2012-11-07 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan commission
Document Type: ❑A e
g nda 0 Minutes
Meeting ate: 11/07/2012
Type of Meeting:
PUBLIC HEARING
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
November 7, 2012
Veterinary Specialty Center, 1495 Busch Parkway
Special use for a veterinary rehabilitation facility
In the Industrial District
Chairman Smith called the hearing to order at 7:30 am in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo
Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Chairman Smith 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 Smith
Mr. Khan
Mr. Stark
Mr. Cohn
Ms. Myer
Mr. Weinstein
Ms. Johnson
Mr. Goldspiel
Mr. Matthews
Commissioner absent: None
Also present: Dr. Mitchell Robbins, Veterinary Specialty Center
Ms. Jodi Kennedy, Veterinary Specialty Center
Dr. Rob Gillette, Veterinary Specialty Center
Ms. Jeanette Potter, Veterinary Specialty Center
Ms. Beverly Sussman, Village Trustee
Mr. Mike Terson, Village Trustee
Mr. Andrew Stein, 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 1: Location Map
Exhibit 2: Location Map Oblique View
Exhibit 3: Letter dated 10/29/12 from Nicholas Panarese, Van Vlissingen and Co.
Exhibit 4: Business Plan Narrative
Exhibit 5: Site Plan of 1495 Busch Parkway
Exhibit 6: Proposed Floor Plan of 1495 Busch Parkway
Exhibit 7: Photo of Dog waste receptacle
Exhibit 8: Photo of outdoor elimination area (1 of 2)
Exhibit 9: Photo of outdoor elimination area (2 of 2)
Exhibit 10: Photo of Sharps container for medical waste
Exhibit 11: Memo from Mr. Pfeil to the Plan Commission dated 11/02/12
Dr. Mitchell Robbins stated the Veterinary Specialty Center started in 1976. Since then the
practice has grown and they have added more specialties. They moved into the facility at 1515
Busch Parkway in 2001. The building is 26,000 square feet, and there is no space to add more
services. They have therefore looked for additional space at other locations, and they have
partnered with some local regional hospitals to provide services outside the facility in Buffalo
Grove and they have these other satellite facilities.
Dr. Robbins noted the one specialty they have not been able to provide adequately at the
existing facility is rehabilitation services. This service requires expensive equipment and
adequate space.
Dr. Robbins stated they believe they provide excellent medicine but they also provide incredible
compassion and comfort to their clients. They are one of the few practices that provide grief
support free of charge whether it is one of their clients or not. They try to give back to the
community and to pet owners as much as they can because they believe that is what makes
them stand out amongst the others.
Dr. Robbins stated they have a very wide referral base and they have an alliance with the
University of Illinois. They will be using some of the services in Buffalo Grove in addition to the
Veterinary Specialty Center going down there to teach the students and residents and being
involved with the faculty and developing a great relationship with the vet school because they
believe in having a strong veterinary college in the State of Illinois.
Dr. Robbins stated they are professionals and good neighbors. There have been no complaints
despite the size and traffic they generate. They do generate about 100 clients per day and are
basically known as the veterinary hospital of Buffalo Grove and feel like they contribute quite bit
to the community and to the name of Buffalo Grove. They have an entire portion of their hospital
dedicated to developing community involvement
Dr. Robbins stated it is the new specialty of rehabilitation/sports medicine that requires this new
space and require their ability to affix equipment in a certain location and to build and develop
this part of their practice. He noted they have a couple of options but their preference is to be
here in Buffalo Grove although they have considered some other places in Glenview,
Northbrook and such. He stated they feel it is best to be close to their current location for
administrative purposes, client convenience and because there is that feel of neighborhood in
Buffalo Grove and they have developed a good relationship with the Village, the neighbors and
the support services they have.
Dr. Robbins stated it is their vision to build a premier veterinary rehabilitation and sports
medicine center in Buffalo Grove that will compliment what they do at 1515 Busch Parkway.
They think being close is ideal. The first thing they did was to recruit a specialist in the field of
veterinary sports medicine/rehabilitation. He would be someone who could come in with the
knowledge and expertise to provide the best possible care and to use that person to help to
build upon the practice they have already built and to use that person to help build a name for
that practice and to train their technicians and other doctors to solidify the excellent medicine
portion of their facility.
Dr. Robbins noted that at the last workshop meeting they had brought in their veterinary
architect. They felt it was important to hire someone who knew something about the ventilation
requirements for a building of this magnitude. That is where they are at now and Dr. Gillette will
talk about nurturing the national and international contacts that he has in an effort to try to build
a national presence for this facility and for Buffalo Grove.
Dr. Robbins reviewed the six criteria for a special use noting that the use is located close to
where their center is now and that provides a convenience for the 100 and so people who come
to Buffalo Grove. The experience that the Village has had with the veterinary center has
hopefully been one that shows it has been very well maintained and managed and that most
veterinary hospitals are cleaner than most neighborhoods because they are extremely diligent
about making sure their staff gets out there to keep it clean. He noted they understand that this
is a major sticking point for people not wanting veterinary hospitals in their neighborhood and
they are ultra sensitive to that. So they are out 3-4 times per day cleaning up at 1515 Busch
Parkway.
Dr. Robbins noted the second criterion pertains to the size and location of the facility, and
harmony with the district in which it is located. He stated the building is pre-existing so the size
already there and not an issue. He stated they believe the size of the suite they are renting is
more than adequate for their initial needs and should be more than adequate for their long term
growth. They located this in the corner unit which is somewhat set off to the side and somewhat
more private than the ones in the middle as far as access is concerned. He stated they planned
the facility such that the noisy part is off to that part of the wall where they will not be up against
the neighbors. They built in some safety factors as to how doors open and are putting in an
extra vestibule in the back so that dogs will not escape.
Dr. Robbins stated they will not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other properties in the
area and as with the health club and the hotel they will have a very good and harmonious
relationship with their next door neighbors in the office warehouse space. He stated they
understand this is a big concern and noted dogs will always be on leash when walked by staff
and clients will always have to be walked on a leash. He showed photos of the walking area
which is very well sheltered from the street by trees and a small berm.
Dr. Robbins continued with special use criteria noting that this special use will not impede or
hinder the development and use of adjacent land and buildings as the patients will be indoors at
all times and restricted to the immediate vicinity of the facility and when they are outside they will
be leashed at all times. He noted they believe some development might actually come from
having an internationally recognized sports medicine rehabilitation facility.
Dr. Robbins noted there are established adequate utilities for the facility. He further noted they
predict needing a total of 13-14 spaces at any given time which is based on having 6 or 7
employees and 6 or 7 clients with their dogs at any one time. The landlord has guaranteed them
20 spaces in the lease.
Dr. Rob Gillette stated it is exciting to him to see what can be done up here. He noted
rehabilitation is the assistance to animals when an injury occurs to reach the level they were at
before or to a level they have the potential to be. He noted they have applied the advances
made in the human sports medicine field and applied it to the veterinary field. From that comes
enhanced rehabilitative care.
He noted he is currently working with the U.S. Government, Veterans Administration in
developing service dogs or PTSD dogs to help with returning veterans. Working dogs love what
they do and they want to do it whenever they can so they identify dogs for that. Once those
dogs are chosen you want to do all you can as you are the guardian of that dog. If the dog
wants to go out in extreme heat to do his job we must find ways to protect them.
Dr. Gillette stated they find dogs who have the ability to do certain tasks and enhance their
capabilities to perform these tasks and then they find ways to apply them. They have done a
great deal of work with Amtrak with the explosive dogs, with the TSA, customs and border patrol
and these are some of their national clientele they will be working with the identify optimal ways
to allow these dogs to protect our nation's security.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked if the Village has had any experience with how the present
facility is operating in regard to animal waste and those kind of things.
Mr. Pfeil said he was advised by Brian Sheehan, Deputy Building Commissioner, that there have
been no complaints or issues relating to code compliance and property maintenance with the
existing veterinary center.
Trustee Terson noted this is an excellent plan and a great use of this type of space and he
wants to thank the vet center for having such a beneficial business in this community and as
they grow and expand keeping the business in this community.
Mr. Mark Hirshfield, 180 W Fox Hill Drive, commented that the service and care provided by the
Veterinary Specialty Center is excellent. He said he strongly supports approval for the new
facility based on his personal experience at the existing facility.
There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Smith
closed the public hearing at 8:12 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary
APPROVED BY
ERIC SMITH, Chair
Board or Commission: ❑ Plan commission
Document Type: 0 A e
g nda 0 Minutes
Meeting ate: 11/07/2012
Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting
REGULAR MEETING
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
November 7, 2012
Veterinary Specialty Center, 1495 Busch Parkway -
Special use for a veterinary rehabilitation facility in the Industrial District
Chairman Smith called the meeting to order at 8:15 p.m. in the Village Council
Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove,
Illinois.
Commissioners present: Chairman Smith
Mr. Khan
Mr. Stark
Mr. Cohn
Ms. Myer
Mr. Weinstein
Ms. Johnson
Mr. Goldspiel
Mr. Matthews
Commissioners absent: None
Also present:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Commissioner Goldspiel, seconded by Commissioner Khan to approve the
minutes of the regular meeting of October 17, 2012. Commissioner Khan noted a
typographical error on page 1 as well as page 5 to correct the spelling of Commissioner
Khan's name. All Commissioners were in favor of the amended motion and the motion
passed unanimously with Chairman Smith and Commissioner Myer abstaining.
COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS - None
VETERINARY SPECIALTY CENTER, 195 BUSCH PARKWAY - SPECIAL USE FOR A
VETERINARY REHABILITATION FACILITY IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
Moved by Commissioner Weinstein, seconded by Commissioner Khan to recommend
approval to the Village Board of the Petition of a special use for a veterinary services
facility in the Industrial District pursuant to Section 17.48.020.C.19 of the Village Zoning
Ordinance for the property at 1495 Busch Parkway.
Commissioner Cohn stated he feels this is the second high quality facility that has been
before this Plan Commission in the last six months or so servicing animals and it seems
Buffalo Grove is beginning to attract high quality animal services facilities which is a
good thing and we should continue to try to promote this and make it part of the Village's
identify.
Commissioner Myer thanked the petitioners for their high quality presentation, especially
the thorough coverage of the special use criteria.
Chairman Smith called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows:
AYES:Khan, Stark, Cohn, Myer, Weinstein, Johnson, Goldspiel, Matthews, Smith
NAYS:None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
The motion passed 9 to 0.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT- None
FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE
Mr. Pfeil noted there will be not be a meeting on November 21, 2012. The next regular
meeting is scheduled for December 5, 2012.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS-- None
STAFF REPORT- None
NEW BUSINESS - None
Moved by Commissioner Weinstein, seconded by Commissioner Johnson and carried
unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Smith adjourned the meeting at 8:17 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary
APPROVED BY:
ERIC SMITH, Chair