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1999-06-02 - Plan Commission - Minutes PUBLIC HEARING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION June 2, 1999 Nextel Communications, Special Use concerning retail sales in the Industrial District, 1080/1090 Johnson Drive, Chevy Chase Business Park Chairman Goldspiel called the hearing to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Chairman Goldspiel read the Notice of Public Hearing as published in the Buffalo Grove Daily Herald, explained the procedure to be followed for the public hearing, and swore in all persons who wished to give testimony. Commissioners present: Chairman Goldspiel Mr. Krug Ms. Howard Mr. Samuels Mr. Trilling Mr. Ottenheimer Commissioners absent: None Also present: Mr. Michael Stern,Nextel Communications Ms. DeAnn Glover, Village Trustee Mr. John Marienthal, Village Trustee Mr. William Reid, Village Trustee Mr. William Raysa,Village Attorney Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner The following exhibits were presented by the petitioner at the public hearing: Exhibit A: Floor Plan of Customer Service Center Exhibit B: Fact Sheet, dated June 2, 1999 Exhibit C: Lease between Hamilton Partners and Nextel Communications stipulating additional spaces to be made available Mr. Michael Stern of Nextel Communications stated he is petitioning the Village for a Special Use for retail sales as an accessory use in the Industrial District with the following variation: to allow the sale of items not manufactured on the premises. He stated Nextel Communications is a Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 1 national wireless communications company which serves the Chicago area since 1995. Their business is growing to such an extent that they have a need to lease 30,000 square feet from Hamilton Partners in the Chevy Chase Business Park for a customer service facility. This facility is where they repair phones,handle inventory and also house a sales team. They propose to have a customer experience area of approximately 700 square feet. They would like to have customers, who are already in the facility for other reasons, be able to pick up a battery or a vehicle battery charger or various other accessories instead of going through one of their direct representatives. Mr. Stern stated they are now requesting six retail days instead of the original request for five retail days. They would like to add hours on Saturday. Right now they are operating between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. However, they anticipate to be able to open retail sales between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday with no Sunday hours. Mr. Stern stated he had supplied the Village Board with a letter stating that up to 73 employees would be occupying this facility. This has now been amended to reflect a potential of 78 employees. This is being presented in anticipation of further growth. He stated they have been open at their present facility since May 10, 1999 and have approximately 55 employees. Out of those 55 employees, there are approximately 15 sales people who do not occupy the facility eight hours per day. Mr. Stern stated that as of May 10, 1999, 20 customers has been the highest customer count to visit the facility during a nine hour time span. 10 customers has been the largest number waiting to be serviced at any one time. The average amount of time for a customer to be in the facility would be anywhere between 10-20 minutes. Mr. Stern noted Hamilton Partners recently committed to increasing the size of the south parking lot by 25 additional spaces,thus allocating 98 total parking spaces to Nextel for the future. They have agreed to pave more of the area on the south side to allow for anticipated growth at that facility. Code requires 1 parking space for every 250 square feet of retail operations and Nextel would need only an additional 3 parking spaces for the proposed 700 square feet of retail space. They are, however, looking at potentially looking at 20 parking spaces for customers alone. He noted their present office space is approximately 15,000 square feet, warehousing is approximately 11,000 square feet, storage is approximately 2,00 square feet and service is approximately 500 square feet. Mr. Stern submitted Exhibit C which is a lease which stipulates that Nextel has entered into an agreement with Hamilton Partners for 73 parking spaces at the facility at this point in time. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if a retail operation would be attracting more people to the facility. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 2 Mr. Stern stated they do not anticipate this as a retail shop in comparison to a Sprint store where it is just retail. This is also, off the beaten path and people looking for a Nextel facility would be not be coming here. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if there are any Nextel facilities in the area. Mr. Stern noted there is one in the Libertyville area which they are closing done. Commissioner Ottenheimer noted this would then leave only this Buffalo Grove facility for the entire region and asked how this facility would then be different from a Sprint shop facility. Mr. Stern stated the Sprint type of shops are strictly retail. Nextel's sales organization is set up where it is generally a direct sales environment or indirect sales channels through authorized representatives of Nextel. This facility is being looked upon as a convenience for customers coming in for other types of services. This facility is mainly housing a sales team and is predominantly a service center. Commissioner Ottenheimer noted his only concern is the parking issue. He stated that an increase in volume because sales are being generated will necessarily mean an increase in employees which will mean an increase in more parking both from a customer standpoint and an employee standpoint. Mr. Stern stated they see no substantial increase in customers due to sales at this facility. He stated they have looked at the numbers and have found only about 20 customers in a nine hour period. It will certainly increase with retail operations, but they do not anticipate a major parking problem even at the peak. In anticipation of growth they have received a commitment from Hamilton Partners for an additional 25 spaces. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what kind of volume is anticipated on Saturday. Mr. Stern stated they do not anticipate much retail business on Saturday. In addition, not everyone who works at the facility will be working on Saturday so even a slightly higher retail volume will be fine. Commissioner Howard asked if the adjacent businesses shared by Nextel have Saturday hours. Mr. Stern stated he is not aware of that. Commissioner Howard asked if Nextel would go to a regular store front facility if volume was greatly increased. Mr. Stern stated they would have to do so. This facility would not be able to carry the type of retail traffic that people associate with a Sprint store. In addition, he noted the code does not Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 3 really allow for that. Any kind of larger retail operation would require more that the 1,000 square feet allowed. Commissioner Samuels noted it is true that Nextel's main focus is on group sales so he does not really see much retail traffic coming in off the street. Commissioner Samuels asked what percentage of sales customers is anticipated. Li Mr. Stern stated they are looking more for the impulse buyer who is in having service. Commissioner Trilling asked if Nextel's market focus is changing in any way from a commercial and business oriented phone system. Mr. Stern stated it is still basically the same. However, they do not mind having consumers purchasing. They would like as many sales as they can but their main focus is still mobile work forces. Commissioner Trilling asked exactly where the 25 additional spaces are coming from. Mr. Stern stated they would be part of the expansion of the south parking lot. This is something that Hamilton Partners has committed to. He further noted he could not answer for Hamilton Partners plans as far as lining up the spaces specifically. Commissioner Trilling noted concern that the additional spaces not be located too far away from Nextel's building. Mr. Stern stated that would not make any sense and they would be sure to communicate that to Hamilton Partners. Commissioner Trilling asked what is presently on Parcel 2 to the south. Mr. Stern noted it is presently vacant. Chairman Goldspiel noted it is presently a detention area. Mr. Stern stated there is detention further south. These are specifics that Hamilton Partners will work out. L Commissioner Trilling asked if there is any buildable land between the Nextel building and the detention area. Mr. Pfeil stated that the undeveloped parcel to the south is adjacent to a stormwater pond, but it is actually considered to be a buildable lot. If there is to be auxiliary parking for the Nextel Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 4 property, it will absorb parking that would have served the future building on this vacant lot. Staff would have to work with Hamilton Partners to understand what their intentions are in developing this lot other than for auxiliary parking for Nextel. Commissioner Trilling asked if the 30 foot wide drive is constructed as one half on parcel 1 and one half on parcel 2. Mr. Pfeil stated that appears to be the case and this access is intended to serve both of those properties. Commissioner Trilling asked if there will be any designation of parking spaces or if it will be generally open parking for all. Mr. Stern stated he understands each lease has its own allocation of parking. He noted he is not sure about designation of spaces and stated he is not sure if that would necessarily lend itself to neighborly cooperation. Commissioner Trilling asked if there has been an analysis of the other tenants in the building to determine necessary parking for the project as a whole. Mr. Pfeil stated part of the building permit review process addresses the parking requirement for each proposed use. Commissioner Trilling asked if the representation for the number of spaces to be added, 25, plus the 116 existing spaces, would be sufficient parking under the zoning ordinance for the uses of this entire building. Mr. Pfeil stated he believes it is probably a surplus above the zoning requirement. The office component of Nextel would require about 50 spaces based on its square footage, the warehousing requires two spaces per three employees, and the retail requires three spaces based on the size of the proposed sales area. Part of the issue here is to make sure it is adequate at peak times for all tenants on the property. There should not be a parking problem even if peak conditions if 25 additional spaces are provided on the adjacent parcel for Nextel. Commissioner Krug asked if there will ever be sales meetings or seminars requiring the presence of all personnel and, if so, how will that effect parking. Mr. Stern stated there will be times such as that. He stated there are 55 employees now and they have 73 spaces. There would still be 18 spaces for customers which would be 2 less than what their peak has been over a nine hour period or eight more spaces than what their peak has been at any one time. Therefore they believe they have sufficient parking for such a situation. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 5 Commissioner Krug asked if Nextel ever conducts seminars for customers. Mr. Stern stated they have meetings in some of their conferences rooms but customers are generally brought back to headquarters in Itasca. Chairman Goldspiel asked if the expansion of the parking lot onto the adjacent parcel would need to come to the Plan Commissions. Li Mr. Pfeil stated in the Chevy Chase Business Park, each preliminary plan for a new building and related parking is not required to be reviewed by the Plan Commission. This was part of the annexation agreement and he believes an auxiliary parking lot could be constructed without needing a public hearing on a preliminary plan. However, Hamilton Partners will need to verify their plans for developing the rest of the property. He noted that if there is a lease arrangement between Hamilton Partners and Nextel concerning use of the vacant parcel for additional parking, it will affect the future use of the vacant parcel of development of a building. Mr. Stern stated that is something they would be happy to supply to the Village. Chairman Goldspiel asked if there was any reason to worry about the parking lot for detention purposes. Mr. Pfeil stated the entire business park was engineered based on certain impervious and building area assumptions. The Village Engineer is aware of the possible buildout of this vacant lot and stormwater storage has been designed based on the buildout of the entire business park. Commissioner Samuels asked if this facility is serviced by sufficient streets to accommodate anticipated traffic. Mr. Stern stated at this time yes. He noted they have signed a multi-year lease and they believe it will serve their needs for some time. Commissioner Samuels asked if there have been any complaints or discussions with neighboring property owners regarding the use of the property. Mr. Stern stated Mr. Allen had some concern about parking spaces and they have discussed same. It was a matter of a bad first contact with a Nextel representative which hopefully has now been straightened out. There was another incident about the cleaning service mistakenly using someone else's dumpster which has also now been straightened out. Commissioner Samuels asked if anyone has complained that the value of their property would be decreased if Nextel is allowed to sell equipment on Nextel's premises. Mr. Stern stated no. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 6 Commissioner Samuels asked if the additional space requested is sufficient to handle the retail sales anticipated. Mr. Stern stated yes. Mr. Allen noted he would like a clarification about the additional 20 spaces since he was only aware of a need for 3 more spaces based on 700 square feet of retail space. Li Mr. Pfeil stated the zoning requirement for the retail use as proposed would be 3 parking spaces. However, Mr. Stern's representation is that Nextel intends to allocate up to 20 spaces for the customer service portion of the site. Mr. Allen stated that Aladdin and Allen Visual Systems carry on north with Aladdin being directly adjacent to the parking areas for the retail operation which causes him some concern for both Aladdin's business and his own. He noted they cannot have their own clients coming and not finding parking spaces outside of their own building area. He noted Allen Visual is allotted 26 spaces and they do occasionally have meetings with clients and it requires them moving their employees to another location. He noted it is a location difficulty which concerns him. He noted they would like their own clients to have a place to park somewhere near their own entrance. Chairman Goldspiel noted the north side of the building has an extensive truck loading dock area with parking spaces which do not seem to be used very much. Mr. Allen stated there are eight parking spaces there which their vans use. These vans are in and out all day long. In addition, they will be adding four more vehicles to those vans and those spaces will be fully occupied with their own vans and employees cars. Commissioner Trilling asked how many employees there are for Allen Visual. Mr. Allen stated they have 20 employees. Commissioner Trilling asked how many vis itors they have at any given time. Mr. Allen stated they could have up to 10 on average. Commissioner Trilling asked how many of the 20 employees are service people. Mr. Allen stated 5 are service people, leaving 15 as office employees. He further noted those 5 service people are not always out on the road. Sometimes demands are slower and those 5 service people may be in the shop all day. Commissioner Trilling noted that Allen Visual has then already exceeded their 26 spaces. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 7 Mr. Allen stated they arrange to have their vans elsewhere when they are expecting more people coming in. He noted they will live within their 26 spaces. He further noted there may not be a problem if they all work together and with the additional spaces to the south. If they can be assured that the absorption of the 10 customers spaces were taken in and around the actual retail space that Nextel has instead of encroaching anywhere onto Allen Visual or Aladdin, it may all work out well. He reiterated that the concern is over the encroachment of the retail operation which tends to move people north. This may be worked out by allocation and designation of spots. Commissioner Samuels asked if there is any way to require the landlord to allocate parking spaces. Mr. Raysa stated that since this is a special use,the Commission could address this issue. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated that although the Commission may have some authority for some type of designation, he does not know if this is necessarily a good thing. He asked if the tenants have all met to decide on any kind of workable plan. He noted he would like to see this kind of meeting first. Mr. Allen did state this is a neighbor issue. In raising this issue with Hamilton Partners they have been told that Hamilton feels Nextel will have to work this issue out. They are trying to stay out of this issue. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated Hamilton should be a fourth party to this issue to help work something out. Mr. Stern stated he has no problem with meeting and trying to resolve this problem. 1 Mr. Stern further noted Nextel's two employee entrances are located on the south side so the additional parking will logically be for facility people, thus opening up the area to the east where the main entrances are to the businesses for customers, Chairman Goldspiel stated he would not like to get into mandating any kind of allocated parking which creates more trouble than it solves. He stated it effectively cuts down the amount of available parking. He would like to review this plan only on the total number of parking spaces and how it appears that the building lays out in relation to the parking and additional parking. There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Goldspiel closed the public hearing at 8:30 p.m. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 8 Respe t Ily submitted, F Rubin, Recording Secretary APrROVED: , ilL" 41d IST P EN GOL PIEL, 1 hairman Li Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-June 2, 1999-Page 9 REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION June 2, 1999 Nextel Communications, Special Use concerning retail sales in the Industrial District, `./ 1080/1090 Johnson Drive Jewish Council for Youth Services (JCYS),Proposed Northwest Family Center, Southwest corner of Weiland Road/Aptakisic Road, Amendment of a Preliminary Plan in the B-1 District Buffalo Grove Park District,Expansion of Raupp Memorial Museum, 901 Dunham Lane,Amendment of Special Use in the R-4 District Chairman Goldspiel called the meeting to order at 10:00 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Goldspiel Mr. Krug Ms. Howard Mr. Samuels Mr. Trilling Mr. Ottenheimer Commissioners absent: None Also Present: Mr. Michael Stern,Nextel Communications Mr. Lawrence Freedman, Ash, Anos, Freedman& Logan Ms. Ewa Weir, Project Management Advisors, Inc. Mr. David Gillespie, Timothy Morgan Associates Ms. Susan Rochlis,JCYS Mr. Marshall Klein,JCYS Mr. John Green, Groundwork, Ltd. Ms. Martha Weiss, Buffalo Grove Park District Ms. Janet Nowers,Raupp Museum Mr. John Marienthal, Village Trustee Mr. DeAnn Glover, Village Trustee Mr. William Reid, Village Trustee Mr. William Raysa, Village Attorney Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES Moved by Commissioner Ottenheimer, seconded by Commissioner Howard to approve the minutes of the public hearing and regular meeting of May 5, 1999. All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and the motion passed unanimously. COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS -None Li NEXTEL COMMUNICATIONS, SPECIAL USE CONCERNING RETAIL SALES IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, 1080/1090 JOHNSON DRIVE. CHEVY CHASE BUSINESS PARK Moved by Commissioner Samuels, seconded by Commissioner Ottenheimer to recommend approval to the Village Board of a petition for a Special Use for retail sales as an accessory use in the Industrial District with the following variation: ZONING ORDINANCE- Section 17.48.020.C.14.a. (To allow the sale of items not manufactured on the premises), so that the petitioner can establish a retail sales area of approximately 700 square feet to sell phones and other items at its customer service center of 30,000 square feet,pursuant to the testimony given at the public hearing and the exhibits presented therein. Commissioner Samuels stated this appears to be a classic accessory use for retail in an Industrial District. The only variation is that the product is not manufactured on the premises. This is basically a service center and the retail sales are an adjunct to the service that people are coming to have done. They do have retail availability for their equipment in regular retail locations and most of their sales are done through a sales representative force that meets on other business premises. Therefore, most of the traffic issues are related to a busy customer service operation and not part of a retail sales operation. Only 3 spaces are required for such retail operation and the testimony has supported the establishment of a special use in that the roads and highways are adequate to handle the traffic anticipated and will not otherwise be injurious to the public. Commissioner Trilling stated he concurs with Commissioner Samuels and feels that by adding the additional parking spaces, it will help the situation. He also feels this will truly be an adjunct to the facility and will not create any undue hardships. Chairman Goldspiel suggested making the motion subject to providing proper documentation of the additional parking spaces. Li Commissioner Samuels noted Nextel is already overparking and does not see a reason for making this motion subject to an additional 25 parking spaces. Chairman Goldspiel noted his suggestion was subject to documentation of an additional 25 parking spaces instead of provision of 25 spaces. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 2 Commissioner Samuels stated he does not feel this is necessary as traffic is really being generated by the service,not the retail sales. He does not feel the traffic generated by retail sales has anything to do with 20 spaces whatsoever. Commissioner Krug stated the petitioner testified under oath that the spaces will become available and the motion is based on that testimony and the exhibits and he therefore does not feel it is necessary to make the additional spaces subject to the motion. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated he did not feel it is fair to make the motion subject to something that may be beyond the control of the petitioner. Commissioner Trilling noted he is going along with the motion on the basis that the additional 25 spaces will be provided. With the knowledge that there may eventually be 78 employees plus 20 or so customers, those additional spaces will definitely be needed. Commissioner Samuels stated he is troubled with specifying what it is that you want the petitioner to provide. Commissioner Howard noted it seems reasonable to ensure the additional 25 parking spaces based on future development of parcel 2. Commissioner Trilling stated to him it is a question of making the motion contingent on construction of the parking before the start of retail operations or make it necessary within a reasonable period of time at a point when the company may need the additional parking. Chairman Goldspiel stated his proposal was for a"subject to"that would not have required the parking to be built, but rather to require documentation saying that it could be built. Mr. Pfeil noted that the petitioner has stated that Hamilton Partners is committed to doing a lease with Nextel to add this additional parking. Hamilton Partners needs to acknowledge that the parking for Nextel will use part of this vacant lot and that affects the usability of the remainder of this lot for office and other parking to support the office use. Mr. Stern noted they will require the additional 25 spaces if and when there is an increase in employees. Mr. Raysa noted that in the past the number of employees and the need for increased parking has been left up to the staff to monitor. Commissioners Samuels and Ottenheimer agreed to accept the"subject to" requiring documentation from Hamilton Partners committing to the 25 spaces for Nextel and acknowledging the affect on future use of the vacant lot. In the special use ordinance the Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 3 language concerning parking will be so phrased that the additional 25 spaces will be constructed when the Village determines that the are needed. Chairman Goldspiel called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: Krug, Howard, Samuels, Trilling, Ottenheimer, Goldspiel NAYES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed 6 to 0. JEWISH COUNCIL FOR YOUTH SERVICES (JCYS). PROPOSED NORTHWEST FAMILY CENTER, SOUTHWEST CORNER OF WEILAND ROAD/APTAKISIC ROAD - AMENDMENT OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN IN THE B-1 DISTRICT Mr. Freedman stated the Jewish Council had received approval for this plan about five years ago. Construction was never initiated due to financial difficulties. Those problems have now been solved and they are prepared to proceed. In the course of finalizing the plans, some changes have been made to the plan such as the diminution of the size of the project, the number of parking spaces has been increased and the relocation of the playground facilities and the building itself which has become much more compatible to the surrounding properties. Mr. Freedman stated it was the Board's determination that a public hearing would not be required although as a courtesy to the neighbors, notices were to be sent. Mr. David Gillespie stated the Northwest Family Center is comprised of three components: the child care portion, after school program area and aquatic center. Currently the aquatic center is being planned as a future expansion. The site is located at the southwest corner of Aptakisic and Weiland Road. To the south is the Lexington Homes subdivision, to the west and across Aptakisic to the north is unincorporated Lake County and to the east is the recently completed Dunkin Donuts and Grand Prix car wash. Mr. Gillespie stated they have been told by the County that their curb cuts should align with that of Grand Prix car wash and Dunkin Donuts. They were also highly discouraged from looking at a curb cut on Aptakisic Road. In laying out the site they had several goals. For the parking lot they chose to create a very simple circulation path,to keep the parking as efficient as possible and to isolate the parking from the play area associated with the child care. In laying out the building footprint their goals were to address the street pattern at Aptakisic and Weiland, consolidate the open space and to shield the playground area associated with the child care. s1 Mr. Gillespie stated the child care portion of the building is 12 classrooms which will accommodate approximately 200-240 children and the after school program area which includes a gymnasium and a multi-purpose room, fenced in playground area to the south of the child care portion of the building. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 4 Mr. Gillespie stated the building size is about 24,000 square feet. The expansion included in the proposed plan currently would bring the total building up to approximately 34,000 square feet which is significantly lower than the older plan which called for 43,000 square feet. Under the old plan the southern tip of the building was approximately 41 feet off the south property line while in the revised plan they are about 175 feet off the south property line. Mr. Gillespie stated that along with the improvement in this site,they are also planning on having a deceleration and right turn lane into the site on the southbound lanes on Weiland. For the northbound lanes they are planning on widening the street and adding a left turn lane into the site so as not to interfere with the through traffic on Weiland currently. Along the right of way on both Weiland and Aptakisic they will be extending the bikepath and are adding the street standard light fixtures. The setbacks are all in conformance with the zoning requirements and they are not asking for any variances. There is a 12 foot green space between the right of way line and the parking lot. The building is well within setbacks and the building elevation is trying to incorporate the designs of the residential area. This being a busy intersection,the building will make a nice transition space from commercial to residential. Therefore they have chosen the brick masonry exterior facade, the double hung windows and some pitched roof areas. The high point of those roof areas will be 24 feet while the rest of the building is approximately 14 feet high. Mr. Freedman stated the proposed use remains unchanged and the activities are unchanged Chairman Goldspiel stated he takes it that detention is taken care of across the street. Mr. Gillespie stated there is no on site retention required. He noted the retention was taken care of as part of the Old Farm subdivision. Commissioner Trilling asked if any improvements have been contemplated by either the petitioner or the county to the left turn lane at Weiland and Aptakisic. Mr. Freedman stated he does not know of any. His recollection is that the original petition included a traffic study and the Village's traffic consultant reviewed same. They are making the improvement as recommended at that time. Commissioner Trilling asked if that traffic study is applicable today relative to the counts of cars making that left hand turn. Mr. Freedman stated they have not upgraded their study but can do same if so desired. It is their understanding that future growth and future zoning were taken into account at the time the study was done and the intensity of this use has not changed with the exception of the car wash. Commissioner Trilling noted the entrance to the front of the building requires passing by every parking space and asked if any consideration had been given to turning the building 90 degrees Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 5 and making the entrance to the building facing Weiland Road. Mr. Gillespie stated they did look at that orientation as well as several other possibilities. However, they feel this is the best overall scenario. The curb cut given to them is not the best but cars will enter the site, go up to the northbound lane, and turn around. The people using this site will be doing so repeatedly and will be familiar with the circulation pattern so they do not have any concerns with the pattern. The child care portion is on the west side of the building. They have included 10 parking stalls for which they have increased the width of the stall to 9 '/z feet wide. Those will be dedicated parking stalls for drop off of children only to the child care facility. The policy of JCYS is that the parents pull into a dedicated parking stall, get out of the car and walk their child into the building. Commissioner Trilling asked if entrance to the future aquatic center would also be at the main entrance. Mr. Gillespie stated they are anticipating a possible second entrance along the Weiland side with the construction of the aquatic center. Commissioner Trilling asked if the marketability of the child care center had been studied, particularly in light of the JCC facility at Woodland Commons. Mr. Freedman stated they are aware of the JCC facility at Woodland Commons and they have readdressed the need in the area and the JCYS still feels there is just as much need for this child care center as there was five years ago and market conditions are not an issue here. Commissioner Trilling asked if enrollment is increasing or decreasing in the grade schools. Ms. Susan Rochlis of JCYS stated they have been working with District 96 in terms of the planned construction and some of the remodeling and expansion for this year. Indications and market studies suggest enrollment is still strong. She also noted that this will be a family center, not just a child care center and so it is designed so that the programs will grow as the children grow into the elementary schools years and teen years. Commissioner Howard asked if the fire trucks will definitely be able to maneuver through the parking lot with no problems. Mr. Gillespie stated he has had several conversations with the Fire Department and they have noted that truck maneuvering can be worked out. There concern is not at the entrance, rather the turn at the western end of the parking lot. In the worst case scenario they have discussed removing two parking stalls. Commissioner Samuels asked what kind of fencing is to be used for the fenced playground. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 6 Mr. Gillespie stated they have not decided on the exact material of the fence as yet. They have discussed several options. One option is an aluminum picket fence with horizontal top and bottom rails. The idea with a fenced in playground is to make it look somewhat natural. He noted they intend to heavily landscape the perimeter of the fenced area with hedges and shade trees. The fence will be 4 feet high. Commissioner Samuels asked if there are any plans for any future outdoor recreation activities. Li Mr. Marshall Klein of the JCYS stated the gymnasium has been subdivided into two sections. One section will definitely be built in phase one and the second part they are hoping to build in phase one if the funding is available. In back of the gymnasium is an area where the after school kids will play separate from early childhood. There will not be a paved basketball court outdoors. There will be a sport court type of environment which is something that kids in grade school can play basketball and other things. It is more of a multi-use play surface which is different from a concrete basketball playground. In the picnic grove area they will not rule out the kids playing soccer, but it will definitely not be a league type of situation. Commissioner Samuels asked if the back of the gym activity area would be lit. Mr. Klein stated no. Chairman Goldspiel noted the future parking spaces that back up to the entrance and exit will be a big problem. He further noted concern with the long running drive to the parking lot as people tend to speed up on long straight routes. He also noted the parking along Aptakisic needs to have a different configuration to avoid confusion. Mr. Gillespie asked what was meant by a different configuration. Chairman Goldspiel stated there are several possibilities. One possibility is angled spaces, another is narrowed aisle width, Mr. Gillespie stated the intention here is to make this a one way circular drive. He stated they felt the head in parking was important for the dedicated parking stalls for drop off. The bus/van drop off area is intended for the after school program or when the JCYS van pulls up with a number of children. He further noted they prefer 26 foot wide aisle due to the nature of vehicles these days which tend to be bigger and require maneuverability. Commissioner Samuels noted that if this is to be one way circulation, it must be angled parking or people will just choose the shortest way to the front by taking the first left. Angling the parking will force everyone to go around. Commissioner Trilling noted that it may not be a good idea to have angled parking along Weiland because people need the ability to turn around there. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 7 Mr. Freedman stated they will look into the concerns relative to the angled parking and the conflicts at the entrance point. Chairman Goldspiel asked if this is something that should be referred to the Village traffic consultant. Mr. Pfeil stated the consultant could be asked to review the plan. Chairman Goldspiel stated he thinks it would be a good idea. Chairman Goldspiel asked if the higher roof areas in the building are over the gym. Mr. Gillespie stated that was correct. He noted the gym has a clear height of 22 feet and a roof lay of about 24 feet The multi-purpose room will be slightly higher but they are putting a pitched roof on that. Chairman Goldspiel asked if the JCYS was asking for approval of the future gym and aquatic center at this time. Mr. Freedman stated they have agreed to come back again. Mr. Gillespie stated they would like the option to do the complete gym in the initial phase. Mr. Freedman stated they will come back with the aquatic center. Chairman Goldspiel asked where the emergency exits are for the building. Mr. Gillespie noted they are required to have an exit outside of each classroom. The classrooms are arranged in pairs with the rear portion of the classroom adjacent to the exterior walls. The classrooms facing the Aptakisic frontage will only use the exterior doors along the west side of the building in case of an emergency. There will also be a gate at the fenced in area to allow access outside the fenced in play area. Commissioner Trilling asked if there are any extra washrooms for the future gymnasium. Mr. Gillespie stated they do not anticipate a need for extra washrooms for the gymnasium but they do expect the need for the aquatic center and they have planned locker rooms. Commissioner Trilling asked if there will be any shower facilities for the gym. Mr. Gillespie stated no. Mr. Klein stated teens do not use locker rooms to change in. They come in the clothes they want Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 8 to wear for their activities. Outer clothing can be hung up in an area outside the gym. Jeff Horwitz, 1535 Madison Drive, stated he is concerned with traffic on Weiland in rush hour which has multiplied tremendously. Therefore he asked that any plans for the entrance have sufficient left turns lanes. He also asked that sidewalks be constructed on the side of the entry drive so that kids do not get hit be vehicle traffic in the parking lot. Planning some activities for seniors would also be nice. He also asked for lighting that shines down instead of out. Li Mr. Freedman noted the lighting would be so. Chairman Goldspiel noted the traffic consultant will review the adequacy of the deceleration right turn lane and the left turn lane. Mr. Klein stated the JCYS does not do anything with seniors. He noted there is a danger in doing things that you do not do well. He stated they do not pretend to be a great service organization for senior citizens. Chairman Goldspiel asked for comments on any traffic improvements that are scheduled for Weiland. Mr. Pfeil stated the north leg of the Thompson/Weiland intersection is actually Abbott Court and it has been periodically studied for warrants concerning installation of a traffic signal. So far the warrants have not been met. The Lake County Division of Transportation will review the JCYS development for an access permit and all applicable standards will have to be met, including a deceleration lane and left turn lane. BUFFALO GROVE PARK DISTRICT, AMENDMENT OF A SPECIAL USE AND PRELIMINARY PLAN IN THE R-4 DISTRICT CONCERNING EXPANSION OF THE RAUPP MEMORIAL MUSEUM, 901 DUNHAM LANE -- WORKSHOP#1 Mr. John Green of Groundwork, Ltd. stated the project is proposed on the 3.5 acre site. The site was specifically dedicated for use as a museum, which has been in place for about 30 years. In 1971 the site was dedicated to the Village with the specific condition that it be developed for a historical museum or a library. If that did not take place within a specific period of time, the site would revert to the original owner. The current building on the site has two parts, with a total building area of about 5,000 square feet. Mr. Green stated the intent is to preserve and protect the heritage of the Buffalo Grove area. This was clearly the intention in the ordinance by the Village three decades ago and the Park District was assigned to carry this torch in creating and operating the museum. The Park District has worked many years to collect the artifacts and create a worthy museum. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 9 Mr. Green stated the 3.5 acres is located within a residential environment which forms a triad with the two neighborhood schools. It is serviced from Checker Road to the east and from Route 83 to the north. He stated the selection of this site was purposeful because it is a hillock in a relatively flat area. The 5000 square foot building is located at the top of that hill and it is about 14 feet above the existing street. There are seven parking spaces behind the building to the north and the walks that used to service the building to the front entrance from Dunham were removed several years ago when they became dangerous. The recessed parking that had existed along Dunham was also removed several years ago. The south wing contains about 2600 square feet of space. That wing is a frame construction with a crawl space and the north wing contains the balance of the space. The site contains a variety of open areas and a number of mature specimen trees. Mr. Green stated the goal is to work with the site and the conditions and the requirements for a museum facility that can integrate into the site and can meet the standards that need to be met in order to protect, store and show the artifacts that show the heritage of the Buffalo Grove area. He noted they have tried to protect all of the mature vegetation as much as possible and wherever possible. Mr. Green stated this proposal actually began in 1990. The Park District then began to set aside small sums of funds to work to ensure that this facility would be able to be maintained, upgraded and enhanced. They knew they would need to meet growing needs and work to preserve the greater collection of artifacts that were being assembled. Mr. Green stated in 1996 the Park District commissioned Midwest Conservation Services, Inc. To perform a survey of the artifacts and the environment of the existing facility. That report along with that of Groundwork, were presented to the Park Board at that time. A number of serious issues were included in the report. The south wing was never intended or designed to serve as a museum. As a result there was water infiltration around the perimeter of the building. Dust and particulates were invading the space with no barriers. Humidity was uncontrolled and uncontrollable. Lighting is slowly destroying the artifacts. The storage is in non- environmentally controlled space. There is improper finishes and display materials. There is inadequate storage space for the collection and there is an inability to properly separate the displays both spatially and from the public. There is inadequate monitoring systems for the environment. There are also ADA and circulation inadequacies. Mr. Green stated the combined recommendations in 1996 were to abandon the south wing as a museum display and artifact storage space. By that time the Park District had managed to collect about $350,000. The Park District reluctantly but advisedly elected to pursue gathering the necessary funds to create the space that is intended and needed to be there. The concept is to take and utilize the site as it exists, to work with the requirements that are necessary for the site, and to build a space to conform to the site and to the needs of the museum. Utilizing the hill as it moves down toward Dunham, the intent was to create a space which would Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 10 become the gallery space and serve as the entry and receiving space and work to allow access to the site both from the parking level and the street level. The total height of 30 feet will be partially buried in the 12 feet of hill. The existing structures located on top of the hill are at 13- 14 feet high on top of the 13 foot hill which makes them about 27 feet high. The proposed structure would be 30 feet high to its peak. The total addition space would be about 6500 square feet. Of that 6500 square feet, and when completed with the new east wing,they would add roughly 3750 square feet of display area, including the lobbies, which takes it to a total of 5150 `.i square feet of display space. The abandoned south wing would hopefully someday be refurbished and could be used for various gatherings. Mr. Green noted the current facility has seven parking spaces. Under the ordinance they are required to have two spaces for every 1,000 square feet. The facility should now have 10 spaces. With the expansion, the parking area would continue to be on the north side of the building and would be expanded on the slowly sloping side of the site and work around and within the existing mature vegetation. The detention facilities will be created in a low area in the back which is currently uncontrolled. There is already a basin to tie into. Overall the facility that is proposed adds about 3500-3600 feet of footprint to the facility. The upper level is slightly smaller than the lower level. The building has been conceived to recreate the dairy barn that existed in this area and on this site. The structure works into the hillside with the entry at the Dunham Lane level feeling as if it is growing out of the hill because it would feel like a stone foundation that has become exposed. That stone feel will be continued on into the lobby space. Above that would be the gambled roof of the dairy farm and the silo will be the elevator. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated he likes the plan and the concept, however, he has a major problem with this plan in a residential area. He would like to be convinced that this plan belongs where it is and asked how many people visited the facility last year. Mr. Green stated the 1997-1998 season had 2,563 visitors. Of that number, 1,360 were tour groups. The balance of 1,203 were individuals and of this balance 732 visited on a Sunday and 321 visited on a Wednesday. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if this is the type of museum that one would visit only once or is there any kind of repeat business. Mr. Green stated this is certainly a repeat visit facility which is best demonstrated by the tour groups. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what else could be placed on this site if there was no museum there. Mr. Green stated the shape of the site does not lend itself to much. Perhaps some sort of structure or passive use could be built. However,the 1971 ordinance says that this site will be a museum. At the time that this site was donated by the Raupp family it was specifically dedicated Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 11 and decided that it would be a museum. The intent at the time was that the original house on the site and the barn would be the museum, but the house burned down. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if a relocation to Busch Grove Community Park is possible for this facility. Mr. Green stated the full suggestion tendered at the Board meeting was that this facility be considered to be relocated to Busch Grove Community Park and the proposed community center be located on this site instead. He noted the Park District's immediate response was that would generate the traffic that everyone fears. The concept of moving the museum to the Busch Grove site is not something that has been in the Park District plan at all. The plan for this site has been in effect going back to 1990. The museum could not be moved without eliminating something else that is planned at Busch Grove Park. Trustee Reid stated it was his understanding that the statement made at the time of referral was that consideration be given to moving the museum to the community center, not to put a community center in this location. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if it is accurate to say that one of the reasons for expansion is to draw more visitors. Mr. Green stated yes. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if that means an increase in traffic. Mr. Green stated no because at least 50 percent of the attendance is school tour groups. The average group size is 22-24 which means about 1.1 buses per week. If it did expand, you are still only talking about 2 buses per week. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what the current hours of operation are. Mr. Green stated it is now open Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Mondays and Tuesdays for 3 hours per day as well as Sundays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. He noted the busiest individual time is Sunday. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if the hours would change with expansion. Mr. Green stated they probably would and the program would then be to have similar hours on Thursdays and Fridays. Commissioner Ottenheimer noted he is bothered by the answer regarding the moving of this facility to Busch Grove Park because this is where it has been planned. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 12 Mr. Green stated the Busch Grove Park has been planned over many years. The facility needs to service this community from a complete Park District perspective which far exceeds the available land. Busch Grove Park has been planned to utilize all of the 76 acres that are available. This particular site already had a defined and identified and established use and the program for that has always been there. There is no reason to change this concept in this position because one change affects so many other changes. Commissioner Samuels stated he would like to know why this matter was referred by the Village Board. Trustee Reid stated his reason for voting for referral was that this was a plan that had been proposed by the Park District and had been in the works for some time. The Board felt there were questions that needed to be asked which would not all be asked at the Board level and that is why this matter was referred. Commissioner Samuels asked if the construction and operation of the existing museum satisfies the reverter clause and thus obviate the question of moving the museum. Mr. Raysa stated there is a covenant running with land that states it can only be used for the sole and exclusive purpose of library, museum or compatible use. Commissioner Samuels asked if this was a covenant running with the land or if it was a reverter clause that notes if it is not put to that use then it would revert. Mr. Raysa stated it is a reverter clause in the deed to the Park District. The covenant was in the Glen Grove annexation agreement. The Glen Grove annexation by its terms is no longer in existence. He noted that what was done was by means of the reverter in the deed they referenced the use of the property. Commissioner Samuels asked if it is then correct to say there is no legal constraint that requires this to be here any longer. He noted that he would like to establish that the Village is not legally constrained to keep the museum here. He further noted that with all the plans for Busch Grove Park and for the space requirements this facility seems to have as well as its traffic and parking requirements, the space could be accommodated within the existing planned buildings on the site. It would therefore also be located in a more centrally located area in the community where people were aware of it and people had the opportunity to chance by it and walk in. As it is, there is a significant portion of the Village that is not even aware that this facility exists. Therefore, the question is whether or not there is a legal requirement that the facility stay where it is. Mr. Raysa noted that is his initial reading of same and that same should be developed and maintained pursuant to the restrictions in the Glen Grove annexation agreement which was library, museum or compatible use. The Village, of course, could remove the reverter if is so Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 13 desired. Commissioner Samuels stated he does not feel that making the proposed changes to the building is going to generate a huge amount of traffic for the area. However, the community would be better served by having this facility elsewhere. Mr. John Green stated the Park District has been operating for two and one-half decades under the program that had been established for the Raupp Historic Museum. They have planned to utilize their funds and set aside future funds based on that program. The $700,000 that is programmed now to go in to bring this into the museum quality level that it should have been and needs to be is not enough to put a whole facility elsewhere. Commissioner Samuels asked if the Park District is willing or not to look at other alternatives. Mr. Green noted that based upon the fact that it took nine years to collect the finances to do this, they are unable to plan for it to be elsewhere. Commissioner Samuels noted that common sense dictates that to locate a facility like this in a larger area, where people are around, will result in increased awareness and traffic and will enhance the facility to the community overall. Mr. Green read several paragraphs from the museum study which noted the trend for museum locations has turned to less central locations. Commissioner Trilling stated he does not see that Busch Grove Community Park is any more central to Buffalo Grove than this present site. The difference is that there is a synergy around Busch Grove Park and what surrounds it versus what surrounds the existing site. He noted he has never visited the museum in large part due to the fact that it is not near anything that he does frequent. If the facility were at Busch Grove Park,he would probably visit the museum as he would be at the park for various reasons. He noted the more visible the facility is, the more active it will be and therefore it will be more of a benefit. Commissioner Krug stated the original plan was intended to maintain the farmstead as a turn of the century farmstead including livestock. He stated he feels the museum is in the right place. The Village grew around the museum. Had the original buildings not burned down, it would probably look very similar to the proposed plan. Any local museum is not going to be a high traffic facility nor will it draw people into the Village. The proposed building will not be any more obtrusive than what was originally there and will indeed be better looking. Commissioner Howard stated that the addition of 20 additional parking spaces is being perceived by the residents as bringing more visitors and traffic. Dunham Lane does get a fair amount of traffic in the morning rush and this is a concern for the residents. She noted she understands the need for more space and environmental controls. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 14 Mr. Green stated that the addition of 20 spaces does give the impression that more traffic will be generated. The Village has maintained a great deal of sensitivity to ensuring a very conservative approach to parking be provided so that there are no problems. The counts and visitations demonstrate that the parking lot as sized is not necessary by what is there. However, planning it to handle 27 spaces is directly related to accommodating the projected use of the facility. Chairman Goldspiel noted the Park District is a separate governmental body and it is not the place of the Plan Commission to make decisions for them as to whether they should have a particular activity or where they should have that activity provided that it meets the special use requirements. He stated it would be better to concentrate more on planning issues. Chairman Goldspiel listed some planning issues to discuss: 1. Desirability of bicycle access and usage capability with this plan 2. How school buses come and where they park 3. Stormwater detention He further stated that special uses do not necessarily have the same uses as what is around them. There are many special uses among residential areas. If expansion is requested, the only question is does it or does it not meet the criteria of the special use ordinance and is it properly planned. Those are the kind of things that need to be discussed. Brady Levy, 951 Dunham Lane, stated they have formed a local group among the immediate residents bordering the park land. He stated they have a petition to present to the Commission showing strong opposition to the plans proposed by the Park District for expansion of the museum. He stated there is near unanimous support from the immediate neighborhood against this expansion. Additionally, a random canvas of over 100 residents was taken at Dominick's and the Jewel food store which showed not even one resident in favor of this plan. Mr. Levy stated the residents do not want to see the character of the neighborhood change. The additional traffic that will be generated on Dunham Lane is unacceptable. He asked if an impact study has been conducted and if anyone realizes the amount of traffic already on Dunham Lane. The added noise and pollution from the school buses is undesirable. The homeowners in the area paid a premium for those lots bordering the park. There is little doubt that the value of the homes will be diminished if the plan is approved. This area is an oasis of open park land to be view and enjoyed by all the residents. An expanded parking lot will consume a large portion of the park. The planned detention pond is not an attractive component of the plan. In the spring this pond will be filled and mosquitos will follow. He further noted they are upset at not having been consulted about the plan long before this meeting. Mr. Levy also asked if the expanded parking lot will be lit and ultimately, why spent this kind of Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 15 money on a plan no one seems to want. Chairman Goldspiel noted the Commission will want to hear about the design of the detention pond, what kind of visual buffering is planned for the parking lot and a response on the lighting issue. Trustee Reid stated the errors made in the past in the drainage on the properties to the east and west need to be corrected as a part of this process if it proceeds. Mr. Green stated existing drainage patterns on the site and to the site will need to be a part of the detention issue for this site. Further,he noted they would anticipate the creation of visual buffers around the parking lot. He also noted the Village has standards for parking lot lighting which will be provided as required. The plans will be addressed in the future. Commissioner Samuels asked if this building will become ADA compliant with the expansion. Mr. Green stated yes. Nancy Stein, 840 Indian Spring Lane, asked why the south wing building could not be torn down and that portion of the site used for parking instead of the proposed parking in the park land. Mr. Green stated the reason is that the building is located more toward that side of the site and it is on the downhill which means they would have to go all the way around the building instead of the front of the building. Mr. Lynn Coward, 890 Indian Spring Lane, stated it is his suggestion that the existing building be torn down and build a new one exactly on the same spot. The proposed building is out of place, but a new building of the same size would be fine. Chairman Goldspiel stated he concurs with Commissioner Krug's comments about the plan being imaginative and being something that would have a minimal impact on the neighborhood. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT-None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil noted the next meeting is scheduled for June 16, 1999. COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS -None STAFF REPORT -None NEW BUSINESS -None Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 16 ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Ottenheimer, seconded by Commissioner Howard and carried unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Goldspiel adjourned the meeting at 11:55 p.m. Respect submitted, Fay Ru in, R o di Secretary APPROVED BY: 1 T PHEN OLDSPIE , Chairman Li Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-June 2, 1999-Page 17