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1998-12-10 - Appearance Commission - Minutes i.}1tL:1 Lf APPEARANCE COMMISSION VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1998 I . CALL TO ORDER Chairman Richard Gordon called the Appearance Commission meeting to order at 7 :37 P.M. on Thursday, December 10, 1998 in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 50 Raupp Blvd. II . ROLL CALL Commissioners Present : F. Weissman, M. Cea, L. Dorfman, E. Smith, C. Masure and R. Gordon Commissioners Absent : Charles Johnson Bldg. Dept . Liaison: Richard Jensen, Building Inspector III . APPROVAL OF MINUTES November 12 , 1998 - Motion to approve was made by Com. Dorfman and seconded by Com. Smith. No additions or corrections. Roll Call Vote : AYE - Weissman, Cea, Dorfman, Smith and Masure NAY - None ABSTAIN - Gordon Motion Passed 5 to 0, 1 abstention. Minutes of November 12, 1998 were approved as submitted. IV. BUSINESS A. Osco Drug, Wall Signs, 1202 W. Dundee Road Strathmore Square Shopping Center Recommendation for Variance of Sign Code Mr. David Pilz, Consolidated Sign Services, Inc. , 1136 N. 18th Street, Omaha Nebraska, 68102 representative of American Stores Properties, Inc. , Salt Lake City, Utah read the attached letter (Exhibit D, dated November 2 , 1998 , requesting variance of the Sign Code that would permit additional wall signs on the south and east elevations of the proposed Osco Drug at 1202 W. Dundee Road, in the Strathmore Square Shopping Center. Osco Drug will replace Blockbuster Music . -CA . Y} ' The Sign Code permits one Osco Drug sign on each elevation. They are requesting Liquor, Food Mart and RX Drive-Thru signs on the east elevation facing Arlington Heights Road with Pharmacy and 1 Hr. Photo on the south elevation facing Dundee Road. The letters will have internally illuminated red plex faces with dark bronze returns and trim caps . Red is the new Osco corporate color. Com. Cea said there are too many signs . Osco Drug and Pharmacy on the south elevation are redundant because they mean the same thing. Com. Weissman agreed there are too many signs . Recently, another store requested a lot of additional services and the Appearance Commission recommended the name of the store plus one (1) additional sign on each elevation. He would not object to the same recommendation. Com. Masure commented there too many signs and other businesses have been limited. RX Drive Thru is another way of identifying the nature of the business . Jewel is a Food Mart and Liquor is not the primary item sold. Com. Dorfman said Osco Drug and one (1) other service on each elevation is sufficient . Com. Smith said he has seen all these signs in the Village . He had no objection to the proposed signs . Ch. Gordon agreed there are a lot of signs and RX Drive- Thru is too large . The directional signs are permitted. Mr. Pilz offered to reduce the size of RX from 38" to 32" and Drive-Thru from 18" to 15" and the Commissioners were amenable to this suggestion. Mr. Pilz said he did not have the authority to eliminate or choose any of the proposed signs, but the Osco Drug sign could be downsized as a compromise . APPEARANCE COMMISSION DECEMBER 10, 1998 - PAGE TWO The Commissioners did not want to set a precedent by recommending more signs than other businesses have been permitted to install . American Stores can choose one (1) additional sign for each elevation. Com. Cea made a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Village Board to permit the following signs for Osco Drug, at 1202 W. Dundee Road: 1 . Osco Drug and one (1) other nature of business sign on the south elevation. 2 . Osco Drug, RX Drive Thru and one (1) other nature of business sign on the east elevation. The choice of which additional sign to install is at the discretion of the petitioner. Petitioner has offered to reduce RX to 32 ' and Drive-Thru to 15" and the Appearance Commission so recommends . Com. Smith seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote : AYE - Weissman, Masure, Cea, Smith Dorfman and Gordon NAY - None Motion Passed - 6 to 0 . B . Congregation Beth Am, 225 N. McHenry Road (Former Crate & Barrel/Seigle' s Building) Revised Elevations, Materials and Colors Com. Weissman disclosed that he is a member of Beth Am and is involved with the interior design committee for this project, not the exterior plans, and feels he can fulfill his responsibilities as an Appearance Commissioner. Mr. Nevin Hedlund, AIA, Principal, Nevin Hedlund Architects, Inc . 7757 West Lake Street, River Forest, IL 60505 (708-771-7117) distributed some elevation drawings . The site is located on Route 83 , next to Wendy' s . They are going to do minimal alterations to the exterior to the building. The front facade is painted white and the rest of the building is unpainted masonry. APPEARANCE COMMISSION DECEMBER 10, 1998 - PAGE THREE Changes include the addition of punched window openings on the west, north and south elevations, to comply with the amount of natural light required for administrative offices, classrooms and the sanctuary. There are also some new doorways that are required for exiting the building. The existing canopy on the west facade will remain (it was not shown on the blueprints) . The entrance is at the rear of the building. New mechanical systems are to be located on the roof, and they will be screened with metal . There is a structure at the rear of the site that was constructred to resemble a townhome. It was used to store lumber for Seigle' s, and it will not be changed. The structure will be used for covered parking spaces . The window frames will be a dark brown to match the existing storefront system. The mechanical roof vents will be paint- ed to match the standing seam roof . The 3 ' x 28 ' sign area is shown on the west elevation. Copy for the wall sign and existing ground sign will be submit- ted at a later date . The existing wall lighting will be supplemented with match- ing fixtures and some lighting will be added to the inner court yard. The existing parking lot lighting is adequate . The interior floor plan was described. It includes 20 classrooms, administrative offices at the rear, a sanctuary and a warming kitchen, with a stove, refrigerator, freezers and a dishwasher. Meals will be catered and final prepara- tions made in the kitchen. Com. Masure asked if the white front is going to remain? Mr. Hedlund said the goal of the project was to spend the funds that are available on the interior of the building. Should additional money is available, exterior improvements or changes could be made . The white front does not detract from the building and the owners would have to request any modifications . APPEARANCE COMMISSION DECEMBER 10, 1998 - PAGE FOUR Mr. Steve Trilling, Plan Commissioner, was present . He said the white is an attractive element . Any exterior improvements will be submitted to the Appearance Commission, including additional landscaping. Mr. Hedlund said the interior has been repainted white and the large skylight provides a lot of light . Available funds will be used to construct the new windows and new entrance . The existing front doors will not be used. Com. Gordon asked how people would be directed to the rear where the entrance is going to be? Mr. Hedlund said people will need to be educated to know where the entrance is located and some directional signs will be requested at a future date . The interior will be very nice and is fully funded. The existing steel posts holding up the front canopy will be repainted. As funds become available, the entrance will be emphasized with landscaping, a living sculpture, a garden and canopy lights. Mr. Trilling said that when they were looking for land to buy and build on, they decided that this building was con- dusive to their needs and it may be called a House of the People . The plausibility of extending the white returns around the corners of the south and north elevations was discussed. The budget does not include this element and the question was where would it stop if it was extended? After a long discussion the Commissioners agreed to leave the building as it is . Com. Cea made a motion to recommend approval of the revised elevation as submitted by Congregation Beth Am at 225 N. McHenry Road. Com. Dorfman seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote : AYE - Weissman, Dorfman, Smith, Gordon NAY - Masure and Cea Motion Passed - 4 to 2 . APPEARANCE COMMISSION DECEMBER 10, 1998 - PAGE FIVE i C. Burger King, Buffalo Grove Town Center Architecture, Materials, Colors, Landscaping and Lighting Com. Cea disclosed that he has worked with this architect in the past, but this will not affect his opinions . Mr. Thomas Scesniak, Architect and Planned, 1754 W. Wise Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193 (847-351-5112) represented BNB Land Venture, Inc . He said the project has been passed by the Village Board as depicted on the site plan. Signs will be submitted at a later date . The signs on the building will have the new white letters that Burger King is using. 1 . Landscaping: The Landscape Review, dated December 9, 1998, recommends that a tree preservation plan be submitted and they will comply with this requirement . Some of the existing fir trees and evergreen trees, around the retention pond, will be relocated on the site. Only 4 or 5 trees are involved and they have to be removed to relocate a sewer line, and a water line and to install the new concrete retaining wall . He agreed to substitute Female Ginkos or Honey Locusts for the Sugar Maples . They are adding Blue Spruce. Evergreens are being used because the Plan Commission and Village Board required that all the car lights must be screened from Route 83 . Ch. Gordon said he has observed existing evergreens in other areas that grow much too large, but Mr. Scesniak said this will not happen if the trees are properly maintained. 2 . Architecture, Materials and Colors : The exterior of the building will match the materials and colors of the Town Center. The same salmon color brick that Eagle is using has been ordered and the soldier coursing and band below the window will match the dark brown brick. The Burger King corporate identifying red band will be added at the top of the building. APPEARANCE COMMISSION DECEMBER 10, 1998 - PAGE SIX The standing seam roof will match Town Center. There will be no mansard roof and no shingles. The building will blend with Town Center. The wall mounted light fixtures will match the existing light fixtures . There will be one fixture above each window, and one above the front, rear and side entrances . The window frames and doors will be dark bronze to blend with the building. The trash enclosure will be all masonry and it will have wood board-on-board gates . There are interior downspouts but there will be two wall scuppers on the outside of the building for overflow. All roof top units will be screened with the parapet . Only the exhaust pipe for the water heater will be extended to comply with the code . Ch. Gordon said he was asked by Com. Johnson to pass on his comments that the building looked too boxy for the location at the busiest corner of Town Center. Mr. Scesniak agreed that the building is very plain, but there is a lot of landscaping around the building. The view of the building from the corner was discussed. Ch. Gordon said this is a very prominent corner and the developers should be held to a higher standard. A mansard roof would give the building some character. Com. Weissman suggested that another corner be angled to to take away the boxy look? Mr. Scesniak replied that the Village Board directed them to design a building that does not look like a Burger King. After discussion the Commissioners came to no conclusion about additional chamfering or changing some other element . APPEARANCE COMMISSION DECEMBER 10, 1998 - PAGE SEVEN Com. Masure made a motion to recommend approval of the architecture, materials and colors as presented for the Burger King at Town Center. Com. Weissman seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote : AYE - Dorfman, Smith, Cea, Weissman and Masure NAY - Gordon Motion Passed - 5 to 1 . Com. Cea made a motion to recommend approval of the Land- scape Plan as submitted by Burger King at Town Center, subject to Richard Kuhl' s review, dated December 9, 1998 and his final approval, with the stipulation that the ever- green trees shall be relocated per the drawing as revised by the architect . Com. Smith seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote : AYE - Masure, Weissman, Dorfman, Smith, Cea and Gordon NAY - None Motion Passed - 6 to 0 . V. ANNOUNCEMENTS Com. Masure reported the Melting Pot building sign has had some letters out for some time. VI . ADJOURNMENT Com. Masure made a motion to adjourn. Com. Dorfman seconded the motion. Voice Vote - AYE Unanimously Ch. Gordon adjourned the meeting at 9 : 30 P.M. and wished everyone a Happy Holiday and Happy New Year. Respectfully submitted, Shirley Bates Recording Secretary sb APPEARANCE COMMISSION DECEMBER 10, 1998 - PAGE EIGHT