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 .
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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
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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
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APPEARANCE COMMISSION
DECEMBER 10, 1998 - PAGE EIGHT