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1997-01-29 - Plan Commission - Minutes SPECIAL MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION January 29, 1997 Revision of Village Comprehensive Plan - Workshop #5 Chairman Goldspiel called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Goldspiel Mr. Krug Mr. Samuels Mr. Berman Mr. Lundine Commissioners absent: Ms. Howard Mr. Rosenston Mr. Ottenheimer Mr. Trilling Also present: Jeffrey Braiman, Village Trustee Charles Cohen, School District 102 John Green, Village resident Michael Rylko, Buffalo Grove Park District Larry Reiner, Buffalo Grove Park District Eric Smith, Buffalo Grove Chamber of Commerce APPROVAL OF MINUTES Moved by Commissioner Samuels, seconded by Commissioner Krug, to approve the minutes of the Public Hearing and Regular Meeting of December 18, 1996. The motion passed unanimously. DISCUSSION OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVISION Mr. Pfeil noted that information had been distributed concerning the Buffalo Park District's Comprehensive Plan, and he asked Mr. Rylko to give an overview of the Park District's goals concerning park facilities in relation to the Village's Comprehensive Plan. - Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-January 29, 1997-Page 1 population in the District. He noted that although the Park District meets various standards for facilities, the actual demand in the community for active use fields is very intense because of the number of children that want to participate in programs, and it is a challenge for the District to meet the demand. He noted that the District would definitely want new active use areas to be incorporated in the Village's's planning for areas such as the Didier property north of Aptakisic Road, the Stancliff property at Prairie and Port Clinton Road, and the Boznos property at Milwaukee Avenue and Aptakisic Road. He said that a 15-acre park site would be the District's goal for the Didier area and a three to five acre site would be appropriate for the Stancliff property. The Boznos property has the potential for a large active-use facility with lighting. He noted that the Horatio Gardens area east of Weiland Road does not have adequate park facilities. Mr. Reiner noted that national park planning standards don't measure specific demand in a community or the participation rates by residents. He said that in the Buffalo Grove area,the demand for programs and activities is very high and this puts pressure on the Park District's resources. Commissioner Samuels inquired if the stormwater detention area in the Prairie Grove subdivision on the west side of Prairie Road has any potential for active use. Mr. Rylko said that there is a lack of parking near this detention facility, and an adequate turf base would need to be established before it would be useful for active recreation. Chairman Goldspiel noted that areas such as Dunlo Highlands may eventually be incorporated into Buffalo Grove, and there may be"teardowns"where new housing would replace some of the existing housing. He inquired if the Park District would try to achieve new park facilities in areas such as Dunlo as part of an overall re-development plan. Mr. Rylko commented that acquisition of land in situations where an area is already developed is very expensive. He noted that Arlington Heights has an ordinance that gives the park district the opportunity to acquire property that has been designated for park use on the master plan. Mr. Reiner noted that Elmhurst is completely developed, but the park district has acquired homes to create open space areas. He commented that industrial areas create demand for Park District facilities, and he recommended that the Village look for opportunities to require industrial developers to provide active recreation land and facilities, including lighted facilities. Mr. Rylko said that the Park District has some ideas concerning current Park District sites that would be appropriate for lighted facilities. He said these areas include Busch Grove Community Park, Woodlands Park, Willow Stream Park and Churchill Park. He noted that Churchill has a good buffer of trees and a creek area that separates the park from the closest residential area. Mr. Reiner commented the Park District is often asked to try to relieve the amount of activity at Emmerich Park, and the most feasible way to address this issue is to have lighting at other Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-January 29, 1997-Page 2 facilities. He noted that technology for lighting is improving all the time, and there are now very sophisticated ways to control light spillage adjacent to residential areas. Commissioner Berman inquired if the Park District has established any priorities for lighting various facilities. Mr. Rylko said that in terms of future facilities, the Didier area would be a priority for lighted facilities. For existing locations, Busch Grove Community Park is a priority. He noted that lighting for Willow Stream, Woodlands and Churchill will also be evaluated. Mr. Cohen commented that the Didier property appears to have a lot of potential for mixed uses including open space and commercial uses, and he encouraged the Village to look at these opportunities, rather than continuing to regard the area as suitable primarily for single-family homes. Mr. Green suggested that the Village ordinances be amended to address standards for lighted facilities. Commissioner Samuels noted that even if the best technology is used for lights at park facilities, there are still other issues that concern adjacent residents such as noise and hours of operation. Commissioner Berman pointed out that in Old Farm Village, the lighting for the tennis courts created the unintended effect of lighting the basketball court, and this allows people to use the basketball area later at night than is appropriate near a residential area. Mr. Cohen noted that at Meridian School lights for the building and parking area also light the basketball court, and kids do use the court relatively late at night. Mr. Reiner pointed out that having facilities such as basketball courts provides kids with an opportunity to be involved in positive activities, rather than just hanging out. He noted that the community has a large population of young residents, and these kids need recreational programs and facilities. Commissioner Berman commented that an indoor fieldhouse would be a good facility for older kids who want to participate in activities such as night basketball. He inquired if existing Park District and School District facilities are already filling some of the demand for this type of activity. Mr. Rylko said that Cooper school and Buffalo Grove High School are used for Park District programs, and there are agreements with several other districts for use of school facilities by the Park District. Commissioner Samuels suggested that the Park District should pursue its lighting program if that Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-January 29, 1997-Page 3 is what is needed to better serve the residents and more filly utilize existing facilities. He said that schools should also look at maximum use of resources. Mr. Cohen commented that District 102 already uses its buildings 6 to 7 days per week and summer school sessions are conducted at some locations. He said that if parks are to be used more fully at night, adequate parking is essential, and residential streets shouldn't be over- burdened with late night parking adjacent to recreation facilities. He noted that District 102 has access to some of the Park District's facilities on Weiland Road, and an overpass for safe travel from Atpakisic School to Veterans Park is still a goal for District 102. He said that 500 to 600 students cross Weiland Road every day to get to the park. Chairman Goldspiel commented that pedestrian overpasses are generally not used, and it may not be a prudent investment to construct an overpass on Weiland Road. Commissioner Samuels noted that in Northbrook there is a school that has a traffic signal to allow safe travel of children across a street. Mr. Cohen said that manual signals for pedestrian crossings can be dangerous because signals stop traffic irregularly, and motorists are often not expecting that they will have to stop at these locations. Mr. Reiner said that pedestrian overpasses are needed in some situations, and funding should be made available when these facilities are warranted. He said there are many examples of pedestrian overpasses that are heavily used, such as at Lincoln Park to North Beach in Chicago. Commissioner Samuels suggested that Lake Cook Road near St. Mary's school is a location that would probably warrant an overpass. ` Mr. Reiner said that if a community center is built at Busch Grove Park, an overpass on Route 83• would be needed. Mr. Reiner noted that a community center would serve many age groups and a broad range of community needs, but it would be a larger project than the Park District could finance with its own resources. He suggested that a joint project with the Village would make the facility more feasible if it is to be done anytime in the near future. Chairman Goldspiel inquired if the Park District and school districts are experiencing a demographic "bump"of younger children. Mr. Cohen said that there is a large population of children under five years old in the north portion of Buffalo Grove. Mr. Rylko noted that the Park District has a large participation rate of children under five years old. He said that approximately 82 percent of children in this age group are participating in Park -- District programs. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-January 29, 1997-Page 4 Chairman Goldspiel inquired if the new flood elevations being reviewed for the Des Plaines River affect the Park District's planning, and he asked if any water-based amenities are being considered by the Park District. Mr. Rylko said that canoeing is feasible on the Des Plaines River, and other activities such as sailing can be offered if a water area is large enough. He noted that the Park District does not currently have any water resources large enough for sailing, but some park districts in the area do offer sailing. Commissioner s: r Samuels q asked what hapn ns ifthe comprehensive Plan resit ata for V1lVl v�Ir/l1.!\rls tir iaC.� hop pens alb comprehensive C:..-: _..�__ .. s a property park use, and the property owner or land developer does not agree with the designation. Chairman Goldspiel commented that the issue of takings can arise in comprehensive planning if value is taken from a property without compensation to the property owner. He said plans can and should designate park and open space areas, but the takings issue has to be addressed. Commissioner Berman said that public right-of-first refusal to acquire property should be looked at in situations where a property is needed for public use. Mr. Cohen said that "right-of-first refusal"would be a benefit to school and park districts. Commissioner Samuels said that public "right-of-first refusal"would affect purchase offers for properties and would probably extend the time needed for private developers to acquire sites. Mr. Rylko said that concerning bikepaths, if the five-foot sidewalk on Arlington Heights Road could be widened to eight feet between Beechwood and Bernard, it would create a continuous eight-foot system from Buffalo Grove High School to Busch Road. From Busch Road, an eight- ' foot sidewalk could be added along Buffalo Grove Road north to Brandywyn and then to Route 22, eventually connecting to Stevenson High School . Mr. Rylko noted that other possible improvements to the bikepath system include completing the loop around the Buffalo Grove Golf Course along Checker Road and making the connection from Lions Park through the White Pine strip to link to the eight-foot sidewalk on Bernard Drive. He suggested that an eight-foot sidewalk also be considered for Raupp Boulevard. Commissioner Krug noted that Raupp has a large right-of-way, so an eight-foot sidewalk appears to be feasible. Mr. Green suggested that an eight-foot sidewalk be installed on the south side of La Salle Lane to provide a link between bikepaths to the west and east of Buffalo Grove Road in this area. He noted that a bikepath along the Wisconsin Central line crossing Lake Cook Road is still under review, and this would connect into Wheeling. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-January 29, 1997-Page 5 Chairman Goldspiel noted that connections into Vernon Hills should also be pursued. Mr. Green commented that a width of ten feet is now the standard used by federal and State agencies that are involved in grants for new paths, and the Village may need to look into upgrading its standard from eight feet to ten feet. Mr. Pfeil said that he would advise the Village Engineer of this standard. ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner S;a:m: e:c, seconded by commissioner K.ruw arri:od unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Goldspiel adjourned the meeting at 9:30 P.M. Respectfully submitted, /04 f//( Robert E. Pfeil, Vill._e P er APPROVED BY: S P N GOLDSPIEL, Ch 'rman Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-January 29, 1997-Page 6