2009-12-02 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission
Document Type: 0 A e
g nda 0 Minutes
Meeting ate: 12/02/2009
Type of Meeting:
PUBLIC HEARING
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
December 2, 2009
Buffalo Grove Martial Arts, 700 Armstrong Drive—
Special use for a recreational facility in the Industrial District
Chairman Ottenheimer called the hearing to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers,
Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Chairman
Ottenheimer 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 Ottenheimer
Mr. Smith
Ms. Bocek
Mr. Teplinsky
Mr. Stark
Mr. Cohn
Ms. Myer
Mr. Weinstein
Commissioners absent: Mr. Khan
Also present: Mr. Bert Witte, NHW Enterprises, Inc.
Mr. Jerry Conroy, JMC Real Estate Investments
Ms. Beverly Sussman, 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 A: Proposal for Special Use Permit
Exhibit B: Memo to the Plan Commission from Mr. Pfeil dated November 25, 2009
Exhibit C: Plat of survey dated January 13, 1988
Mr. Bert Witte stated the purpose of his petition for a special use permit for the relocation of his
current business from 144 Mc Henry Road to 700 Armstrong Drive to increase the usable space
and class offerings that he currently provides. He stated he teaches karate, kick boxing and
Israeli self defense courses. He stated his current location is 3, 800 square feet and the new
location size is 11,250 square feet, 2,500 square feet of which is office space and 9,000 square
feet of open warehouse space.
Mr. Witte stated the target ages for his business are 4 years and up through adults of various
ages. He stated karate instruction for children from the ages of 4-13. Krav Maga Israeli self
defense training, fitness kick boxing for adults and zumba which is an aerobic dance group
exercise are taught. His hours of operation are Mondays through Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to
9:00 p.m. He is closed on Fridays. Saturday hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and they are closed
on Sundays with the exception of the last Sunday of each month when he holds belt testing from
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for the karate students. He stated his classes start at 4:00 p.m. during the
work week and run for 40-50 minutes each. Tuesdays and Thursdays he starts a 30 minutes class
for 4-7 year olds at 4:00 p.m. He stated his peak hours of operation for Buffalo Grove Martial
Arts occur from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and these peak hours are
caused when adult classes begin and the childrens' classes are ending. Saturday morning classes
have a peak time of 9:30 a.m. Since the times are after the neighboring business hours are closed
for the day and truck deliveries are completed for the day traffic congestion will be minimal for
the members and neighbors of the area.
Mr. Witte stated from time to time he conducts seminars, usually on Saturday afternoons or
Sundays. He stated they host birthday parties for students that are enrolled in the school as well
as people from outside the school who wish to have a karate theme party. Parties are usually
scheduled Saturday afternoons after regular classes have concluded. Certain other events are
scheduled for Friday evenings from 6:00-9:00 p.m. He noted they have a Halloween party on a
Friday evening at about 7:00 p.m. and movie nights during the spring. In the summertime they
like to have parents come in to have social time with other members of the school.
Mr. Witte stated he has no plans for food services of any kind on the premises. He further stated
transportation is provided by the members as well as the parents for children. He stated there are
18 lined parking spaces in the parking area on the east side of the building. The parking area is
44 feet in width from the building to the curb that demarks the east property line. With cars
parked in the 18 lined spaces there is room for an additional 8 cars along the curb on the east
property line which would not impede any movements of cars coming in and out of the parking
spots. The truck dock inside the building will accommodate four cars. There is also a driveway
apron in front of the rollup door at the northwest corner of the building which will accommodate
another four cars. He reviewed the schematics of the lot location with an overview of the street
drives.
Mr. Witte stated Buffalo Grove Martial Arts is a full service martial arts school that offers
training and instruction to individuals ranging from 4 years of age to adult. Training programs
include karate, krav maga and kickboxing as well as yoga and zumba. He stated he is the owner
of the business, and is at the business daily during hours of operation. He stated he is also the
president of NHW Enterprises which is the S Corporation of Buffalo Grove Martial Arts. He
stated he is a martial arts instructor with over 25 years of martial arts experience and 15 years of
teaching experience. He stated the formation of his company was the result of his teaching
remote programs at the Buffalo Grove Fitness Center and he also taught programs for such
organizations as Clearbrook. He continues to teach for the Northwest Special Recreation
Association.
Commissioner Teplinsky noted his concern with going from 3,800 square foot facility with
almost unlimited parking to an 11,000 square foot facility with what appears to be very limited
parking and maybe no opportunity for pick ups and drop offs of people attending the training
classes. He asked what the peak parking needs will be at the facility because it appears to be
tight especially with hoped for expansion at the new facility.
Mr. Witte noted his classes do not run at the same time so that there is coming and going at
different times. Classes are 50 minutes in length so there is 10 minutes for students to come out
and the next students to come in. Most kids come between 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. At the current
Town Center location, even with ample parking available, parents drop off their children for the
most part. He showed the location of the main entry door in the proposed new location in
relation to the parking lot.
Commissioner Teplinsky asked if Mr. Witte expected parents to pull up in front of the facility on
Armstrong to let their kids off or pull into the parking lot for drop offs.
Mr. Witte stated the east parking lot can be used to drop off and pick up, and a sidewalk extends
all the way to the building entrance. He stated he does not know what the parents will do. He
further stated that in speaking to his members about the relocation to the 700 Armstrong building
they have not really commented.
Commissioner Teplinsky asked if Mr. Witte believes that the 18 spots will be adequate for
clients to park and parents to pick up their kids.
Mr. Witte noted that the traffic he had today at his current facility illustrates the probable parking
demand. From 6:30 p.m. when the kids' classes were ending and the adult class was starting he
counted 36 drivers. With the 18 lined spaces, the four spaces on the back driveway apron for
employee parking, four spaces inside the building and the 8 along the east curb of the parking
lot, he believes there will be more than sufficient parking for his customers.
Commissioner Teplinsky noted confusion with the number of parking spots indicated.
Mr. Witte stated there would 34 spots. There four and four on the aprons. There are eight along
the backside of the curb in the parking area and the 18 marked spaces. He further noted that if
his parking does become an issue he may approach some of his neighbors in the business park to
see if he can use some of their parking.
Chairman Ottenheimer asked if Mr. Witte had discussed the parking on the aprons and truck
dock areas with the Fire Department.
Mr. Witte stated he wants to use those primarily for his employees.
Chairman Ottenheimer noted the Fire Department wants to maintain travel lanes wide enough to
get their equipment through. He stated he is not sure if that is going to be an issue but it is
something to be looked into. He noted that he does not want Mr. Witte to assume he will have
those spaces, and then after the zoning is approved, find out that the Fire Department has
concerns about emergency access.
Mr. Pfeil commented that the Village's Deputy Fire Marshal is aware of the petition but has not
been advised about the parking on driveway aprons and along the east property line that is being
described tonight. He said that the additional parking being proposed will need to be reviewed by
the Deputy Fire Marshal and Deputy Building Commissioner.
Commissioner Smith asked what the maximum number of people would be in the facility at one
time.
Mr. Witte stated the maximum now is about 42.
Commissioner Smith asked if Mr. Witte has discussed the turning restrictions at the Armstrong
Drive and Lexington Drive intersection with his members.
Mr. Witte stated everyone he has spoken to is aware of the turning restrictions at Lexington
Drive and Armstrong Drive.
Commissioner Smith asked for a review of the interior or the building.
Mr. Witte reviewed the proposed interior plans for the building.
Commissioner Smith asked how many classes are going on at one time and how many people in
each class.
Mr. Witte stated that tonight there are 16 in his level one class and 8 in the level two class. At
maximum there are usually 12-16 students per class.
Commissioner Myer asked if there will be additional classes compared to the current location.
Mr. Witte stated yes; there will be two additional classrooms.
Commissioner Myer asked if this meant there would be incremental parking requirements as a
result of that assuming that additional classes are added that may run simultaneously.
Mr. Witte stated yes and no. He stated if students come in early for class or if they want to stay a
bit later after class they can do additional training on heavy bags, etc. or they can train with
another member of the class. He stated his student base now is 242, but not all of them are
active. Some come in one day a week and others might come in three days per week.
Commissioner Myer paraphrased what she heard and noted that there will be two classrooms
beyond what is at the current facility and one of which is not necessarily going to be for the
purpose of offering ongoing classes.
Mr. Witte stated that was correct.
Commissioner Myer noted Mr. Witte's lease is probably expiring and he has an opportunity to
expand by relocating to a new facility.
Mr. Witte stated it is a financial move for him rather than an opportunity to expand. He stated he
is in a position where he can purchase the building as an equity property rather than paying rent.
Commissioner Teplinsky asked if the number of handicapped parking spaces will need to be
increased by the proposed use and, if so, that will certainly affect the number of available spaces
as well.
Mr. Witte stated there are two handicapped space there now.
Commissioner Teplinsky noted that really there are then only 16 parking spaces available.
Mr. Witte stated yes.
Commissioner Weinstein asked if there restrictions on parking on the aprons and truck docks.
Mr. Pfeil said that the Deputy Fire Marshal will review the proposed parking to determine if
there are any issues affecting emergency exiting from the building or access for emergency
response personnel. He noted that parking is currently not allowed on Lexington Drive or
Armstrong Drive, and the landscaped front yard on the property along Lexington can't be used
for parking.
Mr. Witte noted the parking along Lexington Drive on the west side of the building would only
be on the driveway apron in front of the rollup door. He said that the other driveway apron at the
southeast corner of the building along Armstrong Drive could also be used for parking.
Mr. Pfeil noted again that the Deputy Fire Marshal has not reviewed the proposed additional
parking on the driveway aprons, inside the building and along the east property line.
Commissioner Weinstein stated he would also recommend that the parking on the Lexington side
around the concrete pad be checked out as to how one gets in or out of the building.
Mr. Witte noted there is a door right there with a light above it. He further noted there is an
additional exterior door that is located in the parking lot area.
Trustee Sussman thanked Mr. Witte for doing programs at Clearbrook and NWSRA.
Mr. Raysa noted the testimony given about parking on the east boundary line of the lot going
north and south. He asked if that leaves enough room to back out if one is parked in the parallel
spots.
Mr. Witte stated he tested it and there is enough room.
There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Ottenheimer
closed the public hearing at 8:10 p.m.
NOTE: After discussion in the regular meeting, the hearing was re—opened and continued to
December 16, 2009 to allow the petitioner the opportunity to confirm the amount and
location of additional parking that could be provided on the property.
Respectfully submitted,
Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary
APPROVED BY:
LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chair
Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission
Document Type: 0 A e
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Meeting ate: 12/02/2009
Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting
REGULAR MEETING
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
December 2, 2009
Buffalo Grove Martial Arts, 700 Armstrong Drive—
Special use for a recreational facility in the Industrial District
Chairman Ottenheimer called the meeting to order at 8:10 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers,
Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
Commissioners present: Chairman Ottenheimer
Mr. Smith
Ms. Bocek
Mr. Teplinsky
Mr. Stark
Mr. Cohn
Ms. Myer
Mr. Weinstein
Commissioners absent: Mr. Khan
Also present: Mr. Bert Witte, NHW Enterprises, Inc.
Mr. Jerry Conroy, JMC Real Estate Investments
Ms. Beverly Sussman, Village Trustee
Mr. William Raysa, Village Attorney
Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Weinstein to approve the minutes
of the public hearing of November 4, 2009. All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and
the motion passed unanimously with Commissioners Smith and Teplinsky abstaining.
Moved by Commissioner Weinstein, seconded by Commissioner Stark to approve the minutes of
the regular minutes of November 4, 2009. Commissioner Stark noted a required change at the
top of page three which indicates his decision was not affected by the presence of a sex offender.
Commissioner Cohn also asked to add a sentence to page three to his comment stating "these
cases are hard and tonight we heard from nice people on both sides who all had sympathetic
stories."
All Commissioners were in favor of the amended motion and the motion passed unanimously
with Commissioners Smith and Teplinsky abstaining.
COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS—None
BUFFALO GROVE MARTIAL ARTS, 700 ARMSTRONG DRIVE — SPECIAL USE FOR A
RECREATIONAL FACILITY IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
Moved by CommissionerTeplinsky, seconded by Commissioner Cohn to recommend approval to
the Village board of the petition for a special use for a recreational facility in the Industrial
District, specifically to operate Buffalo Grove Martial Arts at 700 Armstrong Drive in Buffalo
Grove.
Commissioner Cohn stated that based on what has been heard tonight he does not believe criteria
number six of the special use requirements in the Zoning Ordinance is satisfied regarding
parking areas to be of adequate size for the particular use and shall be designed to prevent traffic
hazards, eliminate nuisance or minimize traffic congestion. He stated he would like to amend the
motion with condition that the Deputy Fire Marshal and Village staff verify that the additional
parking is acceptable. If the motion does not include this condition, he will vote no. He moved to
amend the motion, subject to:
I. Review by the Deputy Fire Marshal to evaluate whether parking on the driveway
aprons would affect emergency access in and out of the building;
2. Review by Village staff to evaluate whether parking on the aprons would pose an
aesthetic detriment to the area;
3. Review of the traffic impact on Lexington Drive and Armstrong Drive during peak
traffic times due to traffic entering and leaving the site.
Commissioner Teplinsky asked about the possible situation where the Commission makes a
favorable recommendation for the special use, and then the Deputy Fire Marshal determines that
the additional parking can't be allowed on the driveway aprons.
Commissioner Cohn stated he would prefer not to vote on the recommendation tonight so that
the Village staff and the Deputy Fire Marshal can assess the issues and provide a
recommendation to the Commission.
Chairman Ottenheimer asked if Commissioner Cohn is making a motion to defer action on the
recommendation and to re—open the public hearing to allow additional information to be
presented concerning off—street parking on the property.
Commissioner Cohn affirmed that he is making a motion to defer action on the recommendation
and to re—open the public hearing.
Commissioner Teplinsky seconded the motion.
Chairman Ottenheimer noted there has been a motion to re—open the public hearing to address
the three issues concerning parking, emergency access and traffic impact that Commissioner
Cohn has referenced and to defer the discussion of a recommendation concerning the special use
petition until the public hearing is concluded.
All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and the motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Witte stated he had spoken to Ghida Neukirch about the parking requirements for a special
use in the Industrial District, and she indicated that the standard is one off—street space per 1,000
square feet of building area. There are 18 parking spots for an 11,250 square foot building so
there would be no violation of the ordinance.
Commissioner Cohn noted that the Plan Commission is applying the special use criteria of the
Zoning Ordinance, not the minimum parking standard. It is not just the one space per 1,000
square feet of building area issue, but rather the issue of whether there is a traffic impact,
emergency access and public safety issues and aesthetic impact. These issues have to be
considered under the special use ordinance. He said the Commission needs to get more complete
information on these issues to determine if the special use criterion concerning adequate parking
has been satisfied.
Mr. Witte stated most traffic goes straight down Lexington and there are no more delivery trucks
at the hour of his classes so the traffic congestion together with safety will not be an issue.
Chairman Ottenheimer noted that after the Plan Commission has evaluated the additional
information, the Commission will determine if the traffic impact and public safety issues have
been adequately addressed.
Mr. Witte stated time is an issue for him as his current lease is up in March, 2010 and his
proposed closing to purchase the building for his new location is January 15th. If things do not
work out here, his only other alternative will be to move his business out of town.
Commissioner Cohn asked if this matter can be expedited.
Mr. Pfeil said the additional information can provided for the December 16 meeting. He noted
that if the Plan Commission completes its recommendation, an ordinance concerning the special
use could then possibly be forwarded to the Village Board for the December 21s' agenda.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT—None
FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE
Mr. Pfeil noted that there will be a meeting on December 16, 2009 to accommodate the petition
for Buffalo Grove Martial Arts.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS—None
STAFF REPORT—None
NEW BUSINESS—None
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Bocek and carried unanimously to
adjourn. Chairman Ottenheimer adjourned the meeting at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary
APPROVED BY:
LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chair