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2009-02-18 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 02/18/2009 Type of Meeting: PUBLIC HEARING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION February 18, 2009 Update of the Village Comprehensive Plan 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. Khan Mr. Teplinsky Mr. Stark Mr. Cohn Ms. Myer Commissioners absent: Mr. Smith Ms. Bocek Mr. Weinstein Also present: Mr. William Raysa, Village Attorney Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner The following exhibits were presented by the petitioner at the public hearing: Group Exhibit A: Comprehensive Plan Update—Draft, dated February, 2009 Mr. Robert Pfeil reviewed the planning process that is now being concluded by the Plan Commission. He noted that in 2005 the Village received a grant from the Regional Transportation Authority to prepare plans for transit—oriented development (TOD) in the areas proximate to the Metra commuter rail stations at Prairie View and Commerce Court/Deerfield Parkway. In 2006 the TOD planning process continued with a detailed analysis by Camiros, the Village's consulting planner. A number of public meetings well—attended by residents and business owners. Residents in the Prairie View area were very interested in the TOD planning and the possible land use changes and related improvements that would be recommended in the plan. In the Commerce Court area, residents of the Horatio Gardens subdivision were involved in the planning process. Also in 2006 there were public input meetings to discuss land use concepts for specific sub-areas, including Aptakisic Road, Milwaukee Avenue/Lake Cook Road, and the Dunlo Highlands and Buffalo Highlands area near Dundee Road. Mr. Robert Pfeil noted that in the fall of 2006 the Plan Commission conducted public hearings concerning the TOD plan, which was then being referred to as the Transit Station Area Plan. The Commission made a recommendation to approve the plan. The Village Board reviewed the draft plan and determined that approval as the "Transit Station Area Study" would be appropriate, since some of the recommendations for residential development were high—density concepts that would probably be infeasible. Mr. Pfeil then highlighted several items in Section 1 — Current Conditions of the draft 2009 Plan Update. He noted that the Village has approximately 45,000 residents, and depending on the land use scenario that is used, the ultimate population could be 48,000, but it is more likely to be in the range of 46,000 to 47,000. The Village's main population growth has already happened; future development will be focused on in—fill areas that won't significantly increase the overall number of housing units. Mr. Pfeil noted the Village's population is aging, and the percentage of residents who are 55 years and older has been increasing. He commented that the Village has traditionally been a single family community, and this type of development is the largest land use category in the Village. In terms of overall housing units, single-family detached homes are about 52 percent, but this component has decreased since 1990. Single-family attached units such as townhomes have been increasing as a percentage of the overall housing stock in the Village. The proportion of multi-family units has stayed in the range of 23 to 26 percent of the Village's housing inventory. He further noted the housing stock is getting older, with many of the units being built before 1990 and about 15 percent before 1970. Mr. Pfeil indicated that the Village complies with the State—mandated requirement that ten percent of the housing stock meet the criteria to be classified as affordable relative to the median household income in the area. He noted that up to middle of 2008, the trend in the Village was for new housing that would not be considered as affordable based on the State criteria. Due to recent economic events affecting the real estate market, it is less clear if the housing stock in the Village is now relatively more affordable for households with moderate income as defined by the State. Mr. Pfeil commented that the Village's planning area includes unincorporated areas within one and a half miles of the corporate boundaries. This area encompasses over 1,000 acres. Of this total, approximately 512 acres is within specific areas that are recommended for annexation and development within the Village. Mr. Pfeil reviewed Section 2 — Goals and Objectives of the draft 2009 Plan Update. This intent of this section is to articulate the community's vision for the future and to provide the policy framework that guides planning and development. The Plan's goals are focused on maintaining the Village's sense of community, including the guidance of development to enhance transportation linkages and to maintain the natural environment. Mr. Pfeil reviewed Section 3 — Transportation concerning the road system, the rail and bus facilities and the bikepath system. The Village's road grid is almost complete. New roads would include the Weiland/Prairie connector and a collector street from the Old Farm Village area to Aptakisic Road and related segments north of Aptakisic. Several arterial roads, including Buffalo Grove Road, will be improved to 4—lane sections. South of Lake Cook Road, improvements such as a by—pass near Weiland Road and Buffalo Grove Road are under consideration. Mr. Pfeil reviewed Map 10 delineating rail and bus facilities. The southwest part of the Village has linkage to the Arlington Heights Metra station, and the southeast area of the Village has linkage to the Wheeling Metra station. The eastern part of the Village is serviced by bus linkages to commuter train facilities. The interior of the Village is largely unserved by bus or other mass transit opportunities. Mr. Pfeil reviewed the bikepath system as delineated on Map 11. He noted that various connections still need to be completed. There are links to the Lake County trail system at Buffalo Creek and the Des Plaines River Trail, but additional links should be pursued. He suggested that an additional link to the Des Plaines River Trail should be considered for the Aptakisic Road area. This could be a joint project with Buffalo Grove, Lincolnshire and Lake County. The plans for the Land & Lakes property on Milwaukee Avenue includes conceptual planning for a link to the Des Plaines River Trail. He noted that the Village's path system links north into Vernon Hills at two locations — Buffalo Grove Road to Fairway Drive and along Indian Creek to the Vernon Hills Metra station. All new developments that the Village considers should be evaluated for possible links to the bike path system, with an emphasis on accessible and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. He noted that it will be challenging task to make some of the existing arterial roads more conducive to safe use by pedestrians and bicyclists, particularly at crossing locations. Mr. Pfeil reviewed Map 12A which addresses future land use for 512 acres of unincorporated land. These areas are designated for annexation by the Village, and the map depicts the recommended land uses. Mr. Pfeil said that Map 16 depicts a portion of the Buffalo Grove — Lincolnshire boundary agreement concerning land use and densities. Area C on the map is the Stancliff property at Port Clinton Road, area G includes parcels along Prairie Road. These areas are designated for annexation by Buffalo Grove, if and when developers or landowners request annexation. The density designations are two units per acre and six units per acre, which are very light for properties close to a commuter rail station. He suggested that the two villages should consider re-evaluating the validity of low density for properties within walking distance of the Prairie View Metra station. A planning alternative would be to allow higher density but require preservation of more open space, particularly on the Stancliff property. Mr. Pfeil reviewed Map 17 depicting future land use for the Prairie View Sub-Area. The Stancliff property has the single-family detached designation with some open space. The core of this area for future redevelopment is Main Street and Half Day Road. The current uses include a metal recycling business and the Fiore landscape business. Both of these land uses could be relocated to other sites. The Main Street/Half Day Road area has great potential for a mixed use redevelopment, with commercial and residential components. At the southeast corner of Prairie Road and Half Day Road (Kronenberger property), the plan designates commercial development. The type of commercial will be a challenge. Uses that are oriented to pass—by vehicular traffic may be very difficult to sustain. Successful development at this site will probably be more of a destination type of commercial use. Mr. Pfeil pointed out that future land use in the Aptakisic Road Sub—Area has been a major point of discussion by the Plan Commission in the overall plan update process. A key element is the Didier property and areas on the south side of Aptakisic Road between Buffalo Grove Road and Prairie Road. Map 15 recommends single—family detached residential as the primary land use. He noted that Map 15 A is an alternate proposal which recommends that the main part of the Didier farm remain in agricultural use, which is consistent with Lake County's Framework Plan. The remainder of the Didier property would be agribusiness oriented with uses similar to the current uses. Mr. Pfeil noted that Map 15A recommends new concepts for land use on the south side of Aptakisic Road across from the Didier property. The plan shows a commercial area near the ComEd transmission line, and mixed use to the east of the collector road that would extend from Old Farm Village. An area of planned development (6 units per acre) is designated to the south of the mixed use area. Single family detached would be located adjoining the Old Farm Village area. Mr. Pfeil reviewed Map 15A for the Pet Lane area where the Weiland Road extension to Prairie Road is planned. The plan proposes mixed use on the north side of Aptakisic west of Pet Lane and planned development (6 units per acre) to the north of the road extension abutting the open space area in the Mirielle Phase 2 subdivision. To the east of Pet Lane to the Canadian National railroad tracks the plan designates commercial use. Mr. Pfeil reviewed Map 18 concerning future land use in the Commerce Court. Some of the designations are consistent with the Transit Station Area Study. The unincorporated property (Concrete Erectors) west of Commerce Court currently has a number of commercial uses. The plan recommends redevelopment for multi-family housing (10 units per acre). Site development plans proposing higher densities would be evaluated in terms of amenities and other policy objectives such as providing work force housing. Along Commerce Court the parcel where the PACE facility is located is recommended for commercial redevelopment. The PACE bus facility would be relocated across the railroad tracks south of a future mixed use development. Mr. Pfeil noted that Map 14A is the overall future land use plan for the Village. The Land & Lakes property and Berensea Plaza are designated for commercial development. south of Deerfield Parkway there are some areas that are currently unincorporated that the plan envisions being redeveloped for commercial use with pedestrian and motor vehicle linkages to Berenesa Plaza. Mr. Pfeil commented that the current approved site plan for the Riverwalk North area contemplates an office building and a hotel. It is uncertain if either of these uses is realistic in the foreseeable future. He suggested that although the future land use plan mimics the approved site plan, the Village should be ready to work with the property owner on a re—plan if market conditions support other land uses. Mr. Pfeil reviewed the future land use recommendations for the Dundee Road area. He noted that the Cambridge Commons property at the corner of Dundee and Buffalo Grove Road is proposed as mixed use. The plan contemplates removal of the current buildings and for redevelopment with commercial and service uses and a residential component. The plan is not specific, and a detailed redevelopment plan would be proposed by the property owner. Mr. Pfeil noted that Section 5 —Implementation of the draft 2009 Plan Update suggests review of the Village's development regulations to encourage and enable land uses such as mixed use developments and less dependency on vehicular travel. He commented that the Village will need to be positioned to support redevelopment of existing uses. He suggested that the Village should be proactive in evaluating standards and practices for stormwater management to ensure that careful use of the natural environment is an integral part of development plans. He noted that the Commission has discussed the need to coordinate and integrate developments so that residential areas can easily link to commercial areas, and ways to link employment centers to other land uses without relying solely on automobile travel. Mr. Pfeil noted that since elderly residents are a substantial portion of the Village's population, providing housing and support facilities to serve this group will become increasingly important. The demand and need for rental units for seniors should be evaluated. The overall mix of housing in the Village requires careful consideration to serve the needs of various age and income groups. Younger residents need affordable housing, as do other households with limited incomes. Mr. Pfeil noted that economic development will continue to be a challenge. It is evident that some communities may have an oversupply of commercial real estate, and maintaining productive occupancy of these spaces will be an on—going issue. The Village should anticipate that some commercial buildings in areas such as the Dundee Road corridor may become redevelopment sites with new mixes of land uses, including residential. In conclusion Mr. Pfeil noted that the Commission will need to address the policy issue concerning the recommendation for future land use in the Aptakisic Road Sub-Area. Map 15A proposes land uses that are different than the traditional single family detached development that has been designated on previous plans. Commissioner Teplinsky stated he has always thought that maintaining some of the agricultural properties such as the Didier farm is good for the area. He has difficulty envisioning this property with nothing but single family homes or multi-family homes. He stated he likes the idea of maintaining the agricultural character of the area. He stated that he supports the recommendations proposed on Map 15 A. He asked what happens in other older communities such as Highland Park, Evanston and Northbrook for the aging population. Mr. Pfeil commented that Highland Park has a downtown area where higher density is allowed, and some of this housing is occupied by elderly residents. Highland Park appears to have a larger rental component in its housing stock than Buffalo Grove. Northbrook probably has more moderate density housing for seniors than Buffalo Grove. There is a downtown area and there are also developments that provide single family detached units for "empty nester" households. He noted that developments proposed in Buffalo Grove for empty nesters have tended to turn out to be occupied by families with children. Buffalo Grove may still be a little too young for this type of single family unit with little or no private yard space. He noted that Lincolnshire also has some single family developments with large, expensive units and very small lots. Mr. Pfeil commented that communities such as Vernon Hills have been successful in working with developers interested in providing rental units for seniors. He said that developers have made contact with Buffalo Grove concerning housing for seniors, but it is difficult to find sites in appropriate locations. Land cost and proximity to services are issues that need to be addressed for projects focused on senior housing. Commissioner Cohn stated one of the issues the senior population has is that they can no longer take care of their homes. It is not that they want to leave their homes but they are unable to care for it. Perhaps there is something the Village can do in terms of creating some kind of program that helps people who want to stay in their homes facilitate the kinds of services that people would have in communities where homes are maintained. Commissioner Myer stated that she thinks Map 15 A is more desirable from the standpoint that the proposed agricultural use is a bit more varied and especially not far away in Lincolnshire you have a fair amount of mixed use development. She also stated she has a personal preference for the Didier property and the value it brings to the community at present. Commissioner Stark stated he also likes Map 15 A. Commissioner Cohn stated he is also in favor of Map 15 A. He noted the proposed mixed use development on Pet Lane with the proposed road cutting through which separates it from the planned development(six units per acre) seems like a rather isolated pocket of row homes which concerns him. He asked if we want to make that all mixed use or do we want to extend that as more parks and open space. Mr. Pfeil stated he likes the parks and open space idea, but this is a concern to property owners in terms of achieving what they consider to be a fair value for their real estate. One could argue that with the mixed use there is enough overall value that perhaps a dedication or acquisition for public open space north of the road could be economically feasible. Commissioner Cohn stated he is just worried about the living environment there given its isolation and the road. Mr. Pfeil asked if the Commission supports the recommendation for this area north of the road extension to be designated as open space. Commissioner Cohn stated he would personally support that idea as did Chairman Ottenheimer. Commissioner Teplinsky stated that to get that road built it will be necessary to get some developers in there who want to build houses and mixed use with commercial. While open space is great, the tradeoff may very well be the road or open space, and he does not personally feel terribly strongly that it should be open space. Commissioner Cohn stated if it is advantageous to get the road then should we be looking more at commercial or mixed use there. He is just worried about this isolated pocket of residents. Commissioner Myer stated she concurs with the opinion that it would be ideal to have the open green space, however, given the road she feels that commercial or mixed use may be more appropriate especially in terms of tax revenue for the Village. Chairman asked what the consensus is on the parcel. It is either open space if there is no road or if there is a road then it should be mixed use. Commissioner Teplinsky stated that if there is no road it will continue to be what it is. Mr. Pfeil stated the alignment goes through the pet resort property. There is a scenario where the business may be able to remain, but it is more likely to be a redevelopment property some time in the future. Commissioner Cohn stated that considering this is a plan and not necessarily a final decision, then the parks and open space would be best. If at a future date we were negotiating with the current landowner about the road and this became an issue then we can adjust it at that time. He suggested we go for parks and open space at this time knowing that in the future that might not be possible. The Commission concurred that the designation on Map 15A for the area north of the road extension at Pet Lane should be changed from planned development (six units per acre) to parks/open space. There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Ottenheimer closed the public hearing at 8:18 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED BY: LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chair Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 02/18/2009 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION February 18, 2009 Discussion of Village Comprehensive Plan Update Chairman Ottenheimer called the meeting to order at 8:18 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Ottenheimer Mr. Khan Mr. Teplinsky Mr. Stark Mr. Cohn Ms. Myer Commissioner absent: Mr. Smith Ms. Bocek Mr. Weinstein Also present: Mr. William Raysa, Village Attorney Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES—None COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS—None DISCUSSION OF VILLAGE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Moved by Commissioner Teplinsky, seconded by Commissioner Myer, to recommend approval of the 2009 Village Comprehensive Plan Update to the Village Board, and that the Board adopt the Plan Update as presented at the public hearing, including modification of Map 15A — Aptakisic Road Sub 4rea Future Land Use to depict the area on the north side of the Weiland Road extension as "parks/open space" instead of"planned development, six units/acre." Chairman Ottenheimer called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: Khan, Teplinsky, Stark, Cohn, Myer, Ottenheimer NAYS:None ABSENT: Smith, Bocek, Weinstein ABSTAIN: None CHAIRMAN'S REPORT—None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil said that the next meeting is scheduled for March 4, 2009. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS—None STAFF REPORT Mr. Pfeil noted that invitations have been sent out for the March 1, 2009 Village reception for persons serving on the Village's volunteer commissions and boards. He commented that commissioners who will attend the reception should contact Eileen Harvey in the Village Manager's office. NEW BUSINESS—None ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Teplinsky, seconded by Commissioner Stark 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