedestrian paths could be "stamped asphalt" to clearly delineate the paths in relation to the vehicle circulation aisles. Commissioner Trilling inquired how high the buildings would be elevated on the site. He requested that a cross-section be provided showing the relative elevations of the residential area on the west side of Prairie Road, the proposed development site and the rail line. Mr. Marth said that the preliminary engineering and grading plan hasn't been done, but he believes that the buildings would be approximately two to three feet above the elevation of Prairie Road. Commissioner Trilling asked where trash would be stored for the office building and gymnastics facility. Mr. Marth replied that the trash areas would be inside these two buildings. Commissioner Trilling inquired if the development site could be enlarged to include the parcel to the south. He said that the plan for the current development site should include this parcel. Mr. Gendell said that he has tried to purchase this parcel, but the owner will not sell. Mr. Marth noted that coordinated access for the respective parcels aligned with Willow Parkway is advisable. Commissioner Trilling commented that he does not support a variation of landscaping standards as a tradeoff for right-of-way dedication that may be required in development of the property. Commissioner Dunn asked if the petitioner accepts the Village staff suggestion that the property be annexed with B-3 P.U.D. zoning. Mr.Gendell said he would review the zoning issue with his attorney. If there are no problematic legal issues, B-3 would be acceptable. Commissioner Dunn inquired how much parking is used at the current Buffalo Grove Gymnastics facility. Mr. Didech said that the facility uses 40 to 50 parking spaces during peak times and there are 10 to 15 employees at one time. Commissioner Kenski-Sroka asked if the buildings would be sprinklered. Mr. Marth said the office building and gymnastics facility would be sprinklered. Mr. Gendell said that he does not have a signed deal with Dairy Queen to operate a franchise store, but he believes that this site is of great interest to the corporate office. Commissioner Kenski-Sroka commented that the site is proximate to Meridian Middle School, and it is important that pedestrian safety issues be addressed since it is probable that some middle school students will walk to the restaurant. Mr. Gendell acknowledged that is important to address pedestrian safety. He said that he isn't sure what the owner of the commercial site can do to make Prairie Road safer for pedestrians. He noted that Prairie Road is serving an increasing volume of traffic and it is under the jurisdiction of Lake County. Commissioner Samuels asked for clarification of the variations that are being requested. He said that he would like more information concerning the required setback for the east yard adjacent to the rail line. Mr. Gendell said that he would want some relief from the ordinance requirements concerning landscaping along Prairie Road and Route 22 since he will be dedicating a substantial amount of land for right-of-way. Mr. Marth indicated that the plan will provide a 15-foot setback to the east along the rail line to the unincorporated parcel to the south. Commissioner Samuels asked if trees in the right-of-way would be removed. Mr. Gendell said that healthy trees would remain, but weaker trees may be removed. Commissioner Samuels inquired if an access easement would be provided for the parcel to the south to eventually link to the current development site. Mr. Gendell said he would provide an easement assuming that it would be reciprocal for his property. Commissioner Samuels asked if the vehicle stacking requirement would be met for the restaurant drive-through window. Mr. Gendell commented that the requirement of 10 vehicle stacking spaces is very stringent, and he doesn't think a stacking lane of this length is needed for the proposed use. Commissioner Samuels inquired if clerestory windows would be used for the gymnastics building. Mr. Marth said that he has considered skylights on the roof or clerestory windows, but at this point they have not started detailed architectural design of the building. Mr. Gendell commented that glare from windows is a concern for the gymnastics facility, so they have to be careful about how natural light is provided for the building. Commissioner Samuels noted that gymnastics facilities are usually located in industrial buildings. The location of this facility would be a prominent commercial site, so more attention needs to be given to the bulk and architectural design of the building. It is essentially a big box that needs architectural refinement. Mr. Marth indicated that he would show the Commission design concepts for breaking up the bulk of the building box. He showed material samples of tile that could be used as an accent element on the building. He said that a limestone product could be used to provide different textures from "smooth" to "chiseled" and banding can be used with brick elements to soften the appearance of the structure. He noted that landscaping would also be an important element in the overall appearance of the building, including elements to blend it into the site. Commissioner Samuels said that he is flexible concerning required landscaping, but overall the site needs to have adequate trees and landscaping to create an attractive appearance. He noted that the rail line to the east is a fixed feature that creates constraints in planning the site. Commissioner Panitch inquired about the parking standard that would be applied to the gymnastics facility. Mr. Pfeil said that the Zoning Ordinance standard for a dance school appears to be applicable. This standard requires one parking space per three students and one space per employee. Commissioner Samuels noted that the parking standard for the office building may need to address the possible use by medical professionals or other office uses with higher than average parking demand. Mr. Pfeil noted that medical and dental offices are required to provide one offstreet parking space per 200 square feet of building floor area; general office use needs to provide one space per 300 square feet. Commissioner Trilling inquired about the types of tenants who have indicated interest in the office building. He noted that the recent trend in office tenanting has been the use of"cubicles" to house large numbers of employees in relatively small spaces. Mr. Gendell said the potential users identified so far include a produce broker and other general office tenants with very low parking demands. The broker's current office has 10 employees in a space of 6,000 square feet. Commissioner Panitch commented that he is concerned about the building design and appearance of the fast-food restaurant. He asked how this building can be blended in with the other two buildings since fast-food uses usually need to be visually prominent to get the attention of motorists. He said that visibility of the site from Route 22 is an important consideration in terms of aesthetics of buildings on the site. Commissioner Trilling noted that landscaping should be used along the drive-through lane of the restaurant to prevent glare from headlights affecting drivers on Route 22. He said this was considered when the Wendy's restaurant at Woodland Commons and the Burger King in Town Center were planned. Chairman Ottenheimer noted that if the actual user of the restaurant space isn't certain, it presents some additional challenges concerning the overall architectural unity of the development. He said that it is important to coordinate the design of the restaurant with the other two buildings. Mr. Gendell said that he may proceed with the office and gymnastics buildings even if the restaurant isn't ready to move ahead. Mr. Marth noted that some restaurant franchises prefer to use EIFS or other synthetic stucco products instead of masonry for the exterior building finishes. Commissioner Samuels commented that even if the restaurant doesn't proceed in the first phase, the building materials should be similar to the elements used for the other two buildings. Commissioner Smith commented that he concurs about the need to break up the "box" element of the gymnastics building. He asked if there is a phasing plan for the development. He asked if signage for the project has been developed. Mr. Gendell said that ideally he wants to proceed with all three buildings at the same time. He said that the sign elements for the development have not been addressed yet. Commissioner Smith inquired if the Lake County Division of Transportation has reviewed the proposed access on Prairie Road. Mr. Gendell said that he thinks Lake County D.O.T. will approve full access driveway as shown on the site plan. Mr. Pfeil noted that is important to confirm this with Lake County since the driveway does not appear to comply with the County's access regulations in terms of the proximity of the driveway to the Route 22 intersection. Chairman Ottenheimer asked about the hours of operation for the gymnastics facility. Mr. Didech indicated that the planned hours are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Monday to Friday; 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturday; and 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sunday. Chairman Ottenheimer inquired if special events are planned for the facility that would require more parking than the amount shown on the site plan. Mr. Didech said that there would be some events on weekends, but the parking area used by the office building would generally be available to handle the demand at the gymnastics facility. Chairman Ottenheimer asked if any outdoor uses are proposed. Mr. Gendell said that no outdoor uses are proposed. Chairman Ottenheimer noted that the list of things to address for the next workshop includes engineering, particularly the feasibility of underground stormwater storage and site grading, a tree inventory and preservation plan, comment from Lake County DOT concerning the proposed access to Prairie Road, consideration of how the adjacent property to south can be coordinated with the current development site and more information about the overall design concept for the buildings. REVIEW OF PLAN COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT, APRIL 2001-MARCH 2O02 Mr. Pfeil provided an overview of the report. Chairman Ottenheimer noted that the Plan Commission worked on a number of challenging projects, and he acknowledged the Commissioners' dedication and commitment to achieving quality developments in the Village. Commissioner Dunn made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Trilling, and passed unanimously to approve the annual report. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT -None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil noted that the next meeting is scheduled for April 17. The agenda will include a public hearing concerning the Cosmic Zone family entertainment center and a workshop concerning the Riverwalk North development. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS Karen Amato said that she operates the Dairy Queen at 702 Buffalo Grove Rd in the Plaza at Buffalo Grove. Ms. Amato stated that the Dairy Queen proposed at the southeast corner of IL Route 22 and Prairie Road has not been approved by corporate Dairy Queen. She said that none of the new concept"Chill and Grill" stores have been approved for the Chicago region, but there may be one of these new stores in Rockford. She said that she doesn't think it is appropriate for a developer to present a Dairy Queen store to the Village when a franchise has not been granted. She indicated that the proposed store would be within the market radius of her store, and she questioned whether corporate Dairy Queen would grant a franchise at the proposed location. STAFF REPORT—None NEW BUSINESS—None ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Panitch, seconded by Commissioner Kenski-Sroka and approved unanimously. The meeting was adj ourned at 9:00 PM. Respectfully submitted, Robert E. Pfeil, Village Planner APPROVED BY: LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chairman Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 04/03/2002 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION April 3, 2002 Prairie Station commercial development, Southeast corner of IL Route 22/Prairie Road Annexation with B-3 zoning and approval of a Preliminary Plan—Workshop #1 Review of Plan Commission Annual Report April 2001-March 2002 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. Samuels Commissioner Trilling Ms. Dunn Mr. Feldgreber (recused at 7:45 PM) Mr. Panitch Mr. Smith Ms. Bocek Ms. Kenski-Sroka Also present: Mr. Scott Gendell, Terraco Inc Mr.Wayne Marth, Arcline Associates Mr.Gregg Didech, Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner Mr. Greg Summers, Associate Village Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES Moved by Commissioner Panitch, seconded by Commissioner Smith and approved unanimously to approve the minutes of the Special Meeting of February 13, 2002. COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS -None PRAIRIE STATION COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOUTHEAST CORNER OF IL ROUTE 22/PRAIRIE ROAD, ANNEXATION WITH B-3 ZONING AND APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN- -WORKSHOP#1 Commissioner Feldgreber stated that he has an economic interest in the proposed development, so he would recuse himself from discussions and review by the Plan Commission. Commissioner Feldgreber left the meeting at 7:45 PM. Mr. Scott Gendell stated that he is the contract purchaser of the property. He noted that the plan proposes three buildings: a fast-serve restaurant of 3,500 square feet, a two-story office building of 12,000 square feet and a gymnastics facility of 20,000 square feet. He said that Buffalo Gymnastics, which has operated in the Village for 10 years, would be relocating to the new facility. Mr. Gendell said that the development concept is to create an attractive architectural appearance, probably in the "Prairie" style. He noted that the fast-serve restaurant presents some design constraints, but the building would blend in with the other two buildings in the development. He said that the site landscaping would use plantings such as pear and crab apple trees and ornamental grasses that are consistent with Prairie style architectural design. Mr. Wayne Marth noted that he is the site planner. He said that the Prairie style design concept is to achieve "organic" buildings that blend into the site. The exterior elevations of the buildings and related elements would be designed with this concept in mind. Horizontal banding on the buildings, the type of windows and landscape plantings at the base of the buildings are examples of these Prairie style design elements. Landscaped berms would be used along the base of the buildings to a height about 30 to 36 inches. He said that the office building and gymnastics facility would have HVAC equipment in their basements, but rooftop condenser units would be screened. The screening for the rooftop equipment would be four and a half feet, which is higher than the equipment. Mr. Gendell noted that the site has constraints including the proximity of the Wisconsin Central rail line and the necessity to grant right-of-way along IL Route 22 and Prairie Road. He suggested that a variation of the Village's landscaping may be necessary to accommodate the amount of land that will be lost to right-of-way dedication. He said that a fence would be used to screen the site from the rail line to the east. Mr. Gendell indicated that stormwater management will be provided by an underground vault. He said that a traffic impact study has been commissioned. He noted that sidewalks will be provided in the adjacent right-of-way as well as within the site. Commissioner Bocek commented that the basic land use concept is acceptable for the site. She asked if the alternative of combining the office building and gymnastics facility has been considered. Mr. Gendell said that approximately 2,000 square feet of the gymnastics facility would be used for administrative offices. He commented that the conceptual planning for the site has included an analysis of whether the office building and gymnastics facility could be combined. Generally, office users want their space to be separated from other users such as recreation. He said that 9,000 square feet of the 12,000 sq.ft. in the two-story building is pre-leased. Commissioner Bocek asked how many students would be served by the gymnastics facility at one time. Mr. Gendell said that 90 children would be at the facility at peak times. He noted that most of the students are dropped off by their parents. The peak demand for parking would be 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, including weekdays and Saturdays. The facility would have 15 to 20 employees who rotate in and out of the facility at various times of the day. Commissioner Bocek commented that the Dairy Queen building would have most of the traffic traveling to the site, and she asked if moving the restaurant closer to the Prairie Road entrance would be possible. Mr. Gendell said that the restaurant use needs visibility, so the building needs to be close to the Route 22 frontage. Commissioner Trilling suggested that a right-turn out to Prairie Road could reduce the amount of traffic circulating through the site from the main entrance on Prairie Road. He inquired if soil tests have been conducted for the site and he requested more information concerning the stormwater management plan and wetlands on the site. He asked where stormwater would exit the site. Mr. Gendell stated that there are no wetlands on the site. He said that soil test have been commissioned. Mr. Marth indicated that the underground vault for stormwater storage is essentially a pipe with a four to six-foot diameter. He said that the flow of stormwater from the site is to the northeast. Commissioner Trilling inquired how the basement would be used. He noted that if the basement is intended to have "habitable" space for offices or meeting rooms, this should be planned now to ensure that code items are addressed and the impact on parking demand is determined. Mr. Gendell said that the basement would be used only for storage. Commissioner Trilling commented that floor plans for the buildings should be provided and pedestrian travel patterns should be evaluated in terms of building exits and the overall vehicle circulation patterns on the site. Mr. Marth said there would not be exits on the sides of the buildings. He said that the parking areas would have internal paths for pedestrians. Mr. Gendell suggested that the pedestrian paths could be "stamped asphalt" to clearly delineate the paths in relation to the vehicle circulation aisles. Commissioner Trilling inquired how high the buildings would be elevated on the site. He requested that a cross-section be provided showing the relative elevations of the residential area on the west side of Prairie Road, the proposed development site and the rail line. Mr. Marth said that the preliminary engineering and grading plan hasn't been done, but he believes that the buildings would be approximately two to three feet above the elevation of Prairie Road. Commissioner Trilling asked where trash would be stored for the office building and gymnastics facility. Mr. Marth replied that the trash areas would be inside these two buildings. Commissioner Trilling inquired if the development site could be enlarged to include the parcel to the south. He said that the plan for the current development site should include this parcel. Mr. Gendell said that he has tried to purchase this parcel, but the owner will not sell. Mr. Marth noted that coordinated access for the respective parcels aligned with Willow Parkway is advisable. Commissioner Trilling commented that he does not support a variation of landscaping standards as a tradeoff for right-of-way dedication that may be required in development of the property. Commissioner Dunn asked if the petitioner accepts the Village staff suggestion that the property be annexed with B-3 P.U.D. zoning. Mr.Gendell said he would review the zoning issue with his attorney. If there are no problematic legal issues, B-3 would be acceptable. Commissioner Dunn inquired how much parking is used at the current Buffalo Grove Gymnastics facility. Mr. Didech said that the facility uses 40 to 50 parking spaces during peak times and there are 10 to 15 employees at one time. Commissioner Kenski-Sroka asked if the buildings would be sprinklered. Mr. Marth said the office building and gymnastics facility would be sprinklered. Mr. Gendell said that he does not have a signed deal with Dairy Queen to operate a franchise store, but he believes that this site is of great interest to the corporate office. Commissioner Kenski-Sroka commented that the site is proximate to Meridian Middle School, and it is important that pedestrian safety issues be addressed since it is probable that some middle school students will walk to the restaurant. Mr. Gendell acknowledged that is important to address pedestrian safety. He said that he isn't sure what the owner of the commercial site can do to make Prairie Road safer for pedestrians. He noted that Prairie Road is serving an increasing volume of traffic and it is under the jurisdiction of Lake County. Commissioner Samuels asked for clarification of the variations that are being requested. He said that he would like more information concerning the required setback for the east yard adjacent to the rail line. Mr. Gendell said that he would want some relief from the ordinance requirements concerning landscaping along Prairie Road and Route 22 since he will be dedicating a substantial amount of land for right-of-way. Mr. Marth indicated that the plan will provide a 15-foot setback to the east along the rail line to the unincorporated parcel to the south. Commissioner Samuels asked if trees in the right-of-way would be removed. Mr. Gendell said that healthy trees would remain, but weaker trees may be removed. Commissioner Samuels inquired if an access easement would be provided for the parcel to the south to eventually link to the current development site. Mr. Gendell said he would provide an easement assuming that it would be reciprocal for his property. Commissioner Samuels asked if the vehicle stacking requirement would be met for the restaurant drive-through window. Mr. Gendell commented that the requirement of 10 vehicle stacking spaces is very stringent, and he doesn't think a stacking lane of this length is needed for the proposed use. Commissioner Samuels inquired if clerestory windows would be used for the gymnastics building. Mr. Marth said that he has considered skylights on the roof or clerestory windows, but at this point they have not started detailed architectural design of the building. Mr. Gendell commented that glare from windows is a concern for the gymnastics facility, so they have to be careful about how natural light is provided for the building. Commissioner Samuels noted that gymnastics facilities are usually located in industrial buildings. The location of this facility would be a prominent commercial site, so more attention needs to be given to the bulk and architectural design of the building. It is essentially a big box that needs architectural refinement. Mr. Marth indicated that he would show the Commission design concepts for breaking up the bulk of the building box. He showed material samples of tile that could be used as an accent element on the building. He said that a limestone product could be used to provide different textures from "smooth" to "chiseled" and banding can be used with brick elements to soften the appearance of the structure. He noted that landscaping would also be an important element in the overall appearance of the building, including elements to blend it into the site. Commissioner Samuels said that he is flexible concerning required landscaping, but overall the site needs to have adequate trees and landscaping to create an attractive appearance. He noted that the rail line to the east is a fixed feature that creates constraints in planning the site. Commissioner Panitch inquired about the parking standard that would be applied to the gymnastics facility. Mr. Pfeil said that the Zoning Ordinance standard for a dance school appears to be applicable. This standard requires one parking space per three students and one space per employee. Commissioner Samuels noted that the parking standard for the office building may need to address the possible use by medical professionals or other office uses with higher than average parking demand. Mr. Pfeil noted that medical and dental offices are required to provide one offstreet parking space per 200 square feet of building floor area; general office use needs to provide one space per 300 square feet. Commissioner Trilling inquired about the types of tenants who have indicated interest in the office building. He noted that the recent trend in office tenanting has been the use of"cubicles" to house large numbers of employees in relatively small spaces. Mr. Gendell said the potential users identified so far include a produce broker and other general office tenants with very low parking demands. The broker's current office has 10 employees in a space of 6,000 square feet. Commissioner Panitch commented that he is concerned about the building design and appearance of the fast-food restaurant. He asked how this building can be blended in with the other two buildings since fast-food uses usually need to be visually prominent to get the attention of motorists. He said that visibility of the site from Route 22 is an important consideration in terms of aesthetics of buildings on the site. Commissioner Trilling noted that landscaping should be used along the drive-through lane of the restaurant to prevent glare from headlights affecting drivers on Route 22. He said this was considered when the Wendy's restaurant at Woodland Commons and the Burger King in Town Center were planned. Chairman Ottenheimer noted that if the actual user of the restaurant space isn't certain, it presents some additional challenges concerning the overall architectural unity of the development. He said that it is important to coordinate the design of the restaurant with the other two buildings. Mr. Gendell said that he may proceed with the office and gymnastics buildings even if the restaurant isn't ready to move ahead. Mr. Marth noted that some restaurant franchises prefer to use EIFS or other synthetic stucco products instead of masonry for the exterior building finishes. Commissioner Samuels commented that even if the restaurant doesn't proceed in the first phase, the building materials should be similar to the elements used for the other two buildings. Commissioner Smith commented that he concurs about the need to break up the "box" element of the gymnastics building. He asked if there is a phasing plan for the development. He asked if signage for the project has been developed. Mr. Gendell said that ideally he wants to proceed with all three buildings at the same time. He said that the sign elements for the development have not been addressed yet. Commissioner Smith inquired if the Lake County Division of Transportation has reviewed the proposed access on Prairie Road. Mr. Gendell said that he thinks Lake County D.O.T. will approve full access driveway as shown on the site plan. Mr. Pfeil noted that is important to confirm this with Lake County since the driveway does not appear to comply with the County's access regulations in terms of the proximity of the driveway to the Route 22 intersection. Chairman Ottenheimer asked about the hours of operation for the gymnastics facility. Mr. Didech indicated that the planned hours are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Monday to Friday; 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturday; and 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sunday. Chairman Ottenheimer inquired if special events are planned for the facility that would require more parking than the amount shown on the site plan. Mr. Didech said that there would be some events on weekends, but the parking area used by the office building would generally be available to handle the demand at the gymnastics facility. Chairman Ottenheimer asked if any outdoor uses are proposed. Mr. Gendell said that no outdoor uses are proposed. Chairman Ottenheimer noted that the list of things to address for the next workshop includes engineering, particularly the feasibility of underground stormwater storage and site grading, a tree inventory and preservation plan, comment from Lake County DOT concerning the proposed access to Prairie Road, consideration of how the adjacent property to south can be coordinated with the current development site and more information about the overall design concept for the buildings. REVIEW OF PLAN COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT, APRIL 2001-MARCH 2O02 Mr. Pfeil provided an overview of the report. Chairman Ottenheimer noted that the Plan Commission worked on a number of challenging projects, and he acknowledged the Commissioners' dedication and commitment to achieving quality developments in the Village. Commissioner Dunn made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Trilling, and passed unanimously to approve the annual report. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT -None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil noted that the next meeting is scheduled for April 17. The agenda will include a public hearing concerning the Cosmic Zone family entertainment center and a workshop concerning the Riverwalk North development. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS Karen Amato said that she operates the Dairy Queen at 702 Buffalo Grove Rd in the Plaza at Buffalo Grove. Ms. Amato stated that the Dairy Queen proposed at the southeast corner of IL Route 22 and Prairie Road has not been approved by corporate Dairy Queen. She said that none of the new concept"Chill and Grill" stores have been approved for the Chicago region, but there may be one of these new stores in Rockford. She said that she doesn't think it is appropriate for a developer to present a Dairy Queen store to the Village when a franchise has not been granted. She indicated that the proposed store would be within the market radius of her store, and she questioned whether corporate Dairy Queen would grant a franchise at the proposed location. STAFF REPORT—None NEW BUSINESS—None ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Panitch, seconded by Commissioner Kenski-Sroka and approved unanimously. The meeting was adj ourned at 9:00 PM. Respectfully submitted, Robert E. Pfeil, Village Planner APPROVED BY: LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chairman