1997-02-12 - Plan Commission - Minutes SPECIAL MEETING
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
February 12, 1997
The Community Chapel of Buffalo Grove, the Covington Office Center,
Southwest corner of Dundee Road/Golfview Terrace-Amendment of a
Planned Unit Development (P.U.D.)And Preliminary Plan in the
B-3 District for a funeral home facility-- Workshop#2
Riverwalk office development, northeast corner of Lake Cook Road/
Milwaukee Avenue-Amendment of a Planned Unit Development
(P.U.D.) In the B-3 District concerning construction of a second
office tower and parking deck--Workshop#1
Chairman Goldspiel 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 Goldspiel
Mr. Krug
Mr. Rosenston
Mr. Samuels
Mr. Berman
Mr. Lundine
Mr. Trilling
Mr. Ottenheimer
Commissioners absent: Ms. Howard
Also present: Mr. Lawrence Freedman, Ash, Anos, Freedman& Logan
Mr. Gary Hay, The Hay Company, Inc.
Mr. Jim Murray, The Loewen Group
Mr. Lieberman
Mr. Michael Werthmann, Kenig, Lindgren, O'Hara, Aboona, Inc.
Mr. Timothy G. Beechick, Hamilton Partners, Inc.
Mr. David Olsen, The Jenkins Group
Mr. Hubert Loftus, Jr., Cowhey Gudmundson Leder, Ltd.
Mr. Jeff Braiman, Village Trustee
Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner
APPROVAL OF MINUTES -None
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 1
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COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS -None
Commissioner Lundine stated he will abstain from the discussions on the Community Chapel of
Buffalo Grove because he lives in Covington Manor and cannot remain unbiased.
Commissioner Ottenheimer stated he has a potential conflict of interest in this matter and will also
therefore abstain from the discussions.
L./ THE COMMUNITY CHAPEL OF BUFFALO GROVE, THE COVINGTON OFFICE
CENTER, SOUTHWEST CORNER OF DUNDEE ROAD/GOLFVIEW TERRACE-
AMENDMENT OF A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT(PAID.) AND P�R ELTMTNA RY
PLAN IN THE B-3 DISTRICT FOR A FUNERAL HOME FACILITY--WORKSHOP#2
Mr. Lawrence Freedman of Ash, Anos, Freedman& Logan stated the original plan presented at
the first workshop split the chapel uses throughout the site which was a concern to a number of
members of the Plan Commission. At that time they had a garage at the southwest corner which
was to be used for storage of hearses. In an effort to separate the land uses with chapel uses all at
the north end of the property, the revised plan has now integrated the garage facility into the main
building. There was also a great deal of concern regarding the stacking of processionals at a
gated entrance at the rear of the property at Parkview Terrace to be unlocked only for use during
funeral processions. Because of the sensitivity of the use of Parkview Terrace,that entrance has
now been eliminated. He noted the changes will be reviewed by Gary Hay.
Mr. Gary Hay of The Hay Company, Inc. stated the revised plan has moved the entire building to
the front facing Dundee Road and reduced the profile of the building height. The building is now
30 feet in height which blends in with the existing Covington Office Building which is 26 feet 10
inches in height. In an effort to minimize the size of the building,the wings have been dropped
down on each side to 19 feet 6 inches in height. The roof will be mansard, an ElF system will be
' - used for the finish on the existing exterior, and a 40 foot long portico for visitor unloading. The
back of the building has two entrances as well as the garage where bodies will be delivered and
where families of the deceased will load.
Mr. Hay reviewed a cross section of the existing structures to the proposed development. The
condominium building would be 494 feet from the rear of the proposed building. Also, they have
looked into a 5 foot berm with 8 foot trees. He further noted they are willing to plant even larger
trees if the Commission sees fit to require same. In addition there will be approximately 50
evergreens along the property line on Parkview Terrace.
Mr. Hay stated the proposed building is a multifunction building. The second floor will house
several arrangement rooms and directive rooms for funeral preparations. It will also house the
Loewen Group's Chicago management operations. All of these office will be occupied by only 16
people. The first floor has two parlors which are designed to be divided for the numbers
necessary. The lower level is preparation area and body storage.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 2
Mr. Haynoted the Village requires seven square feetperperson. Theparlors will have enough
g q q g
room for 320 people in one parlor and 187 people in another parlor. Using these figures and
comparing them to similar facilities such as the Wilmette Chapel which has 99 parking spaces, the
proposed facility will have 188 spaces for the funeral home plus 82 spaces which exist for the
Covington Office Building plus 50 spaces, if necessary, at the Kingswood Church. He noted they
have more than adequate parking for the proposed facility.
Mr. Jim Murray stated there are two major functions taking place at the funeral home;first,
visitations which usually run from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and funerals, which occur between 9:00
a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Generally, family and friends arrive about 1/2 hour before the service, and are
_.._ t_ :_ parking lot employees who determine whether they are Q
�tt;c�cu �,�thc by e...r.,,�„_.; ,:_... _.,.�*rn._._. whether � _ , ninu_ tO the cemetw_,or
not. If these people are going to the cemetery, they are lined up accordingly. If not going to the
cemetery, the cars are directed to park off to the side. At the conclusion of the service, people go
to their cars which have been lined up in the parking area ready to go to the cemetery. He stated
there would never be two funerals at the same time. Funerals are staggered at lease one hour
apart. The public usually begin to arrive around 3:00 p.m. for visitations. He stated most people
coming at night during the week for visitations usually come around 7:00 p.m. This is also
usually a constant flow of people in and out. Mr. Murray stated on an average there would be
three funerals per day at this facility.
Mr. Michael Werthmann of Kenig, Lindgren, O'Hara, Aboona, Inc. stated there are two issues in
which they differ from the Village staff. The first issue is the location of the drive. Staff and the
Village traffic consultant have some concerns about the proximity of the access drive on Golfview
Terrace to the intersection at Dundee Road which has the potential for a queue of vehicles waiting
to drop off passengers to extend onto Golfview Terrace, or slowing vehicles at the entrance, to
interfere with the operation of the intersection of Dundee Road and Golfview Terrace. However,
he stated his firm believes the volume of traffic using this drive will not be significant as the
! _ majority of the traffic will use the main access drive. Second, there is approximately 160 feet of
length between the drop off and the access drive which can safely stack 5-7 vehicles. In addition, -
there is still a lane available for people to bypass any stacked traffic. He further noted they are
proposing a wide radius on the Golfview driveway which will facilitate movements into the facility
without interfering with the operation of the intersection. In addition, Golfview Terrace has a 48-
foot cross section that provides two northbound lanes and two southbound lanes, thereby
providing a second lane for southbound vehicles to pass site-generated traffic entering the
proposed access drive. Lastly, the majority of traffic coming to the site is coming off of Dundee
Road and traffic is already decelerating to enter onto Golfview Terrace.
Mr. Werthmann stated they are willing to come back and monitor the access drive and if it is
shown to cause a problem at the intersection, they can close the drive at a later date.
Mr. Werthmann stated a second concern for staff the Village consultant is the second median
island at the main entrance and the extra outbound lane. Staff feels that this second median island--
may cause confusion for vehicles entering the site. He stated the extra lane is being proposed
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 3
because the owner of the office building would like a separate drive for funeral processions so
that the office building need never experience any delays in traffic. The drive would have this
extra outbound lane which will be gated and opened only to allow funeral processions to proceed
out. He noted they would propose"do not enter" signage to help direct people into the right
inbound lane. He noted they are willing to remove the median island and widen the area to
provide two outbound lanes if requested to do so.
Mr. Werthmann stated the last issue regards the traffic impact the proposed development would
have on the neighborhood. He noted a funeral home generates the greatest amount of traffic
when there are funerals as opposed to visitations. Funerals occur between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00
p.m. `after and before peak hniirc There.will be some impart when funerals !Pave the sit,-h„t this
impact will be minimal due to the fact that it will happen only 3-4 times per day. The funeral will
come out, waiting for the light to turn green and then proceed on which takes anywhere from 3-5
minutes. Also, traffic on Golfview Terrace is minimal. The neighborhood generates
approximately 100 trips during the peak hours. During the day there is approximately 60 vehicles.
During the 5 minutes it takes a procession to exit the site there may be 2-3 vehicles impacted by
this development.
Mr. Hay reviewed the one site stacking plans for vehicles which shows they can achieve 52 cars
lined up on the property without interfering in any way with the office building or its parking area.
The access on Golfview is close to the light and the movement of processions would only take
minutes off the site and onto Dundee. He further stated the entrance can achieve stacking of 16
vehicles before any backup onto Golfview Terrace occurs.
Mr. Freedman stated that with respect to the entrance furthest north, they would be willing to
have their own personnel monitoring traffic at this access who would direct vehicles if any backup
were to occur. During visitation,they would be happy to use off duty police to monitor traffic if
employees were not available. He further noted this type of use has personnel who constantly
monitor the site during peak periods.
Chairman Goldspiel asked if any approach had been made to authorities relative to the regulation
of the light at Dundee Road.
Mr. Freedman stated Mr. Weinstein may have had some contact with the authorities but it will
have to wait until the next workshop.
Chairman Goldspiel asked how the cars would get from the parking spaces into the queues lined
up for processionals.
Mr. Hay stated there is always someone in the lot to direct you to parking or queuing depending
on whether the person is going to the cemetery or not.
Chairman Goldspiel asked how many parking spaces are lost due to queuing of cars for the
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 4
processional. He asked that these numbers be provided for the next meeting.
Chairman Goldspiel asked what arrangements have been made with the office building to
determine what spaces belong to whom.
Mr. Hay stated the existing office building presently requires 82 spaces and these spaces are
adjacent to the building and are self contained and blocked off
Commissioner Krug noted there is probably a great deal of movement in the parking lot for the
existing office building during the lunch period.
Mr. Werthmann stated that was correct. He stated they would be able to conduct such a lunch
time count.
Commissioner Krug asked why the noon time parking survey was higher than other times in the
Wilmette Chapel. He noted this was why the lunch time count would be important for the
existing office building.
Mr. Werthmann noted the day they did the parking survey at the Wilmette Chapel there was a
very large funeral going on between 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Commissioner Krug asked how overflow parking would be directed to the church in the evenings.
Mr. Hay stated some people will automatically park in the office area in the evening.
Commissioner Krug asked what the staff quarter was for on the lower level.
Mr. Hay stated that is where the on call embalmer or funeral arranger stays to receive bodies.
In answer to Commissioner Krug's question regarding direction of vehicles to the overflow
parking at the church, Mr. Hay stated the route would be up Golfview to Parkview into the
church parking lot. He further noted that comparison to the Wilmette Chapel points out that they
have only 96 parking spaces with parlors that are much larger and yet they are able to function at
a reasonable level.
Mr. Freedman pointed out that if there is a concern about using Parkview Terrace, vehicles could
be directed by staff to go into the church on Dundee. The point, however, is that they do not
envision needing the church lot. He noted they have made arrangements with the church only to
bring a measure of comfort to concerns from the Plan Commission.
Commissioner Rosenston noted he would like to have the gated area camouflaged to look like
landscaping.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 5
Mr. Hay stated they will do whatever the Plan Commission and Appearance Commission would
like done.
Commissioner Rosenston noted it would be better to have the stacking within the parking stalls
instead of stacked in the aisles.
Mr. Murray stated that is probably what they will be doing. However, the queue line was shown
in order to note just how many cars can be accommodated in the lot.
Commissioner Rosenston asked what was the average number of cars in a funeral procession.
Mr. Murray stated the average number is 20.
Commissioner Rosenston noted the real peak in visitation is about 5:00 p.m. He noted the same
type of thing could happen at the proposed facility which would be at the height of the peak.
Mr. Werthmann stated there will be some peak at 5:00 p.m. with a survey showing about 30 cars
in and out. However,unlike a funeral where everyone comes all at once,visitation is spread out
and not as bad as a funeral.
Commissioner Krug noted the First American Bank has a similar driveway as the one proposed
and many cars do get confused.
Commissioner Samuels asked if the issue of direct access from Dundee Road is completely dead.
Mr. Freedman stated he would find out.
Commissioner Samuels asked if the impervious coverage for the revised plan is any different from
the previous plan.
Commissioner Samuels stated he would also like a some information on what the standards show
for the peak traffic usage for the office building.
Mr. Hay stated the engineers have stated the impact of impervious coverage would be less on this
plan than the previous plan.
Mr. Freedman stated they will check this point out further to note whether there would be more
or less pavement on the proposed plan.
Commissioner Samuels stated he would like to see some statistics on how long it takes to
assemble a 40-50 car funeral and how long it takes to discharge such a procession at different
times during the day.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 6
Commissioner Samuels asked if there has been a study regarding the northern access and the
feasibility of moving same 40-50 feet further south.
Commissioner Samuels asked the developer to look at head to head parking spaces with islands
running in the same direction.
Commissioner Berman asked why the northern driveway access is necessary.
`./ Mr. Hay stated this is a multi-function building and during the day there will be various
management people from the Loewen Group visiting and parking at that part of the building. In
addition, the doorway entrance needs to be identified to the main street.
Commissioner Berman stated that given the concerns of the traffic consultant,those issues do not
warrant the risk attributed to that driveway. He stated he has no problem with putting the parking
spaces there, but they could just as easily use the main driveway.
Mr. Freedman noted they obviously differ with the Village's traffic consultant on whether this
driveway is a safety problem. However, if the ultimate consensus of the Village is that they do
not want that curb cut, they will eliminate same.
Commissioner Berman asked for more documentation on funeral home trip generation besides the
4 and 2 hour study done at two facilities.
Mr. Freedman stated they would be happy to do whatever counts on whatever appropriate times
as suggested by the Village traffic consultant.
Commissioner Berman stated he would also like to see a study on how the traffic impact for the
existing approved plan compares or differs from the previous plan for office use, particularly
around the lunch hour.
Commissioner Berman noted residents' concerns relative to stormwater and sewer issues and
stated the developer should be prepared to address those issues for the public hearing.
Mr. Freedman stated the engineers have assured them the detention facility was designed to
service three potential office buildings and it will more than adequately service this proposed use
which is less intense.
Commissioner Trilling asked if any variations will be requested for this project.
Mr. Freedman stated they do not envision any but will meet with staff to determine the issue.
Commissioner Trilling asked if diagonal parking had been considered to facilitate the
processionals forming and still allowing cars to potentially be able to pull out of their spaces
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 7
without making a 90 degree turn.
Mr. Hay stated they had contemplated diagonal parking but were concerned because this would
mean less landscaped islands that would be offensive to the condominiums and it would certainly
cut down on the number of parking spaces for the facility.
Commissioner Trilling asked about the differences in funeral arrangements and processions for
different religions.
Mr. Murray noted that all religions go from the funeral to the cemetery, although not all
individuals go to the cemetery.
Commissioner Trilling asked which direction funeral processions will predominately go.
Mr. Murray stated processions will be going both ways as cemeteries are located in all directions.
Commissioner Rosenston noted the residents' concerns regarding stormwater and sewer issues
and stated he would like to see someone from the Village and from the developer's engineering
firm at the next meeting to address those concerns.
Chairman Goldspiel noted he would like to see the north access eliminated. He stated many
people coming to such a facility would not be familiar with the area and traffic eastbound on
Dundee Road will certainly not slow down naturally. He further noted he does not believe a
gated separate driveway at the main access is sufficient and creation of a pork chop might help the
situation.
Chairman Goldspiel further noted he is concerned with the loss of 10 feet of landscaping off of
Dundee and would like to hear how the Village will be compensated for that landscaping.
Commissioner Rosenston stated he does not see the need for a separate lane at the main access
since no other traffic will be flowing when a procession is moving out.
Mr. Freedman stated the purpose of the separate lane is to have access at all times for the office
building into the site even when a procession is going out.
Commissioner Berman noted his agreement with Commissioner Rosenston. He noted that a nice
wide entrance with a single divider will serve the needs just as well as the three channel entrance.
Mr. Lieberman stated his concern deals with the appearance of the parking lot and the landscaped
islands. He stated they do not wish to sacrifice their building to a sea of asphalt without any
landscaping. He noted concern with the traffic flow and preserving their own parking area. He
stated they had asked for the extra lane at the north entrance so if there is any delay in a funeral --
processional, the office people will not be inconvenienced and will still be able to exit or enter the
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 8
property.
Mr. Elroy Sandquist III stated he represents the Covington Manor Condominium Association
comprising 132 homes. He noted his client's concerns are shared by the residents of The Coves
development. He stated his clients are of the opinion that this site is not suitable for this use. A
large funeral home is designed to offer large,well attended funerals. In fact, there are two rooms
which have the potential for holding 500 people at any given service. He stated his clients are
most concerned with this development and its impact on traffic as well as property values and
`./ flooding.
Mr. Sandquist noted D ndee Road con handle of oftra n }„fit the question is how this
noted UMaI�iYY v...ac .r a lei v� .+.�=++'r, .. : . question ar a.:..
development will affect the traffic on Golfview Terrace. Golfview Terrace is the only access road
from Covington and the Coves to Dundee. He noted the slowest part of a processional is at the
beginning when cars are lined up and getting ready. In the case of a large funeral procession there
will be times when a resident will wait an inexorable amount of time for the procession to leave
the premises prior to being able to exit their homes. He further noted many of the residents are
retired and will be inconvenienced throughout the day by a development which is used a majority
of the time in non-peak hours. Obviously any use on the site will have some impact on traffic.
However,the proposed use will have an inordinate impact on such traffic.
Mr. Sandquist stated the residents are further concerned with their property values which is a
factor taken into consideration by the courts when analyzing the appropriateness of a particular
use for a particular site. He noted potential buyers would certainly ask for alternative exits from
the site, only to be told there is no other exit.
Mr. Sandquist stated the residents of Covington Manor are opposed to this use at this site and
hope the Plan Commission will hear their pleas.
Mr. Bob Wakum, President of the Board of Directors of The Coves, stated their major concern is.
traffic. He stated that one exit and one entrance was a mistake to begin with. He further noted
the church has already been allowed to have an entrance and exit on Parkview. He has observed
an increase in traffic in the evenings as well as Sunday due to this entrance. He further noted that
an average of three funerals per day is a lot of funerals and that will cause a great deal of traffic in
and out of that property on a daily basis which includes weekends. Further giving this
development access to church parking also means access to Parkview which would be wrong.
This will affect every resident of the area.
Chairman Goldspiel noted they had intended for there to be additional access to the south when
Covington was originally planned. However, there was opposition from communities to the south
and the access was blocked.
Shirley Wiest, resident of the Highlands, stated they have flooded in the area for years and they --
continue to be flooded. She presented photographs to the Commission of the drainage ditch and
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 9
the flooding.
Commissioner Rosenston stated it would be a good idea to see if access to the south or east could
be attained from the other communities.
R.IVERWALK OFFICE DEVELOPMENT, NORTHEAST CORNER OF LAKE COOK
ROAD/MII.WAUKEE AVENUE- AMENDMENT OF A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT
(P.U.D.) IN THE B-3 DISTRICT CONCERNING CONSTRUCTION OF A SECOND OFFICE
`./ TOWER AND PARKING DECK--WORKSHOP#1
Mr. Timothy Beechick, H µ, iltc m P.Nr t«c rs, stated the first phase of the PJverw•a-k_�cf ce
development is at the corner of Lake Cook Road and Milwaukee Avenue which consists of the
existing parking structure, 12-story office building and a 2-story concourse building. This
concourse building was built as a linkage to phase two. The existing development consists of
253,000 square feet of rentable space.
The proposed phase two development has now been influenced by discussions with a major office
user in the market place. This requires a change in original plans as the user's needs require
260,000 square feet of space. The proposed size of the footprint for the second building requires
the shape to be more rectangular. The area of space per floor has increased from 19,400 feet up
to 23,500 square feet. This increase is necessary to gain more efficiency per floor. He noted they
have been able to come up with a footprint and building design which does not tarnish the
integrity of the look of the project. All of the exterior elements are the same for this second
building as was used on the first building. The building will have the same glass, roof line, and 2-
story granite base. The major change is the size of the floor plan.
Mr. Beechick stated the larger floor plan and increased footage requires an increase in the
structured parking. He stated the original approval was for a parking structure not exceeding 55
feet in height. This would allow for a structured parking area of about six levels including the
surface level. This would be one level greater than the existing parking structure in the first
phase. He stated they are also requesting a seventh level for the parking structure in order to
respond to the increase in square footage as well as the greater demand for parking given the
anticipated density of usage for this second office tower. This change in the parking request
elongates the structure by 40 feet and includes a request for 66 feet in height.
Mr. Beechick stated the core of the building is somewhat more elongated and narrow than the
first building. This was done in order to maintain the same leasing dimension to the outside wall.
The proposed building will have the same 173 feet to the roof line as the existing building.
However, the proposed building has 11 stories while the existing building has 12 stories. He
stated they have made the clear height from floor to floor greater in the proposed building. The
market is now calling for that feature. The effect is that the proposed building will, however, be
the same height as the existing building. He further noted there is no change in the granite space -
as the change begins at the third level.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 10
Mr. Beechick stated the total parking originally approved for phase one and two was 1,576
parking stalls. The new plan calls for 2,055 stalls. The overall density will be increased by 3 Y2
percent.
Mr. Hubert Loftus, Cowhey Gudmundson Leder,Ltd., stated there is an existing sanitary sewer
line that wraps around the parking deck which will be tapped into. The water main is likewise
situated. The stormwater detention facility located at the corner was sized for the ultimate
development with a minor expansion to the north for some extra storage to accommodate the
remaining storage requirement as well as any additional impervious area picked up from the
expanse of the building and parking deck.
Mr. Loftus stated Riverwalk Drive runs through and will have the truck and loading areas as well
as two access points to the parking structure. One access will line up with the future access for
Riverwalk North. There is a 42 inch North Shore Sanitary District force main that runs through
the property and parking deck which will be relocated. This is an emergency bypass for the
Clayey Road treatment plant to go up to Pekara which will not have to be kept active during
relocation.
Mr. Loftus stated they are not proposing to do any work within the flood plain. The finished
floor has been set at 647 which is a full 2.6 feet above the new base flood elevation and will not
affect the proposed development.
Mr. Beechick stated they feel it is advantageous today for office buildings to have more parking
rather than less. Users are finding more efficient ways to utilize space and as a result parking
demands have increased in commercial office buildings.
Commissioner Samuels asked if any variations to the zoning ordinances will be required due to
some of the proposed changes.
Mr. Beechick stated they had achieved some variations initially with respect to setback
requirements particularly as it relates to the siting of the structured parking deck. The setback
along Riverwalk Drive as well as the setback on the west side was all done at the annexation of
this property.
Commissioner Samuels asked if the same parameters will apply as were granted previously.
Mr. Beechick stated it was their interpretation that the west side of the parking structure would be
one foot regardless of the size of the structure. The required front yard setback will be based on
the height of the structure.
Mr. Pfeil stated the setback is correlated to the height of the building so that variation will get
larger than was originally approved.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 11
Commissioner Samuels asked if new line of sight studies are needed due to the larger size of the
parking structure.
Mr. Beechick stated the original project called for a corner of the structured parking to be at the
same distance from the right-of-way and this corner would have been for six stories.
Mr. Pfeil noted he asked Benes& Associates to look at this line of sight and they stated it would
be fine. Benes& Associates noted a 40 mile per hour speed is possible on the road and still not
have a line-of-site problem. However, landscape and signage should be carefully placed so as not
to create problems.
Commissioner Samuels asked if the tenant intends to put a sign on top of the building.
Mr. Beechick stated no.
Commissioner Samuels asked if the engineering package had been reviewed by Mr. Kuenlder.
Mr. Pfeil stated the basic engineering has already been done and this will verify the stormwater
calculations and sanitary and water connections.
Mr. Loftus stated the stormwater detention had sized the original basin to take care of 90 percent
of the storage for the ultimate buildout. The shortage will be expanded according to the increased
needs for the proposed development.
Commissioner Berman asked if there have been any problems with air traffic and reflections off
the building.
Mr. Beechick stated they have had no complaints or any comments. The first building was
redesigned and slightly lowered due to air traffic request.
Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if the footprint and size of the proposed building would not
have been changed if not for the single user.
Mr. Beechick stated they would have changed the footprint. They were looking for a larger
footprint in order to gain better efficiency and square footage per floor.
Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what the projected start date is.
Mr. Beechick stated they hope to start the project May 1st and occupancy for July, 1998.
Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if there is a proposed phase three in the future.
Mr. Beechick stated there is currently no proposed phase three. He noted there is zoning in place
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 12
to allow for low rise product north of Riverwalk Drive.
Commissioner Trilling asked if the parking ratios will be maintained or increased.
Mr. Beechick stated the ratio will be increased due to a demand for higher parking for the anchor
tenant's needs and it makes sense for larger tenant usage in general today.
Commissioner Trilling asked if the spaces include compact spaces.
Mr. Beechick stated the parking structure does include a parking stall dimension that is less than
standard and was approved in 1995 He farther Mated the circulation. of the proposed garage is
identical to the first parking deck with the exception of an increase in length.
Commissioner Trilling asked if they had considered 1-story below grade parking.
Mr. Beechick stated that cannot have parking below grade because they are too close to the Des
Plaines River water table.
Commissioner Trilling asked if the project would continue if the proposed user dropped out.
Mr. Beechick stated they would not continue until they had another user.
Commissioner Berman asked what kind of security will exist in the parking structure.
Mr. Beechick stated security cameras will be in place, six panic alarm devices will be located per
floor and lighting will be done identical to the first structure.
Commissioner Rosenston asked what the buildout schedule is like.
Mr. Beechick stated construction will be on a 14 month schedule.
Chairman Goldspiel noted that since single user and modern trends appear to dictate larger
parking needs, it may be necessary to look at the Village's parking ordinances.
Chairman Goldspiel asked if the change in the flood plain level would have any effects on this
project.
Mr. Loftus stated the water will back up but it will back up into the detention pond and contained
on the north and east side of Riverwalk Drive.
Commissioner Krug asked if the bikepath bridge and path will be included.
Mr. Beechick stated the bridge was put in about six years ago and a connecting path was
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 13
completed by the Lake County Forest Preserve.
Chairman Goldspiel asked about the arc on the plan at Marquette Place.
Mr. Beechick stated it is their understanding that Marquette Place is a right-of-way that is in the
Village of Buffalo Grove today. The corner that clips the structured parking area would be a
section of Marquette Place that would be required to be vacated by the Village.
Chairman Goldspiel stated a more detailed study is needed before the Village vacates part of
Marquette Drive.
Mr. Beechick noted the same issue was raised for the original project. They actually developed a
draft of a Plat of Vacation which was never executed until it was needed as it now is.
Chairman Goldspiel asked if there would be any kind of public access observation deck planed for
the new building.
Mr. Beechick stated no as the user needs all the space possible.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT -None
FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE
Mr. Pfeil stated there would be a public hearing on the Town Center hotel/banquet facility on
February 19, 1997.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS-None
STAFF REPORT
Mr. Pfeil noted the County Board voted against the Shell/McDonald's project 19 to 2.
NEW BUSINESS -None
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Commissioner Krug, seconded by Commissioner Berman and carried unanimously to
adjourn. Chairman Goldspiel adjourned the meeting at 11:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 14
Fay ubin, ec riling Secretary
APPROVED BY:
`./ S P LDSPIEL, Chai
Li
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Special Meeting-February 12, 1997-Page 15