1976-06-30 - Plan Commission - Minutes WORKSHOP SESSION
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
Crossings Commercial &
Zale Development/Brunswick Property
June 30, 1976
Chairman Carl Genrich called the meeting to order at 8:15 p.m. in the
Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
Commissioners Present: Chairman Genrich
Mr. Keister
Mr. Goldspiel
Mr. Jacobs
Mr. K do nz {.0 ( /1/16)
Commissioners Absent: Mr. Mendenhall �.,
Mr. Harris \
Mr. Shields
Mr. Kuenz
Also Present: Mr. James Otis, Otis & Associates, Crossings
Mr. Ed Zale, Zale Construction Company
Mr. Bruce Johnston, Johnston Associates, Zale Develop.
Mr. Jon Nelson, Johnston Associates, Zale Development
Mr. William Griffin, Jr. , Hoffman Rosner Corporation
Mr. Stanley Crosland, Park District
Mr. William Kiddie, Park Board
Mr. John Marienthal, Trustee
Mr. Arnie Seaberg, Village Engineer
Mr. Chuck McCoy,
Mr. William Whited, Administrative Assistant
Crossings Commercial
Mr. Otis distributed copies of the basic statistics on land coverage for
this project. He then showed the original total site plan of the
Crossings. This plan showed all the phases of the development.
Mr. Otis stated that the commercial site is 12 acres not including the
dedicated area or streets set aside for the commercial. Across from
the commercial site is a 41- acre parcel owned by a bank group on which
they hope to erect a bank. Next to that is a 5 acre parcel that they hope
Li to bring in as a low profile office and research development.
Mr. Otis stated that they originally had several different ideas on the
center. The leasing agents and prospective tenants did not like the
layout because it was too clustered and too close together resulting
in no exposure. They fought against a strip-type center. They would
like to keep the rural feeling of The Crossings.
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Page 2 June 30, 1976
Mr. Otis showed a plan of the proposed shopping center. He stated that
there will be a cluster of buildings in the center which would be
primarily retail shops. They would like as many patio and open areas
between clusters as possible. There would be a common walkway which
goes between all of the stores.
Mr. Otis stated that they have talked to one food chain for the food store
area but no leases are signed. The food store would be at the north end
and set back. On the opposite end would be the second largest user which
would be a drug chain. In the center would be a two-story building which
would be shaped like a barn. A walkway would cut through it and there
would be open courtyards as you walk through.
The total amount of square footage of the usable building area is about
100,000 square feet. This is about 18% of the total site. About 19,000
square feet has been set aside for potential expansion to the south of
the drugstore, north of the food store and a smaller outlot in the
southeast corner which would be a logical spot for a small restaurant.
The total building coverage would be about 36% of the project. Parking
and circulation for traffic area takes up 48% of space. There is parking
for 548 cars which is about 5k cars per 1,000 square feet.
Mr. Otis stated that the lower floor of the large store in the center
would be made up of five smaller spaces and walkways which would go
through the building. It has not been determined what is on the second
floor.
Mr. Otis stated that one food store they are talking with demands that
their drug store be adjacent to the food store. In this case the food
store would be smaller and moved over so the drug store could be inserted.
Mr. Otis stated that they would like to move the silo from the nearby
farm and make it a focal point of the center. He is not sure they will
be able to move it. It would be located near the two-story building.
A drawing has been submitted to the engineers in an attempt to solve the
storm drainage and retention problems. Mr. Otis stated that he thinks there is
a solution to this without jeopardizing any of the other areas of The Crossings.
He added that the original sketch of the center had a pond and after talking
with insurance people and managers of other shopping centers, they think
the pond would be impractical. The landscape plan is being done by Dick
1 Brickman. They tried to create berms and landscaping across the west end
of the center screening the delivery area from the residential area and
park. They will have the landscape plan by the next meeting with the Plan
Commission. They have eliminated the access from Fremont to the center
itself. Access to the center for deliveries would be from the south and
north and access for the consumer would be from the south, north and east.
Commissioner Keister stated that he would like to commend Mr. Otis and
his organization for a well-designed and layed-out plan. He asked that
1 they give some thought to breaking up the long lines of parking with
islands so there was not the feeling of too much asphalt. Mr. Otis
stated that he thought this could be worked out. He mentioned the
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Page 3 June 30, 1976
possibility of moving the parking further west and landscaping along
Arlington Heights Road. Mr. Otis added that they would like to clad
the structural buildings with wood which would also soften the effect.
Commissioner Kandel stated that he also would like to commend Mr. Otis
and his associates on the plan. He asked if it would be possible to
drain water from the commercial site to the pond in the townhome area
should there be a problem. Mr. Seaberg stated that the pond is too
small. Mr. Otis stated that the site is presently engineered to
handle retention so that in heavy rains it might hurt the user of the
center but will not let any more into the storm sewer than it would
normally take.
Commissioner Goldspiel stated that he also is pleased with the plan.
He asked how far the main entrance is from Alden Lane. Mr. Otis replied
that it is a little over 300 feet from the center line of Alden to the
center line of the entrance. Commissioner Goldspiel asked if it would
be better to line the entrance up with Alden or else move it further
south. Mr. Otis stated that they could line it up with Alden but they
wanted to line it up with the center of the shopping center. If the
traffic engineers indicate it would be better to move it they would
work it out.
Mr. Seaberg stated that he is concerned about the entrances on the south
side. They do not line up with the streets from the Hemphill section
(Heritage Place). Mr. Otis stated that he was not aware of this and
it will be corrected. Commissioner Goldspiel stated that he is also
concerned about the short-distance between the southwest drive and the
Fremont intersection. Mr. Seaberg stated that if they line the drives
up with the Heritage Place drives this will solve the problem.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked if the buildings would be built in phases.
Mr. Otis stated that he hoped they wouldn' t be but it is a possibility.
If the food and drug chain come as one section they may add the two
buildings on the south later on unless the real estate people feel the
time is right to carry on with the whole development.
Commissioner Goldspiel questioned the location of the road which goes
around the bank site. Mr. Otis stated that this road may be used as
a shortcut around the Route 83 intersection and may not be a good idea.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked if there will be any special treatment of
the loading areas, especially near Fremont. Mr. Otis stated that they
have a large section of usable land which can be landscaped more heavily.
The food store may be hard to treat , however.
Chairman Genrich stated that the developer should come in with the final
plat approval when he is ready. He asked that the following points be
considered:
1 1. Show the tentative buildings on the final plat and if
they want to move them or change their size, they can
come back.
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Page 4 June 30, 1976
2. See what can be done about breaking up the appearance
of the parking lot.
3. When they come back the Plan Commission would like to know
more about the drainage and water retention.
4. Resolve the traffic questions with the Staff and have their
tentative approval.
5. Bring in the landscape plan for the next meeting.
6. Indicate to the Plan Commission what the developer thinks
the phasing will be in construction at that point.
7. The Plan Commission would like a written report from the
Staff prior to the time the final plat is on the agenda.
Zale Development/Brunswick Property
Mr. Zale stated that they had purchased on option the property from
Brunswick. The total site is 209 acres. They are in partnership with
the Hoffman Rosner Corporation. They will not be in partnership in the
sale of the housing but will be developing the land and lots together
and then each will sell from their own lots.
Mr. Zale introduced Mr. Jon Nelson who has been active in working on
the land planning for the property.
Mr. Nelson showed an aerial photograph of the property. He stated that
Busch Road is on the north, Weiland Road on the east and Paulina Avenue
on the south. They are presently in negotiation for a little piece of
property in the southwest corner which will serve as a window to Route 83.
They propose to tie into Paulina Avenue to get to Route 83.
Mr. Nelson showed a topography study of the site. The highest area is
on the southern boundary which drains to Aptakisic Creek in the northeast
corner. Approximately 20 acres drains to a low spot and into the M-1
district. Also shown on this study were the bad soils areas.
Mr. Nelson showed the site plan. They developed a bike system taking the
flood plain into consideration. They also took into consideration the
recommendations from the Comprehensive Plan. One collector street ties
into Route 83. The rest of the parcel is developed into smaller neighbor-
hoods which tie into the green belt system.
Mr. Nelson stated that a duplex area will be incorporated in the northern
part of the site. There is a 4 acre commercial site in the northeast
corner. Below this is an 8 acre multi-family. A fire station and/or
well site will be needed. This will be about 4 acres and located on
Busch Road. The well site will be underground with tennis courts above.
There is an 8 acre school site.
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Page 5 June 30, 1976
The single-family homes will be three-bedroom. The total area in single-
family is 141 acres with 586 lots. The minimum lot size is 65x100.
The required minimum lot size is 6600 square feet and they will be
asking for a variance on this.
There are 132 duplex units and they will all be two-bedroom. The
minimum lot size is 8250 square feet.
The multi-family will be two-story with 50% one-bedroom and 50% two-
bedroom.
There is a 66' right-of-way with 27' back to back pavement on the secondary
and collector streets. The required is 80' right-of-way with 35' back to
back pavement. They will be asking for a variance on this.
They will also be asking for variances on the minor streets, cul-de-sacs,
sidewalks, and yards.
Mr. Nelson stated that it is their intention on the collector system
that by reducing the right-of-way and pavement width, they will discourage
traffic from taking a shortcut through the development to the proposed
Village Center. Their intention is to force people to choose other
routes.
f Mr. Nelson stated that they propose to vary the standards on sidewalks to
incorporate a more refined bicycle system tying into the major pedestrian
bike trail so people would be encouraged to use these bike trails.
Mr. Crosland stated that they have had several staff meetings on this
development with members of the Village staff participating. He has
written a memo to Mr. Whited regarding these meetings. The Park ➢istrict
feels that because of the number of small children, a more decentralized
type of tot lot might be warranted. They see no problem with the school
site. It meets the size and dimension requirements and is a central
location.
Mr. Seaberg stated that he cannot accept the 27' collector streets, If
there are no homes fronting on a street they will allow it but in this
development there are homes fronting on the street and there will be
parking on it. The 66' right-of-way could work. The 50' right-of-way
with 27' pavement for minor streets is tight because if sidewalks are
required there is only 7' for tree planting. If there is a waiver on
sidewalks or sidewalks on one side, the pavement could be offset.
Regarding the 3' sidewalks on the cul-de-sacs, Mr. Seaberg stated that
it might be better to not have any. He will have to check and see where
sidewalks are needed and this will have to be worked out.
Mr. Seaberg stated that with regard to lot size, some consideration has
to be made regarding the units to be put on these lots, such as how big
the house is, how much lot it takes up, etc.
Plan Commission
Page 6 June 30, 1976
In response to a question from Commissioner Keister, Mr. Whited stated
that Mr. Roggendorf from District 102 had told him that an agreement of a
donation of 7 money and 3- in land had been made.
Commissioner Keister stated that he agrees with Mr. Seaberg with regard to
the size of the lots. He asked what size of house would be built. Mr. Zale
stated that he is in agreement with the thoughts regarding the house and
lot size. Drainage problems are a result of poor planning as far as grading
is concerned. This is something they will have to take into account. If
grading is planned, they should not have these problems. Mr. McCoy stated
that they may have to inform the homeowners on the size of patio or
necessity of a redwood deck instead of a patio because they also exaggerate
the drainage problem. Mr. Seaberg stated that it is also a matter of
combination of house designs and high-point and low-point of drainage.
Commissioner Keister asked if the developer had any plans on the size of
the single-family home and the cost. Mr. Zale stated that they will be
building housing that will sell from the low $50's up to $70,000-$75,000.
They will have two-car garages and there will be two-stories, ranches,
split-levels or raised ranches which will range in square footage from
1300 to 2200 or 2400, The larger would be two-story houses with 13- to
2-3- baths and with or without basements.
Mr. Zale stated that they do not contemplate building the multi-family
and commercial for perhaps five years. This would be a joint venture
of the two builders. He added that if they get the property which will
serve as a window to Route 83 they plan to make it an entryway with a
gate. Each builder will have his own model area.
Commissioner Kandel asked if Weiland Road will be widened. Mr. Seaberg
stated that they have no plans other then for improvement right now.
Commissioner Kandel stated that he would not approve a reduction in the
lot size. The layout is fine and the developer would only detract and
destroy what is being developed by trying to crowd it.
Commissioner Goldspiel stated that he feels School District 102 is in
very desperate need of a means of sustaining itself. District 102 has
expressed the feeling that they were receiving numbers of pupils that
they would be unable to handle. On- the Master Plan the industrial area,
which includes a portion of the proposed development, is one of the very
little bit of industrial area proposed in the Village on this side of
Milwaukee Avenue. A single-family project would be a deficit operation
for the school district. He thinks we have to consider very hard whether
we can go away from what the Master Plan calls for. Commissioner Goldspiel
asked that the viability of the school district be discussed. He would
like to discuss it with the Lake County Plan Commission and school district.
Mr. Zale stated that if the property were left to be developed as is called
for in the Master Plan it would not be developed for five to six years.
Chairman Genrich stated that the Plan Commission will try to program a
meeting with Lake County planners in the next month. What he has
criticized developers for in the past is that they can go out and buy
farmland at farmland prices and build houses and through the years have
sifted the cost of the schools to the school district. We have structured
Plan Commission
Page 7 June 30, 1976
a way for them to get the money on the front end. The problem is not as
bad in Buffalo Grove as in unincorporated areas or other communities.
Commissioner Goldspiel stated that the multi-family area looks crowded.
It appears that there isn't enough green space around the buildings.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked what the minimum width of the bike paths ;
is. Mr. Nelson stated that typically it is 50' but may drop down to
35' or 40' . The average is 50', however. Commissioner Goldspiel asked
if the paths would be lighted. Mr. Zale stated that they would not be.
Maintenance would be a problem.
Chairman Genrich asked if the development included all the Brunswick
Property or a portion of it. Mr. Zale stated that it is a portion of it.
They still own 200 acres to the north.
Chairman Genrich stated that when there is a development like this, he
would like to see a wide mixture of housing styles. He asked if there
is some way to break it up better. Possibly one developer on one side
of the street and the other on the other side. Mr. Zale showed on the
plan where each builder would be building and stated that they would be
building different kinds of homes because they are different builders.
Commissioner Jacobs stated that there has been a demand for higher priced
housing. However, all the developers come in with the same price range.
Buffalo Grove is losing a lot of people who want to move to more expensive
homes and must go to other areas. He added that he is a proponent of
larger lots. These lots are too small. He would like to see larger
lots in the single-family and higher density in the multi-family.
A Workshop Sesssion will be scheduled for the third Wednesday in July and
Chairman Genrich asked that the following points be resolved:
1. Meet with the Staff concerning traffic problems. (Not
only the widths and right-of-ways but also have the Staff
look at the school bus problems.)
2. Prior to the next meeting the Plan Commission would like from
the Staff a review in terms of water, sewer and drainage and
how it fits into the Village systems.
3. Resolve with the Staff where the sidewalks should and should
not be and identify this on the plan or on a separate scheme.
4. The Plan Commission would like a written statement of what
the developer proposes.
5. The Plan Commission would like economic and tax impact data
in relation to taxes and school population.
6. Meet with the school district so they can present a written
statement for the Public Hearing. Highlight the soil findings.
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Page 8 June 30, 1976
7. Meet with the Park District and include the Village Staff
in the meeting. Interested especially in detention, retention
and tot lots.
8. Would like an overall conceptualization of what the grading
plan would be.
9. The Plan Commission will try to approach the school problem
in some way.
10. Discuss further with the Staff the green belt systems and
bike paths in terms of maintenance problems and discuss
this with the Park District. The Plan Commission expects
an answer from the Staff regarding this.
11. The Plan Commission would like the developer to look into
the possibility of larger lots and higher priced housing.
12. Present the Plan Commission with an annexation agreement draft.
The meeting adjourned at 10:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Li da Isonhart
Recording Secretary
APPROVED:
Carl Genrich, Chairman