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2007-08-01 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 08/01/2007 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION August 1, 2007 Prime Source Building Products (former Peerless of American building), Proposed Lot 3 of the Aptakisic Creek Corporate Park, request for a special Use for outside storage in the Industrial District—Workshop #1 Chairman Ottenheimer called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Ottenheimer Mr. Smith Mr. Khan Mr. Stark Commissioners absent: Ms. Bocek Mr. Teplinsky Mr. Cohn Mr. Podber Also present: Ms. Danielle Cassell, Attorney at Law Mr. Allen Kracower, Allen Kracower& Associates, Inc. Mr. Alan Zocher, Premier Design & Building Group Mr. Anthony Pricco, Bridge Development Partners Mr. Michael Baumstark, Cornerstone Architects, Ltd. Mr. Jason Mitchell, Prime Source Building Products, Inc. Mr. Steven Trilling, Village Trustee Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES—None COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS—None PRIME SOURCE BUILDING PRODUCTS (FORMER PEERLESS OF AMERICA BUILDING), PROPOSED LOT 3 OF THE APTAKISIC CREEK CORPORATE PARK, REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL USE FOR OUTSIDE STORAGE IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT -WORKSHOP#1 Ms. Cassell stated that since their last appearance the annexation and development agreement was approved by the Village Board and they are scheduled to close on September 14f. They have since been able to work everything out with the other property owners on Asbury Drive. It will remain private and they have developed a cross access easements and some new utility routing and are very close to finalizing final engineering. Prime Source is a wonderful potential tenant and due to the nature of their parking needs which are fairly minimal and the nature of the products that they will be working with, there is a need for some significant fencing around the old Peerless of America building. Mr. Anthony Pricco stated an area of about 50,000 square feet of outside storage is critical for Prime Source along the south and west sides along the building in the parking lots. Because they only have about 45 employees they have no need for any of that parking. They parking they are providing on the northeast and north side of the building is sufficient. Prime Source is a supplier of construction materials and it is much more economical to store many of the products outside. Mr. Pricco stated the maximum height of the storage area will vary from 8 to 16 feet. The reason it is up to 16 feet has to do with the type of materials to be stored. Those items are roofing materials, insulation and things that are tall and the only economical way to store them is upright. In order to accomplish this they are proposing to build a fence that will fully screen the area. The proposed fence is a solid cedar fence ranging in maximum height from 8 feet up to the southwest corner of the building where it will go to 17 feet. The fact that they are going up 17 feet at one portion does not mean they need to do any structural support. The fence at its 17 foot height will be a steel skeleton with the wood fence attached to it. The majority of the high product will be at the south of the building with some along the west corner. The reason they extended the fence north was to hide this from the site lines where you will either see fence or building and no product. Mr. Pricco noted the special use addresses the outside storage. The variances that go along with the special use have to do with the fence height being beyond the 8 foot limit and the fact that the parking requirement will be below the zoning requirement. He noted the parking will exist but is not needed for their employees. It is their understanding that if the employee count changes in the future they will have to accommodate those cars somewhere and would have to scale back their outside storage. Mr. Pricco further noted there are some effects of the outside storage primarily in the south parking lot where they are eliminating a parking island and also moving some parking along the south property line. This is due to the fence and they will need to relocate some landscaping and they will lose some of the trees in the parking lot now. These trees are in poor condition and they will move the ones they can on the site. Commissioner Stark asked if the petitioner is asking for a variance for parking as well. Mr. Pricco stated it is their understanding that they would need a variance. The parking exists but it will be covered with material. They would be short by approximately fifty percent. Commissioner Stark asked what happens sometime down the road if this special use tenant leaves. Mr. Pfeil stated it has been the Village Attorney's opinion that the special use is specific to the user. Commissioner Smith asked for a review of the parking numbers. Mr. Baumstark noted they presently have 235 spaces leaving 47 sports. He stated they will need 43 spots for employees. Ms. Cassell stated their current facility has been functioning with about 15 spaces. Mr. Jason Mitchell stated on any given day they have about 25 employees. Commissioner Smith asked how many visitors they have throughout the day. Mr. Mitchell stated they have a will call system where the customer comes in and they load them up and leave. It is usually a matter of a quick 15 minutes in and out. Commissioner Smith asked if there is any other kind of fencing that could be used that would be nicer or blends in better with the building. Mr. Pricco stated the cedar was actually a considerable step up and it is what was recommended by the staff initially. He stated they have not been able to come up with any alternative that would make economic sense. Commissioner Smith asked what other things are available without regard to economic sense. Mr. Alan Zocher stated the options available in fencing in order to be able to screen are basically a chain link with horizontal slats or board on board cedar. Chairman Ottenheimer asked if there was any kind of masonry or brick that could be used. Mr. Pricco stated they could use masonry or brick but are then looking at increasing their costs and adding foundation systems, all of which are not really recommended for an outside application. It is then a case of both sides being exposed to the elements. Chairman Ottenheimer noted this fence will be visible from Aptakisic so we should try to make it as blended into the building as possible. He asked if the top of the fence line would be varied or how it would work. Mr. Zocher stated the fence will be visible at Atpakisic but only at the corner as the new building on the west side of the property will screen the majority of it. Basically it is an 8 foot fence on the west side of the building and steps up to 17 feet and wraps around to the south end and then remains at 17 feet. Chairman Ottenheimer asked if it was possible to at least put masonry or a facade on the portion that will be seen. Mr. Zocher stated that one of the things they are planning on doing is a repainting of the facility. If they stained the cedar they could make it blend in and look very similar to the precast. Chairman Ottenheimer stated that would help. He then asked about landscaping with additional landscaping on the portion that would be visible from Aptakisic. Mr. Lawrence Dziurdzik noted the existing trees on the south end that would have to be relocated. He stated 6 of the 8 trees are in very poor to fair condition and they are proposing to remove those trees and transplant the 2 in good condition to the east side of the building. On the west side is the detention/wetland pond which is extensively landscaped. They are proposing to put plantings in front of the fence where room allows. They are concentrating heavily on the north end where there are already many larger shade trees. This will cut down on the view from the intersection of Industrial Drive and Aptakisic. Chairman Ottenheimer mentioned the use of ivy. Mr. Dziurdzik stated they could attempt to do that. Ivy can be spaced out and they can use very aggressive ivy. Chairman Ottenheimer stated he would appreciate anything that would soften up the look of a solid fence while giving consideration to the color of the staining. Commissioner Smith stated he would like a rendering of what the fencing and landscaping will look like from Aptakisic for the public hearing. Mr. Zocher stated it is important to note that the proposed building is in front of the Prime Source building. Trustee Trilling asked if the columns are completely hidden or if the columns are exposed in some way to the outside. Mr. Zocher stated the vertical columns would be on the interior. You basically take two 8 foot by 8 foot high columns and stack them one on top of each other with a vertical steel tube that goes on the inside of the storage area leaving the outside with a smooth facade. Trustee Trilling asked if it might be possible to create some kind of detail either continuous or intermittent that might break apart the fence. Perhaps a change in direction or detail can do this. Mr. Zocher stated they could probably come up with something. Mr. Baumstark stated they can definitely look into creating some kind of pattern between vertical and horizontal boards. Trustee Trilling asked if it was the petitioner's intention to put the trees on the east side of the pond. Mr. Zocher stated they currently a quite a bit of landscaping on the west side of the pond. Where room allows they are proposing shrubs and hedges to the west of the fence. Trustee Trilling stated he is asking for a proposed detail that may be allowed. Mr. Zocher stated they can do that. Trustee Trilling asked if anyone had investigated the possibility of using a precast material for the fence or a material similar to the toll road where you have steel vertical columns actually supporting some kind of decorative precast. Mr. Pricco stated it can probably be done but it would probably kill the project financially. Trustee Trilling the large size of the gate and asked if it is durable enough. Mr. Zocher stated the gate will have a steel frame with cedar over the top and a wheel on the bottom. Trustee Trilling cautioned to look at the grading plan which can erode and cause a problem with the wheel over time. Chairman Ottenheimer asked about Deputy Fire Marshall Michehl's memo and asked if there any issues with the concerns noted there. Mr. Pricco stated no. Chairman Ottenheimer and the entire Commission agreed the matter was ready for public hearing. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT—None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil stated the next scheduled meeting would be on August 15, 2007. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS—None STAFF REPORT—None NEW BUSINESS—None ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Khan and carried unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Ottenheimer adjourned the meeting at 8:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED BY: LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chair