Loading...
2016-06-01 - Planning and Zoning Commission - Minutes06/1/2016 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF THE VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 50 RAUPP BOULEVARD, BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016 Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM by Commissioner Eric Smith Public Hearings/Items For Consideration 1. Consider Approval for Annexation, Rezoning, Preliminary Plan Approval, Special Use and Variations to Construct a New Retail Center, with a Drive-Through Restaurant for the Property at 20914 & 20929 N Milwaukee -- Continued from the May 18, 2016 PZC Meeting -- (Trustee Weidenfeld) (Staff Contact: Chris Stilling) Lou Schreiber and Dan Inksbad were sworn in as potential witnesses. Mr. Stilling said that the commission had given direction to the developer particularly regarding parking and circulation. Staff had been working with the developer, and a revised plan was submitted. Staff felt that the issues had been adequately addressed. Chairman Smith entered Staff recommendation as Exhibit Three. Jeff Silverman hoped this was the last time in front of the committee and felt that he and the team had worked with the Village to meet the concerns that had been raised. To accommodate more parking, the developer consolidated the two buildings. The orientation of the stalls and the rear aisle being single direction allowed access to the drive-thru as well as maintained traffic on the parcel as it was. Two more stalls were also gained on the south, and full access on Milwaukee Avenue was still allowed. Javier Millan (KLOA) said that the survey data was looked at again with the information about the Potbelly trip generation. The counts were reviewed, but the traffic studies were not affected by the slightly altered counts. The Schaumburg Potbelly had a maximum queue of 11; the Glen Ellyn Potbelly had a maximum queue of seven (with an average of two to four); and the Oswego Potbelly (a similar venue to the one proposed) had an average queue of two vehicles with a maximum queue of five. He felt confident that the spaces provided would be sufficient. Parking spaces were on average 17 vehicles at other stores. Traffic at adjacent roads was studied and results were read including stacking to turn onto Milwaukee Avenue. He reviewed observations for exiting vehicles from this property. There was no public agency testimony. Commissioner Goldspiel asked about flooding in the redesign of this development and if there was any difference in elevation of the parking lots and drives. Mr. Silverman did not anticipate any changes. The back area would need to be lowered to match the adjacent areas; he noted that raising it would result in needing compensatory storage. Mr. Stilling 06/1/2016 said that the Village was working with Lake County to ensure that the storage was sufficient. Commissioner Goldspiel said that the elevation ranged from 642 to 646, and he was worried about the water from the Des Plaines River. Mr. Silverman said that the majority of the floodwaters would back up to Aptakisic Creek, and he was not sure what the elevation of Milwaukee Avenue would be after the road improvements. Commissioner Goldspiel asked what the flood level was; Mr. Monico confirmed it to be 645, so some of the parking would be above that and some would be below. However, Mr. Monico confirmed that this was the current condition of the property; Ash Street elevation was approximately 643. There was further discussion regarding the flood levels and the requirements for building elevation being two feet about base flood level. Commissioner Goldspiel asked what effect this development would have on Ash Street and the neighboring subdivision. Mr. Monico said that there would not be any negative effect, and compensatory storage in the area would help with this. Mr. Silverman said that the intent was to capture the water coming in upstream. Mr. Monico said that water coming from upstream would have ample time for the Village to react before flooding occurred. Commissioner Khan asked Mr. Millan if the developer had to submit these plans to IDOT. Mr. Millan said that yes, the developer met with IDOT who was in agreement about full access. This could change based on road improvements in the future. Commissioner Khan asked if the gap study was required to IDOT , but Mr. Millan confirmed that it was not. Commissioner Khan asked for clarification on what the 15 to 35 second delay was for eastbound-northbound traffic - if this was the average for every vehicle or a maximum. Mr. Millan said that 35 seconds was the approximate wait time of the last vehicle in line. Commissioner Khan asked if the median was sufficient to hold a car; Mr. Millan said that yes, and that was what was happening now. Commissioner Khan asked about the Milwaukee Avenue improvements; however, Mr. Millan was not sure of the final plans. If it was determined to be a raised median, he was not sure how far it would go back. Commissioner Khan asked about the spacing between the two traffic signals; Mr. Millan was not sure but possibly 1,200 feet. Commissioner Khan asked if the two signals were not linked now if they would these be coordinated with the road improvement. Mr. Millan said that they would. Commissioner Moodhe asked about the plans for the single building. The architect was still working on these as the plans were moving quickly. Commissioner Moodhe noted that there was a change to the sign as well. Mr. Silverman said that a 25 -foot sign was what was proposed; he was not aware of a requirement for a 20-foot sign. Mr. Stilling said that this was up to the commission to decide. Commissioner Moodhe said that the sign seemed fine and was appropriate with the signage on Milwaukee Avenue. Mr. Stilling noted that approval of this would likely carry forward to the property to the nort h. Commissioner Moodhe said that as long as the building elevation remained similar to the aesthetic with the previous plan, he was okay with the new plans. Commissioner Cohn was okay with a 25-foot sign. Regarding traffic, he asked if there was a safe left turn. Mr. Millan said that there was a lot of traffic on Milwaukee, but the safety would depend a lot on the Milwaukee improvements. Commissioner Cohn asked if there were any close calls during his observation; Mr. Millan said that he did see a few. Commissioner Cohn asked if there was any record of accidents in that area; however, Mr. Millan had not looked at this. There was some discussion regarding where the 06/1/2016 vehicles were coming from. Commissioner Cohn asked how many cars from the new property were anticipated; Mr. Millan said that he anticipated if the cars stacked past the entrance to the Speedway that most cars would turn right instead. Commissioner Cesario asked if the height of the building would change from 24 feet; Mr. Silverman said that the height would remain the same. Commissioner Cesario was supportive of the 25-foot sign. Commissioner Lesser said that he liked the two-building design but understood that combining the buildings allowed for more parking. He liked both designs and was pleas ed with the project overall. He was more concerned with the location, design, and materials of the sign more so than the height. He wanted to ensure that this did not impact sight lines for ingress-egress, particularly on Milwaukee Avenue. He also felt that this development helped the cohesiveness with other development in the area. He was not concerned with the flood plain issues as this was an improvement to what was on -site today. Commissioner Weinstein said that in the letter from Soos & Associates, the parking was noted as a variance; he asked if this variance was still required. Mr. Stilling said that the depth of the parking was the only variance for parking. Commissioner Goldspiel asked if there were any plans to address the flooding in the Pekara subdivision. Mr. Stilling said that the County Watershed Ordinance said that the best approach was to provide upstream compensatory storage which would help alleviate future issues. This developer was also going to complete additional watershed studies. Chairman Smith asked if any commissioners had an issue with the 25-foot sign No commissioners had issue with this. Chairman Smith entered the May 27, 2016 memo from Mr. Stilling as Exhibit Four. Michelle Fear (Ash Street) said that she knew a traffic study was conducted; however, there was usually a lot of traffic in this area. She noted that there were no sidewalks, and she was concerned about the traffic increasing. Catarina Kasha said that she knew this would affect traffic particularly during peak hours. With this and the other businesses in the area, she felt that there would be more traffic than what was stated. She also asked if there would be more trees put in between the building and the homes. Louis Schreiber (contracted developer to the north) congratulated the Village on getting this area developed. He said that there were three concerns, and he was confident Staff would address the issues. Circulation and traffic were issues particularly with a cross - access agreement. He said that his concern was that the current plan did not include an adequate truck turn. He was concerned that this would put the truck turn on his lot. Regarding the parking, he was concerned that there would be maximum capacity and would go into the north lot. Mr. Stilling added that conditions were in place in regards to 06/1/2016 revising the truck-turn conflict as well as maintaining 75 parking spaces. This would be finalized as part of the final engineering. Commissioner Goldspiel asked for clarification about the truck turn needing to accommodate “WB-40”; Mr. Inksbad said that most trailers were 40 or 53-foot. Mr. Schreiber showed a map with this details on accommodations needed. Mr. Stilling said that this would be a condition of an annexation agreement, so that the Village could enforce these provisions if needed. Commissioner Goldspiel asked about straight trucks; Mr. Stilling said that this would be a more advantageous alternative. Mr. Silverman thanked Staff for working through some difficult issues. He knew that these were precedent-setting issues. He was also concerned about traffic onto this site from the other. Commissioner Lesser asked when deliveries occurred as he thought these would occur during peak hours. Commissioner Cesario asked Mr. Silverman asked about the fence barrier to the west. Mr. Silverman said that a significant wood fence with evergreens was put in at a similar development in Libertyville. He wanted input from the neighbors on the landscape plan. Commissioner Cohn said that he had suggested traffic studies in the past; he noted that there was just some observing testimony given instead of a written report. He asked if Staff was satisfied with the traffic situation. Mr. Stilling said that a full traffic impact study was submitted to IDOT, and a copy was given to Staff. With the future widening of Milwaukee Avenue and the cross-access to the south, he felt that path would be more used and that the access to Pekara would be minimal as most people would not take this. Commissioner Moodhe said that from Pekara to Deerfield Road was 1,056 feet. There was adequate space there if IDOT decided to put in a light. He felt that the access to the north was critical and drivers would be using these properties. He said that these two properties needed to co-exist. Commissioner Khan said that there used to be two full-accesses off this property, and now there was one that was possibly changing to a one-way out. He asked if it was possible to have another full access south as this might help take away traffic. Mr. Milla n said that there was a full access to the medical building and Pekara. Without knowing how far the development would extend, the state would probably want to see an access further south from the signal. Commissioner Khan asked about moving the current access north and putting another one in south. Mr. Millan said that IDOT was more comfortable with accesses further from the signal. Commissioner Khan said that in the past he always recommended access to residential or commercial developments. He said that there was a mutual benefit for the access and felt that the two properties could work together. Mr. Schreiber said that he agreed that the access point was beneficial; he just asked that they be sustained separately. He wanted to make sure that there was an overall viability of the two developments. Commissioner Khan said that the conditions offered by Staff should address this to the comfort level requested. 06/1/2016 Ms. Fear asked if there was a potential for a stoplight at Pekara. Mr. Monico said that as it stood now, the warrants were probably not met. If traffic warrants were met at any point, this would be up to the unincorporated township or IDOT to install. She was concerned about a lot of overflow on Pekara. Mr. Kasha (Ash Street) said he thought the building looked nice but that there would be a lot of traffic. Mr. Monico said that Deerfield Road was approved by Lake County to be developed as well. Chairman Smith thanked Staff for the thorough plans and hard work. He also thanked the commission for the thoroughness and accountability. He thanked the developers for their patience and respect. There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Smith closed the public hearing at 9:01pm. Moved by Com. Weinstein, seconded by Com. Lesser, to recommend approval of the rezoning, Planned Unit Development, preliminary plan, special use for the drive -through and variations for lot area, parking lot design and additional wall signage, subject to the following conditions: 1. The proposed development shall be developed in substantial conformance to the plans attached as part of the petition. The final engineering plans and landscape plan shall be revised to reflect the most recent site plan dated May 27, 2016 (Exhibit A). 2. In the event the existing cross access to the south is eliminated, the owner of the subject property shall provide a turnaround in a manner acceptable to the Village. This may be achieved by prohibiting parking in the southernmost parking space located just to the north and east of the existing cross access connection. 3. Cash in lieu of an 8-foot wide sidewalk along Milwaukee Avenue shall be submitted in an amount acceptable to the Village Engineer. 4. A revised truck turning diagram utilizing a WB 40 truck template shal l be submitted and approved by the Village prior to the approval of final engineering. The truck turning diagram shall be revised to depict no conflicts with the parking spaces. All future truck deliveries shall be restricted to a truck size no larger than a WB 40 truck. This shall be reflected in all future leases. 5. A minimum of 75 spaces shall be maintained on the property at all times. 6. Final engineering shall be reviewed and approved by the Village Engineer. 7. The petitioner shall enter into a Reciprocal Cross Access Agreement with the property owner of the parcel directly to the north to allow for cross access. 8. The total gross square footage of all restaurant space as depicted on the site plan dated May 27, 2016 as “Quick Service Restaurants” sh all not exceed a combined square footage of 4,900 square feet. 9. The proposed freestanding sign shall be no greater than 25-feet in height. The final location of the freestanding sign shall be approved by the Village to insure that there are no line of sight issues. 10. The additional wall signage on the north and south elevations shall each not exceed 50 square feet in area. 06/1/2016 Commissioner Goldspiel was in opposition to the motion due to flooding concerns. Commissioner Cesario said that the Village had looked to develop this property and the one to the north. The biggest challenge was the traffic flow, and he felt the petitioner had put together a proposal better than what is there. This was a tough property and he was supportive of it. Commissioner Cohn said that he was very concerned about the traffic on Pekara Drive. This property required access to the north which made this possible for him to support. He felt that the current access was a safety issue, but if it was relying on people going to the north and the conditions were as stated, he was supportive. Commissioner Moodhe said that the property and developments there previously were not necessarily what the Village wanted. This property needed to be in the Village to move forward with any other annexation on Milwaukee Avenue. This development and the one to the north would be far better than what was there and better under Village control and ordinances than what was left there in its present state. He was in favor of the annexation and proposal. RESULT: RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE [7 TO 1] Next: 6/20/2016 7:30 PM MOVER: Mitchell Weinstein, Commissioner SECONDER: Scott Lesser, Commissioner AYES: Smith, Moodhe, Cesario, Cohn, Khan, Lesser, Weinstein NAYS: Stephen Goldspiel Regular Meeting Other Matters for Discussion None. Approval of Minutes 1. Planning and Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting - May 18, 2016 7:30 PM Commissioner Cesario moved to approve the meeting minutes from May 18, 2016. Commissioner Lesser seconded the motion. Commissioner Goldspiel said that on page 37 (six lines from bottom), Commissioner Goldspiel said that the most popular vehicle sold was Ford F -150 (not the largest). Commissioner Goldspiel said that on page 38 in the top paragraph seven lines down, it stated “if the large could be modified”. Commissioner Moodhe said that this was in reference to the detention area. Mr. Stilling said that this should be “if the large pond could be modified.” 06/1/2016 RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Frank Cesario, Commissioner SECONDER: Scott Lesser, Commissioner AYES: Smith, Moodhe, Cesario, Cohn, Goldspiel, Khan, Lesser, Weinstein Chairman's Report None. Committee and Liaison Reports None. Staff Report/Future Agenda Schedule There would not be a public hearing but there would be a meeting on June 15. The July meeting would be rescheduled. Public Comments and Questions None. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM Chris Stilling Director of Community Development APPROVED BY ME THIS 1st DAY OF June , 2016