2012-06-06 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission
Document Type: ❑A e
g nda 0 Minutes
Meeting ate: 06/06/2012
Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting
REGULAR MEETING
June 6, 2012
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
Barkington Palace, 300 Lexington Drive—special use in the Industrial District
Bucky's Express, 1251 McHenry Road—amendment of planned unit development in the B-3
District and approval of a special use for an auto laundry
Chairman Smith walled the meeting to order at 7:30 pm 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. Johnson
Mr. Goldspiel
Mr. Matthews
Commissioners absent: Ms. Myer
Mr. Weinstein
Also present: Ms. Linda Webster, Barkington Palace
Ms. Renee Sclafani, Barkington Palace
Mr. Joseph Sclafani, The Lighthouse Services Group
Mr. Walter Hainsfurther, Kurtz Associates
Mr. Richard McMahon, Buchanan Energy
Ms. Beverly Sussman, Village Trustee
Mr. Mike Terson, Village Trustee
Mr. Andy Stein, Village Trustee
Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Commissioner Goldspiel, seconded by Commissioner Khan to approve the minutes of
the regular meeting of May 16, 2012. Commissioner Goldspiel noted a correction necessary on
page 2, paragraph 3 to include the word "were" present. Also on page 3, paragraph 5 to
change the word strip to "stripe". On page 4, paragraph 1 to change the word demising to
"dividing" and on page 9, paragraph 1 he noted the word strait be changed to "straight".
Commissioner Stark stated page 4, paragraph 5 should eliminate the double wordage of"the
pet".
Commissioner Cohn stated on page 4, paragraph 3 noted it is Commissioner Stark not
Commissioner Cohn who made the comment. He also noted on page 6, paragraph 8 the word
or be stricken and add a comma after the word drafted. On page 6, paragraph 9 he would like
to add "Ms. Sclafani agreed to talk to industry organizations about any standards or guidance
that may exist. On page 9, paragraph 13 he noted the word remove should be changed to
"re mova I".
Commissioner Johnson asked if on page 8 it was Ms. Sclafani or Ms. Webster who is the
architect.
All Commissioners were in favor of the amended motion and the motion passed unanimously.
COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS— None
BARKINGTON PALACE, 300 LEXINGTON DRIVE— PROPOSED PET RESORT IN THE INDUSTRIAL
DISTRICT— PETITION FOR A SPECIAL USE AND AMENDMENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
REGULATION TO ADD "PET RESORT" AS A SPECIAL USE—Workshop #1
Ms. Sclafani stated they are proposing a luxury pet resort in Buffalo Grove offering an indoor
dog park, boarding and day care. This will be a luxury facility, completely cage free and the only
indoor dog park in northwest Illinois. They are proposing "pet grass" with a drainage system for
the floor surface of the facility. She showed a sample of the material to the Commissioners. It
is state of the art and odor free and can be power washed, chemically washed and is used in
pet resorts and kennels throughout the country.
Ms. Sclafani stated they are now proposing to lease the building at 300 Lexington Drive, so they
will be a single tenant with their own parking.
Ms. Sclafani stated with respect to cleaning and waste removal inside the facility she has
spoken to Greg Boysen, Village Public Works Director, and he stated that as long as they use
retail-approved cleaning products versus industrial strength products they should have no
issues draining directly into the sanitary system. She noted there was a concern regarding the
use of plastic bags to dispose of dog waste. She stated she researched that and found some
alternative means. One new option is a biodegradable flushable bag that can actually be
flushed into the system and it will disintegrate and the other option is the "doggie do drain"
which connects directly into the system and has no bags. You just pour it in and pour it
through. The pet grass with the shark drain is what keeps the odor from sticking to the
concrete.
Ms. Sclafani stated they have 48 parking stalls dedicated to guests and employees which is
more than sufficient for their needs.
Ms. Sclafani stated she had also found out that the Illinois Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare
that operates under the Department of Agriculture, will inspect and license their facility. They
do that under an animal welfare act of the State of Illinois which provides them with the
guidelines for inspection. They have already submitted their application to have them come
out. The application specifically asks how they are disposing and cleaning things and who they
are housing etc.
Ms. Sclafani stated as far as the definition of"pet resort" they are proposing for the purposes of
this ordinance, a pet resort will be considered to be an establishment operated for the purpose
of boarding, day care, recreational facilities for animals and/or grooming of customary
household pets for compensation.
Ms. Sclafani stated they are not looking for any variances for signage. They are just looking to
replace the front of the existing sign to match their logo.
Ms. Sclafani stated as far as noise issues their standard sound transmission rating is at 71
decibels. They are 140 feet back from the closest residence and are separated by a privacy
fence. None of the activities will be outside, so noise should not be an issue.
Commissioner Stark noted the entrance to the parking lot is on the north side of the building so
traffic would circulate counter clockwise to come out on the south side. He asked where the
entrance to the facility is located.
Ms. Sclafani noted it is on the south side so that you would have to walk on the sidewalk.
Mr. Sclafani stated there are basically two sides that customers will enter. Ninety percent of
drop-off traffic will come around the loop to the south side and they will walk into the main
entrance of the 4,000 square foot facility which is where the retail center will be. The walking
distance across the parking lot with their pets is less than 50 feet. The remainder of the parking
would be in the back of the building and the north side of the building.
Commissioner Stark noted there are semi trailers in the back of the building now.
Mr. Sclafani noted that is the existing tenant, which will be vacating the building. The proposed
pet resort will occupy the building and have full use of the parking areas. As part of their leasing
agreement the parking lot will be resurfaced.
Commissioner Stark asked if the pet turf is similar to astro turf.
Mr. Sclafani stated yes and no. It is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-odor. They have
researched it and narrowed it down to three similar products that have the same resistance.
Their goal has to be a fresh smelling and enjoyable environment for their clients.
Commissioner Stark asked who the tenants are to the north and south.
Mr. Sclafani noted that north of the building is a security company. The building to the south of
them has three different units divided up and no sign.
Commissioner Cohn stated he appreciates the research on the waste and does not believe it is
an issue the Commission needs to focus on. He asked that a copy of the application to the
Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare be provided to the Village.
Commissioner Cohn asked what other types of animals they anticipate having besides dogs and
cats.
Ms. Sclafani stated it would be dogs, cats and perhaps hamsters or a bunny.
Commissioner Cohn noted the reason this is important is because if a new kind of facility is
being set up in the Village we would want to be very narrow to control other possible operators
that may want to have less desirable or dangerous animals such as snakes. He also noted the
types of facilities and services he has on his list that are to be provided are: boarding, day care,
play park, swimming pool and grooming.
Ms. Webster noted also vet service.
Mr. Sclafani noted they will only be doing inoculations and minimal vet services, not full
veterinary care.
Commissioner Cohn stated he proposes a definition for a pet resort as "a for profit indoor
establishment which contains three or more of the following facilities or services for dogs, cats,
hamsters and rabbits: boarding, day care, play park, swimming pool, grooming and limited
non-surgical vet services."
Commissioner Stark stated perhaps that is too limiting because someone might have a guinea
pig or something.
Mr. Sclafani stated many facilities use the term "small domestic pets".
Chairman Smith asked Mr. Pfeil if he had spoken to the Village Attorney about this use.
Mr. Pfeil said he has not yet spoken to Mr. Raysa about this, but he will consult with the Village
Attorney and the Village Building Commissioner. He noted that the Municipal Code has
regulations concerning animals that are outside of zoning. There are limitations on the types of
animals allowed in the Village.
Commissioner Stark asked if the small retail section should also perhaps be added.
Mr. Pfeil said the size of the retail area needs to be confirmed, as well as the products and
services that would be sold, and whether or not there would be general customer traffic or
would it be mainly for people already at the facility with their animals. Retail sales are allowed
as a special use in the Industrial District. The pet resort facility will be a special use, and the
retail sales will be an accessory use.
Commissioner Stark stated he feels it is important that this definition will exclude animal
shelters as it is to be "for profit."
Commissioner Goldspiel noted on drawing A2 there is a drawing of the building and some
parking areas and asked if the parking areas on the south side of the drawing which are labeled
23 and 13 apply to this facility or the one next door.
Ms. Sclafani stated they are part of this proposed facility.
Commissioner Goldspiel noted that on drawing Al there are a number of rectangles labeled 4x7
or 8x7 and he asked what those were.
Ms. Sclafani stated those are the suites. That is a pet's hotel room. It is walls and partitions
and a decorative gate for them for night time and quiet time.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked how many suites there would be.
Ms. Sclafani and Ms. Webster stated there is no exact number as the large suites will house
multiple dogs and the little suites will hold one dog.
Commissioner Goldspiel stated he would appreciate some more checking into whom the
parking spaces belong to.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked for some more information on what it is the state regulates.
Commissioner Matthews asked if the definition should also include kennel.
Mr. Pfeil said that a kennel is not an allowed use in the Village. He noted that veterinary
facilities and clinics are allowed. The pet resort is a more specialized use that has some aspects
of a kennel, but boarding is not the primary activity.
Chairman Smith noted the next step for the petitioner will be a public hearing. He commented
that the definition of pet resort needs to be clarified, and the petitioner should address the
special use criteria of the Zoning Ordinance at the public hearing.
BUCKY'S EXPRESS, 1251 MC HENRY ROAD— PROPOSED RE-BUILD OF GAS
STATION/CONVENIENCE STORE AND ADDITION OF AN AUTOMOBILE LAUNDRY (CAR WASH) IN
THE B-3 DISTRICT— PETITION FOR AMENDMENT OF A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT (PUD)
AND AMENDMENT OF THE B-3 DISTRICT REGULATION TO ADD "AUTOMOBILE LAUNDRY" AS A
SPECIAL USE—WORKSHOP #1
Mr. Hainsfurther stated Buchanan Energy is a privately-owned company based in Omaha,
Nebraska. Buchanan has purchased 82 Mobil stations from Exxon Mobil in the Chicago area.
Over the last five years the major oil companies have been shutting their retail assets to
concentrate on their upstream resources. They want to control everything that is in the ground
to the refinery and stop their and then have others refine it and sell it to the public. Mobil
elected to sell their assets to Buchanan Energy. Buchanan bought the assets in December, 2010
and decided what they wanted to keep and improve and Buffalo Grove is one of the first seven
they are looking at rebuilding.
Mr. Hainsfurther noted that part of that decision is being driven by the fact that there are some
requirements on their purchase agreement that require them to look at some of the facilities
and do some improvements to take ExxonMobil off of the hook with underground
improvements and this is one of those locations. Buchanan feels this is a location that is ripe
for redevelopment and they can rebuild and add more value to the customers and tax dollars to
the community. Because it is a privately owned company they look at things differently. Each
one of their facilities has to be a profit center. They are not in a position to invest a lot of
money and hope that it will be successful because it has to be.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated the station on this property has been improved about 30 years ago and
has not been touched since. It has a small convenience store underneath a canopy and there
are 7 fueling positions. ExxonMobil did buy the property immediately adjacent that abuts the
corner and went through a process previously where this was combined into a single lot. Now
Buchanan Energy will own the entire property to the corner. To the south is a multi-tenant
shopping center, directly behind the station is an access into a multi-family residential area on
Courtland Drive. Across Arlington Heights Road are a bank and another multi-tenant shopping
center. Kitty corner is the Shell/McDonaId's station.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they want to reconstruct the facility so that there are single dispensers
at each aisle as it helps traffic flow. This is necessary as gasoline is a convenience item and if
the facility looks crowded customers will go across the street or go down the road to the
nearest opportunity. It is very important that they have enough circulation space around it and
the pumps look as open as possible and we have as many as possible. They are talking about
building a 4,281 square foot convenience store that will serve the usual convenience items,
including food made on the premises, although with a very limited menu. With that they have
head in parking because it is a convenience item. People historically want to keep in visual
contact with their car so putting that head in is very important. Then they have a tunnel car
wash on the back of the building where they will be entering from the south and exiting from
the north.
Mr. Hainsfurther noted that on doing research and working with staff one of the interesting
things to come was that due to the length of the car wash it is considered an automobile
laundry as opposed to a car wash. The Shell across the street is also zoned B-3 but that is a 60
foot building and has the conveyor sticking out of the entrance end. In this case all of the
working machinery, including the entire conveyor is inside the building. Therefore one of the
requests is to allow an automobile laundry, which is a distinction under the Buffalo Grove Code,
to be constructed which is a conditional use under the B-3 District. A car wash is a permitted
use by right today. This proposed car wash reduces wait times and is more desirable and this is
a technicality only.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated the other request they are making is a variance from the transition yard
because they are bordering a residential district. They are required to have a 25 foot setback
and they have it at its narrowest point as 8.79 feet. The residences are actually further back
and there is still quite a distance and where they are closest to the residential area they are
91.07 to the nearest residence. They know noise has been a concern and will be bringing to the
public hearing a noise study.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated the noisiest part of this operation would be the dryers and they will be
the furthest away from the residential. Their noise studies done at other sites shows the noise
emanating from the car wash is almost always less than the ambient noise on the roadway that
surrounds the property. So the quiet end is really the part that is closest to the residences.
Also noise tends to travel in a straight line so it will not be able to bend itself back and hit the
residence. It will go out the door in the shape of a cone before it ever gets to that residence. It
will not be intrusive and the sound of water which is what is closest to the residences should
not be an issue for them.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated the other variance they are seeking is to reduce the required
landscaping along the right of way from 25 feet to 12 feet, particularly along McHenry Road and
they are asking for 10% feet on both approaches because of the size of the lot and the
amenities they need to put on there. These are all typical developments of convenience store
gas stations today. You won't find one where they are going to invest the type of money that
this investment implies with anything less than they are seeking to do here.
Mr. Hainsfurther reviewed the plans of the structure noting the stone columns in front. There
is an EIFS fascia above it. The interior is bright with floor to ceiling glazing with butt glass. The
building will be finished on all four sides and the building is made out of split face concrete
block. There will be glass block on the back of the car wash because they want natural light to
be able to come in. All the roof top equipment will be screened with a pre-finished metal
screen and it is finished on all four sides. There is EIFS on the tower element above the
concrete block and EFIS on the fascia. He noted they have been working with the Village
Engineer on addressing any issues he may have and they are confident they will be able to do
what is necessary to his satisfaction.
Commissioner Johnson stated it looks like a big improvement to the corner and welcomes that
but she does feel that they are trying to put too much into one area. She noted concern with
the 8.79 foot clearance in the back. She asked if there might be a way to condense this
property to get to the 12 foot setback landscape in front and add some room in the back.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated not without compromising the safety of customers moving around on
the site. He noted they have constructed this with minimal distances as you have turning
maneuvers that must be able to be made. They have looked at putting some of the elements in
other places and it just does not work as well.
Commissioner Johnson asked if there was not some room between the pumps and the parking
spots in front of the store.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they have certain minimum standards that they found over their time
in business that work for their customers and they have designed this to the minimum that
works for their business.
Commissioner Johnson asked if access will be allowed to southbound Arlington Heights Road at
the driveway on the west side of the site.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated yes. From a traffic standpoint they have found these are traffic tappers
not generators so you are usually stopping on your way to or from some place else. In this case
they would probably see very few cars, even though the opportunity is there, because it would
be much easier for someone headed southbound on Arlington Heights Road to cross the street
and go to the Shell.
Commissioner Johnson asked that since it will be possible to turn in off of southbound Arlington
Heights Road could we then eliminate the Courtland Drive access.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they can do that.
Commissioner Johnson asked if headlights from cars stacking for the car wash would bother any
neighbors in the area.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they are landscaping in that area to buffer those headlights from the
adjacent residential development.
Commissioner Johnson asked if it would be sufficient and noted there is a detention pond in
their too.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they would certainly be willing to look at a fence or some other means
of making that more acceptable to the Village.
Commissioner Johnson asked if the seven islands serve fourteen cars.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated yes.
Commissioner Johnson noted an error on the plans since the cars are purported to be entering
on the east and exiting on the west.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated it is incorrect on the plans.
Commissioner Stark asked Commissioner Johnson if she wanted a separate entrance going
southbound on Arlington Heights Road and not going onto Courtland Drive.
Commissioner Johnson noted they were showing both entrances but now they are showing
entrances on both Arlington Heights Road and Courtland Drive when they eliminate that house
and there will be direct access from the road.
Mr. Hainsfurther noted Commissioner Johnson is asking if they would close of Courtland which
they are willing to do.
Commissioner Stark noted coming from southbound Arlington Heights Road that might be a
tough turn to make because there are stacking issues at the light.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they are willing to work with the Commission and do whatever the
Commission feels is best.
Commissioner Stark asked if the footprint changing the impervious surface.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated there would probably be some additional paved surface.
Commissioner Stark asked what direction that would be going.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated it would likely be primarily closest to the residences and Courtland.
Commissioner Stark asked what the house area would be utilized for.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated because of the configuration of the development that gets used as
well. The whole development is somewhat wider as well as deeper as the canopy is longer
because they have more dispensers in a row. Because it is an odd shaped site the house area
will be utilized as well.
Commissioner Stark asked what will be where the school is now.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated it is pretty much open and paved and primarily circulation.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked about the history of the old school building.
Mr. Pfeil said the structure was used as a school, but more recently it was a real estate office.
Commissioner Goldspiel stated he would be interested in knowing if it is an historical building
and what the store is.
Commissioner Goldspiel agreed with Commissioner Johnson's comments on the setback. He
asked if a lot of north/south space could be saved by making the drive in front of Bucky's
Express a one way westbound. That would give all the circulation needed because the pump
aisles are slanted in a direction that would have people going westbound as they came out
a nyway.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated the problem is that even to come out and go westbound you have to
pull out and make a left hand turn and in addition you are going to have cars backing out of the
parking places and this brings an inherent conflict point between those if it is not wide enough.
You would not cut down enough to get 25 feet back there.
Commissioner Goldspiel noted that one of the things that could be done is slant the parking
spaces and perhaps slant the pumps a bit more that would encourage that movement.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated these are convenience uses. If the site is not convenient for someone
to use they will not go there and if they do not go there they cannot make the investment in
improving the property.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked if there are any plans for more detention.
Mr. Hainsfurther noted the engineering plans were provided in their submission and it
addresses the issue either with oversized pipe or some additional underground connection.
There is going to be underground detention along McHenry Road and another large pipe that
runs parallel to Arlington Heights road and back to about the area of the Courtland entrance so
there is substantial underground piping that is being addressed. There is also a detention area
that is located just to the south of the property and another one that will be created in back of
the car wash. They are working with the village engineering staff that will have final approval of
all engineering that will have to meet the stormwater management ordinance in order for them
to get a building permit.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked how they will handle emergency access to the retail building in
the car wash.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated the site has been reviewed by both the Police and Fire Department and
they have had no comments or concerns expressed.
Commissioner Goldspiel questioned whether they had any concerns in accessing the back of
the structure.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they are able to access the back of the structure through the normal
drive-throughs and there is a driveway that runs almost up to the back of their building that
services the multi-tenant retail building to the south. Also this building will have sprinklers
which are a requirement of the Village and it is also an all masonry building.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked where refuse and loading would be located.
Mr. Hainsfurther noted the dumpster enclosure next to the Courtland Drive access made of
masonry to match the building. He noted a loading space is not required here. Deliveries here
are made through the front door usually during non-peak hours.
Commissioner Goldspiel noted concern with what opening the access onto Arlington Heights
Road would do for the traffic there. He stated he is not sure there is enough distance there to
the next intersection. He stated it might be good to have some traffic people look at this.
Mr. Hainsfurther noted there are two driveways leading from the office building onto Arlington
Heights Road and they will be combining them into one. One of them is very close to the
Courtland Drive area and the other is down somewhat. Also there are currently two driveways
off of McHenry Road and they will be combining those from two to one. They feel they are
offering a better traffic situation than what exits now.
Commissioner Goldspiel noted the difference is that the existing building there has very little
traffic associated with it and this will have a great deal more traffic.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated what you find is that these are traffic tappers. People are stopping on
their way to or from some place and most people make right in and right out turning
maneuvers. Very seldom will they make a left turn but they want to preserve that option. The
Village is pretty well convinced that there is no traffic issue that will be generated here.
Commissioner Cohn stated he agrees with Commissioner Goldspiel about angled parking which
would allow the structure to be brought a bit further south of the residential and expand the
setback it would not detract from him wanting to go here. He would have no problem with a
narrower lane there. He noted he likes the Courtland Drive exit because he knows the left turn
lane fills up on Arlington Heights road and it will be hard at certain times to make a left turn
there and it will be easier to make the left turn on Courtland Drive. He does not see the
Courtland Drive exit as a terrible inconvenience to the residents. He noted there is already a
Courtland Drive exit coming out of the Spoerlein mall.
Chairman Smith noted that in 2004 the approved plan required closing the access to Courtland
Drive. He would like to have the developer's perspective about this access, and whether
conditions have changed since 2004.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they like to have as much as access as they can for customer
convenience. The advantage of leaving it open means that if you are going to turn left on
Arlington Heights Road it becomes an easier maneuver because you are not fighting the turning
bay but it is certainly safer the further away you get from an intersection.
Mr. Pfeil said he will check the 2004 records concerning the traffic analysis that was conducted.
Commissioner Cohn noted his other point is about expanding the setback from the residential
area by reducing the pavement field in front of the convenience store. He said that as a
customer, the reduced pavement area would not keep him away.
Mr. Richard McMahon stated they bought these stores and what they know they need to feel
comfortable about signing a loan to build all of these is they know they have certain minimal
dimensions and certain things that are the key to making their store successful. If he cannot do
that he will just walk away from the store and work on the other stores. They have to have 35
feet from the back of the front parking lot curb to the front of the nearest point of the gas
pump islands. They have dimensions from the back of the canopy pole to the beginning of the
parking spaces that they know they need so that people can make these maneuvers.
Mr. McMahon stated that doing a herringbone parking as is being discussed, they are not
comfortable and they just will not make the investment since they do not know how that will
work. This is a very competitive business and the ones here have been around a long time and
have amortized their businesses. He noted that of the 81 stores they have bought they have
selected ones they think should be rebuilt first but he needs a comfort level before they do it. If
they do not control as many of the variables as they can and then the stores fails they do not
know why. He noted he will work with the Commission and the Village on just about anything
but they know there are certain things they need to make it work. They need seven pumps,
certain minimal dimensions on them when they are arrayed that way and they know what the
clearances have to be. They must be able to get an 18 wheeler in there to move around on the
site to drop fuel and the delivery trucks are also long trucks that come over the road.
Mr. McMahon stated he wants to knock this building down, put a sizable investment into the
community, hire some people, have well paying jobs for the managers and assistant managers
and upward mobility for people and add something to be proud of
Mr. Hainsfurther noted it might help the Commission when they bring an exhibit to the public
hearing where they clearly delineate how much of the building is really in the setback. Because
of the shape of the site and the orientation of the building it is not as much as we think it is.
Commissioner Cohn asked if the petitioner is planning on replacing the underground storage
tanks.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated yes and that they are required to do so by contract.
Commissioner Cohn asked if they have done the environmental due diligence on that and is
there any contamination.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated he does not believe any contamination has shown up on phase 1.
Mr. McMahon stated he is not sure of any of that yet. He noted they under a requirement with
the ExxonMobil purchase agreement that this site and two other stores require the tanks to be
SI
taken out by August 31 and they will be replaced with state of the art double walled tanks,
double walled pipes and interstitial monitoring that would turn off the system if it detects any
water or fuel inside those walls. He stated the Illinois EPA is monitoring this. Mobil does not
want someone coming in the future legally.
Commissioner Cohn asked if Mobil is responsible if there is environmental contamination
before Buchanan was the owner.
Mr. McMahon stated yes.
Commissioner Cohn asked if the petitioner had the ability to compel Mobil to act faster if they
are not doing enough or are they just responsible for doing whatever the IEPA tells them.
Mr. McMahon stated ExxonMobil is extremely risk averse about anything to do with
environmentals and they are absolutely towing the line. The environmental fund in Illinois is
funded by 4/10ths of a percent on every gallon of gasoline that is bought so there is always
money if there is a remediation.
Commissioner Cohn asked if there are contingencies in the construction plan if there is
significant contamination not known that will not disrupt construction plans.
Mr. McMahon stated they would still be able to build. However, in the old days when you
found contamination you had to do a dig and haul and take it to a special landfill. Nowadays if
there are no wells around the area basically the state tells you that it is to be remediated on
site without digging and hauling it.
Commissioner Johnson noted that under the purchase agreement with ExxonMobil certain
improvements must be made to the facility whether this development goes ahead or not and
asked what those improvements would be.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated that the underground storage tanks and fueling system only would be
changed.
Chairman Smith asked what the square footage of the convenience building would be.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated it would be 24 x 29 roughly and about 900 square feet.
Chairman Smith asked about the hours for the auto laundry.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they would prefer it to be 24/7, of course.
Chairman Smith asked what the hours are at the Shell station.
Mr. Pfeil said he will verify that. He noted the previous approval for this site also limited the car
wash hours.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they will work with staff and evaluate the question and they are
amenable to working with staff on that issue.
Chairman Smith asked what changes on lighting there would be.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated they will all be LED lights which are a huge advantage as there is a lot
less intensity, a lot more focus than what is out there today. They do have a photometric plan
as part of the package or they will provide one. Generally they have found the foot candles
with the LED lighting are significantly less than what currently exists.
Mr. McMahon noted the LED lights are surface mounted so you do not the pools of light
underneath the canopy like you see with current stores. You just do not get the hotpots under
the canopy.
Chairman Smith asked about homeowner notice of this development.
Mr. Pfeil noted that any property within 250 feet of the site would get a notice concerning the
public hearing. He said that he sent agendas of this meeting to residents in the three buildings
closest to the site so they would have the opportunity to attend this workshop.
Mr. McMahon noted he talked at one time about meeting with a homeowner's association if
there was one and he would be happy to meet with them before a public hearing.
Trustee Terson stated he has not heard anything tonight that would make him not favor this
project.
Trustee Sussman stated she would like to know about any historical significance of the house
on site and if it is whether it could be moved somewhere else.
Mr. Martin Sussman stated the Peacock station to him is the epitome of the perfect station and
he wonders how this site will compare to that facility.
Mr. Hainsfurther stated the Peacock station is for sale because it cannot financially justify the
investment that has been made. They are not going to create all the special architecture
necessarily but in terms of the quality of what you are getting he thinks this will stand by itself
as a first class operation.
Mr. Pfeil asked for direction from the commission relative to a traffic impact analysis, the
Courtland Drive being open or not, and the impact on the traffic queuing on Arlington Heights
Road. He asked if the commission had any direction on what they need in the way of analysis
by a traffic expert.
Commissioner Stark stated he thinks that would be needed because the way it is now with the
Courtland entrance works very well and to move the entrance closer to Arlington Heights Road
might be more difficult for cars to get out of the area.
Chairman Smith noted the entrance on Arlington Heights Road is a given but it is just question if
the one on Courtland is going to stay. He stated he would like to know the benefits and
downfalls of Courtland Drive.
Mr. Pfeil said the typical procedure is that the petitioner provides a traffic report and then the
Village would review it.
Commissioner Johnson stated she would like the traffic report to show how traffic is going to
work using the Courtland Dr entrance and exit along with the car wash exits, the refuse
collection and all the parking on the side of the building.
Commissioner Khan stated he would like to follow the usual process where the applicant hires
their own traffic analyst and then the Village reviews the report and then the Village has their
own consultant look at it.
Commissioner Khan stated he would not like to see the existing access to a site getting closed.
He would like to see traffic getting dispersed in all directions and finding its own way to get out
which would just balances out traffic rather than just funneling traffic onto one street and
especially here where two access points would be closed. Therefore he would like to see the
Courtland access remain open if all traffic consultants agree.
Commissioner Goldspiel stated he thinks the width of the driveway onto Arlington Heights road
needs to be looked at.
Chairman Smith asked if this is prepared to go to a public hearing.
Mr. Pfeil noted that review of the building appearance and sign package needs to be done prior
to the public hearing. He noted that the updated Village Sign Code gives the Plan Commission
the authority to review signs for projects such as planned unit developments.
Chairman Smith noted what was required for the public hearing as homeowner notice,
notification to the homeowner's association, photometrics, hours of the car laundry and the
traffic study and access off of Courtland and the exhibit that more clearly delineates what the
variances in the back area and how much of the building is impacted by that.
Mr. McMahon noted they have oversized the underground stormwater detention and have
worked with the Village and the owner of the neighboring shopping center because the
detention pond is shared. The shopping center owner is supportive of the proposed
redevelopment plan and stormwater modifications.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT— None
FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE
Mr. Pfeil said that the next will be on July 18, 2012.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS— None
STAFF REPORT
NEW BUSINESS - None
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Commissioner Stark, seconded by Commissioner Khan and carried unanimously to
adjourn. Chairman Smith adjourned the meeting at 9:28 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary
APPROVED BY:
ERIC SMITH, Chair