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1996-12-04 - Plan Commission - Minutes PUBLIC HEARING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION December 4, 1996 Highland Park Hospital Health and Fitness Center and Extended Stay America Hotel The Corporate Grove,southwest corner of Busch Parkway/Milwaukee Avenue Chairman Goldspiel 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 Goldspiel read the Notice of Public Hearing as published in the Buffalo Grove Daily Herald, explained the procedure for the hearing and swore in all persons who wished to give testimony. Commissioners present: Chairman Goldspiel Mr. Krug Mr. Rosenston Mr. Samuels Mr. Berman Mr. Trilling Mr. Ottenheimer Commissioners absent: Ms. Howard Mr. Lundine Also present: Mr. John Mays, Gould&Ratner Mr. Kenneth Gorman, Power Hospital Fitness Group Mr. Matthew Hamlin,Highland Park Hospital Mr. Robert Lamphere,Van Vlissingen and Co. Mr. Todd Turner,ESA Development Mr. Tom Rhind, Power Hospital Fitness Group Mr. Richard Kuenkler,Village Engineer Mr. William Raysa,Village Attorney Mr. Jeff Braiman,Village Trustee Mr. Robert Pfeil,Village Planner The Following exhibits were presented by the petitioner at the public hearing: Highland Park Hospital Health and Fitness Center Exhibit A: Hospital facility elevation Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 1 Exhibit B: Preliminary Site Plan dated August 9, 1996 Exhibit Cl: Northeast elevation Exhibit C2: Southwest elevation Exhibit D: Inside perspective of Highland Park Health Facility Exhibit E: Interior floor plan Exhibit F: Interior,2nd story floor plan Exhibit G: Preliminary Engineering Plan dated November 20, 1996 Extend Stay America Hotel Exhibit A: New hotel elevation Exhibit B: Landscape Plan dated November 25, 1996 and Site Plan,including floor plans and building elevations Exhibit C: Original Site Plan Exhibit D: Photograph of existing facility in Downers Grove Exhibit E: Site Plans for both Highland Park Hospital Health and Fitness Center and Extended Stay America Hotel Mr. Mays of Gould&Ratner introduced the development team and noted the petitioner is requesting a Special Use for the Highland Park Health Center and rezoning for the ESA project on the hotel site. Mr. Kenneth Gorman of Power Hospital Fitness Group stated this is a very important project for Highland Park Hospital. The proposed hospital center represents the future of health care. It is an outpatient facility with emphasis on health risk prevention,nutrition counseling, lifestyle modification, alternative therapies,physical medicine and rehabilitation for the residents of Buffalo Grove. He noted many focus groups and telephone surveys have been conducted with Buffalo Grove residents to determine the needs for a project like this. The center will serve many different population groups, including recent cardiac surgery patients, orthopedic surgery patients, seniors, community residents who may need help, education and counseling and the aging baby boomer population who need some fitness and health enhancement. Mr. Gorman stated the building has been designed to bring a warm,comfortable and healing Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 2 image. The finishes and features used are residential in scale. The facility will have a covered canopy drop off so patients and guests have less exposure to the elements during inclement weather. There will be patients in walkers or wheelchairs and the entire facility has been designed far ahead of present ADA rules. Mr. Gorman stated the facade features several sloped roofs and brick columns which lead up to a 2-story central atrium. There are some shingled roofs with larger dormer windows flanking both sides of the entry and all windows will have full divided light mullions to reinforce the residential theme of the overall project. They will be using warm earthtones in the exterior. The roof units will be screened from view either by parapet walls or by roof screening so they will not be seen from Busch Parkway. The project is approximately 61,000 square feet situation on just over 5-acres of land at the southwest corner of Busch and Milwaukee. Patients and guests will arrive at the center through a common access road off of Busch Parkway. He stated they have been working with the Village traffic consultant and have planned major modifications, including widening of Busch Parkway for a right hand de-acceleration lane as well as a left hand turn lane for those coming west on Busch Parkway to get into the access road. This road will be 28 feet wide access road that will be wider at the throat to allow for right hand and left hand turns in and out of the development. Landscaping and berming has been planned for both sides of the access road. Mr. Gorman stated the center is situated in the southwest corner of the site and is surrounded by a pond to the north as well as some berming to be done on the west side. The parking has been separated to minimize the visual impact of the overall parking lot and it has been spaced on both sides of the building. Mr. Gorman stated green space represents over 42 percent of the overall site for this project and 5 percent of the interior paved area as well. The footprint of the center is just over 44,000 square feet and the FAR is 20 percent. The center is approximately 260 feet wide and 156 feet deep. Every side of the center has been made as attractive as the facade. The same materials have been used on all sides of the facility and they have tried to use as much glass as possible on all sides of the center. The top of the parapet is at 34 feet which is under the zoning maximum for this use district. The interior of the building is light and open, featuring a wood truss system across the entire ceiling including heavy wood beams and tongue in groove wood planking on the interior of the roof. Mr. Gorman stated the plan is arranged along a central circulation spine that allows efficient traffic flow to every area of the center. Upon entering,patients for physical medicine and rehabilitation will be moved to the area dedicated for the more severe cases of physical therapy. He noted they are planning a child care area. Two pools are planned as aquatics is a major component of this center for both physical therapy and for healthy guests. One pool is a specifically designed warm water therapy pool for arthritis patients or for physical therapy. There will also be a general exercise lap pool that will be 4 feet in depth throughout. The second floor of the center is where most of the cardiovascular equipment as well as the walk/jog track Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 3 will be kept, as well as stretching and multi purpose rooms. Mr. Gorman stated Highland Park Hospital is proud to sponsor the development of this $13,000,000 facility in Buffalo Grove which will be an asset and a service needed by many of the residents. Mr. Todd Turner of ESA Development stated ESA is a new publicly traded company in the early stages of a national roll out of this concept. The concept is one that is designed specifically to serve a niche in the traveling public which is composed of the business person from out of town on a temporary business assignment or the person relocating to the market who works in the area and needs a temporary place to stay until they locate permanent residence. Mr. Turner stated ESA is about two years old and has about 36 facilities open across the country with 45 under construction. He noted they have taken the original site plan,modified same, added land, modified the original building elevation,changed the architecture and the structure. With these changes the facility should be a great benefit to the community and a wonderful business venture for ESA. Chairman Goldspiel asked what the concept of the proposal is for the hotel. Mr. Turner stated as part of their due diligence for determining sites,they interview large employers in the immediate market area to determine if there is any demand for this type of business. Along the Milwaukee Avenue corridor these companies include Hewitt Associates. Landis& Stapa,Dresser Kamatsu. He noted they are going for the person who is in town for typically a week or more on business. Each room is set up like a small apartment with a two burner stove, full size refrigerator,microwave, coffee maker,recliner. The main thrust of this hotel is the person in town for an extended stay of seven or more nights and there are many large multi-national companies to draw from for this development. Mr. Turner stated they had about 2.51 acres to work with. They choose a hotel facility of 122 rooms. Since the original site plan,they have purchased another Y2 acre which has gone entirely to landscaping and buffering between the building and the parking lot as well as buffering around the perimeter of the property. A driveway has been added all the way around the building just to comply with engineering requirements. Mr. Turner reviewed a photograph of an existing prototype facility in Downers Grove. He stated that based upon initial reactions to the initial photograph of the prototype facility,they have made significant changes to the building just to cater to this proposed site. He stated they have created a unique hotel for Buffalo Grove and for this site. He stated this facility will be 70 percent brick on the facade of the first two floors with a dryvit accent along the top floor. They have improved the architectural relief of the roof. This give the building much more character. He stated they have also doubled the landscaping budget for this project to make it more appealing to the Village and the guests of the hotel. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 4 Mr. Turner stated they have doubled the number of king size rooms in the facility. Typically in a 122 unit hotel they have about 60-70 queen rooms with a queen size bed,recliner,two burner stove, full size refrigerator,microwave and coffee maker. The room is about 300 square feet. The balance of the rooms will be larger with a king size bed,recliner,an extra table/work desk with a fax/modem hookup. This facility will also have two king suites which have about 550- 600 square feet of space with basically two separate rooms. This is a design that can serve a broad range of economic need and demand. Mr. May noted it is important to look at both plans as a single site for purposes of the synergy that both petitioners feel they add to each other as the health facility will be there for hotel guests as will a small restaurant facility in the health facility. Commissioner Krug asked why the parking had been changed from the south lot line up against the building. Mr. Turner stated there had beena concern expressed that there be some type of access between the hotel site and any proposed shopping center site to the south. If parking remained on the south side,4-5 parking spaces would be lost with any access put through for the future development. He noted they wished to maintain those spaces. Commissioner Krug stated he would prefer the parking on the south lot as it would leave the area near the building clear for the Fire Department in case of any emergencies on the upper floors. Mr. Pfeil stated the Fire Department has reviewed every set of plans, including the present one, and has not given any negative comment on driveway access to the site. He noted that earlier in the planning process the Fire Department commented on deficient access around the buildings, and the plans were revised to address these concerns. Commissioner Krug noted the site plan shows Lots 1-7 with a parking lot on the excluded parcel. Mr. Mays stated this parcel is one of three parcels which make up the former lots 1-7 in the Corporate Grove. It has been agreed not to petition for a change of zoning for the corner lot. It is currently zoned Industrial. This site has the potential for business development and they understand the Village has a need to know what is going in there in order to properly review a plan. He asked for some flexibility as that site will ultimately develop with a use that is very compatible with the proposed two uses. At the time of future development,they will request a zoning change or an applicable use under the Industrial classification. Mr. Lamphere stated they were trying to determine the highest and densest possible use for the corner so as to develop traffic flows for the street that goes in and out. The highest and most dense development would most likely be a restaurant and the engineering took that possibility into consideration. However,they do not as yet have any plans for the corner parcel. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 5 Commissioner Rosenston asked for some further details on the request for a fire lane surrounding the health and fitness center. Mr. Pfeil commented that the Fire Department has looked at the most recent plans and no deficiencies were identified. Mr. Gorman noted there was concern on the west side of the health center project. Access to the building can easily be accommodated from the parking lot and the building next door. Commissioner Rosenston asked for further details on the turning radii request. Mr. Gorman stated the radii have now been enlarged. Commissioner Rosenston asked for details regarding the diagonal aisle. Mr. Gorman stated the area in question has been accommodated on a revised plan and squared up to simplify traffic movements. Commissioner Rosenston asked for further explanation on the driveway off of Busch Parkway. Mr. Gorman noted they are proposing to line up the driveway specifically with the corporate headquarters across the street and that has now been done. Commissioner Rosenston stated the big issue that needs discussion is parking. Mr. Gorman stated they have 243 parking spaces provided on the plan including approximately 8 handicapped spots. The code requires only about 90 spots. However,based upon their experience with this kind of center,they are comfortable with the amount of parking provided for the health center. He noted they also have the ability to develop another 40-50 spots in the future if needed. Mr. Turner stated the code requires one space per employee on a maximum shift. The most employees anticipated on a shift will be 7. There are 122 rooms and they have provided 129 parking spaces on site. Discussions with the manager at the Downers Grove property has shown they have never had a problem accommodating parking based on this requirement. Should this ever become a problem,there is space available on the site for an additional 5-6 parallel parking spaces for employees only. Commissioner Rosenston asked if there were any facilities for guests inside the hotel besides their rooms. Mr. Turner stated there is an onsite laundry facility for guests,vending area and an office with a fax. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 6 Commissioner Rosenston asked if there any handicapped facilities within the hotel. Mr. Turner stated they have handicapped rooms built to code. Commissioner Rosenston asked where the trash areas are located. Mr. Gorman stated there are two proposed locations and they are presently working with staff on picking one final location,with pickup of hazardous waste being made separately within the building. Mr. Turner noted they are proposing a dumpster in the southwest corner of the lot. Commissioner Rosenston asked about linkages to the property on the south, depending on how that develops. Mr. Turner stated the sidewalk will connect over a landscaped area into the parking lot of the health and fitness center to facilitate hotel guests being able to get back and forth. Commissioner Rosenston asked if pedestrian access to the future development on the south parcel will be provided at a future time. Mr. Turner stated yes and pointed out a 30 foot easement to be provided. Commissioner Berman asked if the pond on the west side is pre-existing. Mr. Gorman stated that pond is not included in the development as it is an existing park easement Commissioner Berman asked about the retaining wall along the edge of the parking lot between the lot and the pond. Mr. Gorman stated Manhard Engineering was concerned that the area would be above the grade of the water level so they have proposed, if that is the case,to build a retaining wall in that area if necessary. Commissioner Berman asked what type of security arrangements will be in place at the proposed hotel. Mr. Turner stated all doors are locked at 11:00 p.m. around the perimeter. There will be three primary access doors to be accessed only with room key cards. In addition there will be someone on the property 24 hours per day who is fully informed on how to handle emergencies. He stated they do not anticipate a need to hire a full time security person. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 7 Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if ESA Development plans to bring in outside management to manage the hotel or if this will be an internal management team. Mr. Turner stated they have their own operations program which does all the management hiring and running of the facilities. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what the peak hours for use will be at the health center. Mr. Gorman stated these type of facilities are utilized all day long, although there are some peak hours. The peak hours start when the center opens at 5:30-6:00 a.m.,peaking out at about 8:30 a.m. and then resuming at about 4:30 p.m. One of the advantages of these facilities is that patients are constantly coming in during the day and using the center during the hospital hours and the healthy guests tend to arrive earlier in the morning and then later in the evening. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what time the center would close. Mr. Gorman stated the center would close at 10:00 p.m. on weekdays, 7-3:00 p.m. Sundays and 7-7:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what type of restaurant would be in the facility. Mr. Gorman stated it is more of a cafe which is a heart healthy care. The purpose of the cafe is to expose people to more of the nutritional cooking methods and new types of foods. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked how many medical offices will be in the center. Mr. Gorman stated the main component is a physical medicine department which will have a small physician time share component that will have one office and three exam rooms. Physicians would rotate through on a half day basis. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what kind of membership fees will be proposed. Mr. Gorman stated the fees will be comparable to the other medical based centers in the area. Northwest Community Hospital charges $59 per month and Condell charges$64 per month. Commissioner Trilling asked if there is a manager's apartment in the hotel. Mr. Turner stated yes. Commissioner Trilling asked what has been done with the %2 acre addition since the first workshop. Mr. Turner stated they wanted to get some more space between the building and the parking area Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 8 and increase the perimeter around the site for landscape buffering. Commissioner Trilling asked if the combined access road is a private road. Mr. Mays stated it is a private road which will ultimately be maintained by all three tracts composed of Highland Park Hospital,ESA Development and Van Vlissingen. Commissioner Trilling asked for clarification of the modifications to the intersection of the combined driveway at Busch Parkway. Mr. Gorman stated they are planning to have two lanes entering. A right lane turning in coming west as well as a deceleration lane and widening of Busch Parkway as you are coming east on Busch Parkway. There will be an island as well to segregate traffic that is turning right out of the development or a left turn lane to go out of the development. He stated they will be striping down the access road as well and they will be restriping the area that is adjacent to the island on Busch in order to give more directional information and to get people who are making a left turn from Milwaukee Avenue into the development more focused. Commissioner Trilling noted there is not actually any additional pavement width being provided for westbound traffic on Busch. Mr. Gorman stated the traffic consultant reviewed that issue in depth and felt the width of Busch at that location could accommodate people making a left hand turn and still allow traffic to bypass on the right hand side. Mr. Kuenkler stated that is accurate as far as westbound traffic. Chairman Goldspiel what experience ESA Development has in hotel operation. Mr. Turner noted that before undertaking this venture they did extensive studies of similar types of hotels in the southeast and southwest US. They have an average occupancy of 97 percent which is about 25 percent better than a standard hotel. They are aware that the concept is a successful one and this market is strong in growth and income and is a very fluid environment. He stated they started with two hotels purchased in Atlanta to gain operational and management ability. From that,they assembled their management team who is presently training and has trained hotel managers. Chairman Goldspiel asked if there is a particular size or range that the hotel needs to be in order to be efficient. Mr. Turner stated based on surveys of demand,the ideal size is a 122-126 unit hotel. If below 100 rooms it becomes less efficient on an operational basis. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 9 Chairman Goldspiel noted disappointment with the lack of a pedestrian system between the properties. He stated the Village Master Plan calls for a sidewalk/bikepath along Milwaukee Avenue and the proposal here is not to have that. The suggestion at the last workshop was to perhaps have an internal system that would perform the same function. That,however, is not shown on this plan. Mr. Lamphere stated their experience has been that crosswalks and connectors develop with use. It is difficult to figure out in advance where they are going to be. Once that use is determined, additional sidewalks will be put wherever they are needed to service these two facilities and a third facility when developed. He stated they have done a lot of interior walks and it was never done in advance. If needed,they will be put there and it would be in the best interests of these two companies to do that. Chairman Goldspiel stated he could see a particular need for a pedestrian passageway between a restaurant and the hotel. Mr. Lamphere noted that until you know where the restaurant is situated, it is hard to put those crosswalks in. Chairman Goldspiel noted concern that these paths be put in when the time comes as it will not be coming back to the Plan Commission once they are built. Mr. Lamphere noted they would be working with all the powers to try to prevail that this matter is done. Chairman Goldspiel noted concern with the need for emergency access to the south and asked if the Village could depend on Van Vlissingen to put in an emergency access there. Mr. Lamphere noted there is a designated area showing the proposed future emergency route to the south. It may,however,prove to be another way to go once the development to the south is proposed. If the reasons are compelling,the flexibility to change the paths is available. Chairman Goldspiel asked how the Village can assure this is done when the other properties are developed. Mr. Raysa noted it may be best to add the emergency access to the Plat of Subdivision. The issue is that putting it on the Plat of Subdivision creates a problem with any flexibility for moving the area around when the time comes and the needs are changed. He stated he would propose that Village staff discuss the issues with the two developers and the overall developers as to how this might be handled. Commissioner Rosenston asked if the issue of an additional access to this site had been specifically asked of the Fire Department. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 10 Mr. Pfeil stated they are aware of the issue and the biggest problem that needed to be addressed for the Fire Department was the road around the hotel. Once that was accomplished,the primary improvement to the plan was reached per their concerns. The Fire Department has not expressed a critical need for the access to the south, although they feel it is a good idea. Mr. Raysa stated the signs and monumental signs have not yet been approved and will have to go to the Appearance Commission. There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Goldspiel closed the public hearing at 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED BY: STEPHEN GOLDSPIEL,Chairman Li Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-December 4, 1996-Page 11 REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION December 4, 1996 The Corporate Grove,southwest corner of Busch Parkway/Milwaukee Avenue-Approval of a Special Use and Preliminary Plan in the Industrial District for the Highland Park Health and Fitness Center on Parcel A,approval of rezoning from the Industrial District to the B-3 Planned Business Center District for Parcel B,and approval of a Preliminary Plan for an Extended Stay America hotel on Parcel B The Milbro property,south side of Illinois Route 22, east of the Tenerife townhomes,Approval of a Preliminary Plan in the Industrial District—Workshop#2 The Corporate Grove First Resubdivision—Final Plat Chairman Goldspiel called the meeting to order at 8:45 p.m.in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard,Buffalo Grove,Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Goldspiel Mr. Krug Mr. Rosenston Mr. Samuels Mr. Berman Mr. Trilling Mr. Ottenheimer Commissioners absent: Mr. Lundine Ms. Howard Also present: Mr. John Mays, Gould&Ratner Mr. Kenneth Gorman,Power Hospital Fitness Group Mr. Matthew Hamlin,Highland Park Hospital Mr. Robert Lamphere,Van Vlissingen and Co. Mr. Todd Turner,ESA Development ` 1 Mr. Tom Rhind, Power Hospital Fitness Group Mr. Mark Weir, Quill Company Mr. Rolf Kilian, Metro Transportation Group Inc. Mr. Richard Kuenkler, Village Engineer Mr. William Raysa, Village Attorney Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 1 Mr. Jeff Braiman,Village Trustee Mr. Robert Pfeil,Village Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES Moved by Commissioner Rosenston, seconded by Commissioner Ottenheimer to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of November 6, 1996. Commissioner Krug noted the date needed to be inserted on the first page of the minutes. Commissioner Rosenston noted the need for a word insertion on page 4,paragraph 4. All Commissioners were in favor of the amended motion and the motion passed unanimously. COMMI F1'EE AND LIAISON REPORTS Commissioner Rosenston attended the Village Board meeting on December 2, 1996 noting the following items were discussed: 1. Twin Rinks Skating Rink was deferred due to changes made at the Appearance Commission which concerned the Trustees. The specific issues involve removal of a couple of the landscaped medians in the parking lot and the need for a cooling tower which will have to be a separate structure. THE CORPORATE GROVE. SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BUSCH PARKWAY/ MILWAUKEE AVENUE-APPROVAL OF A SPECIAL USE AND PRELIMINARY PLAN IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT FOR THE HIGHLAND PARK HEALTH AND FITNESS CENTER ON PARCEL A.APPROVAL OF REZONING FROM THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TO THE B-3 PLANNED BUSINESS CENTER DISTRICT FOR PARCEL B.AND APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN FOR AN EXTENDED STAY AMERICA HOTEL ON PARCEL B Moved by Commissioner Rosenston,seconded by Commissioner Samuels to recommend approval to the Village Board of the petition for approval of a Special Use and Preliminary Plan for a health and fitness center in the Industrial District on Parcel A as legally described and approval of a rezoning from the Industrial district to the B-3 Planned Business Center District and approval of a Preliminary Plan for an Extended Stay America hotel on Parcel B as legally described. The proposed health and fitness center on Parcel A would be a building of approximately 61,600 square feet operated by Highland Park Hospital. The proposed Extended Stay America hotel on Parcel B would be a three-story building with 122 rooms. Commissioner Rosenston stated he was gratified to see the plans for the hotel included a greater number of larger rooms. The improvements to the exterior were greatly improved. This kind of facility is needed, especially with the kind of industry in the area. The Highland Park facility will be a good asset to the Village and he will support this motion. He is also banking on the Van Vlissingen reputation to insure that sidewalk interlinking will be developed once the final Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 2 parcel is developed. Chairman Goldspiel speaking in opposition stated he is disappointed that the plan does not include the pedestrian and bicycle pathway that are called for in the Master Plan and especially disappointed that after discussing this at the workshop meeting,the pathways were not presented in any kind of meaningful manner. However,his main opposition is the use. He stated this is a very bare bones hotel facility which is encouraging people to stay for longer periods of time and is inappropriate for this Village. He noted he fears that as the property ages and deteriorates,the hotel may very well become a nuisance and a blighting influence on the area. He stated bare bones residential properties are not allowed in the Village and sees no reason to encourage this in a hotel. He stated he has no problem with the hospital fitness center. Commissioner Berman stated the Highland Park Health facility is a terrific idea and a terrific plan. He noted agreement with Chairman Goldspiel's comments regarding the hotel facility. He stated he has serious reservations about this type of facility in the Village. He stated he will not support the motion in light of the hotel proposal. Chairman Goldspiel called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: Krug, Rosenston, Samuels,Trilling,Ottenheimer NAYES: Berman, Goldspiel ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Howard, Lundine The motion passed 5 to 2. Moved by Commissioner Krug, seconded by Commissioner Samuels to change the third item on the agenda to the second item. All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and the motion passed unanimously. Moved by Commissioner Ottenheimer,seconded by Commissioner Berman to table the Corporate Grove First Resubdivision-Final Plat item from the agenda until such time as there is Village Board approval. Mr. Raysa noted that technically a motion to table must come up automatically at the next meeting. Therefore a motion to defer until the Village Board acts on the plat would be the more appropriate motion. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated he will amend his motion to defer the matter until such time as there is Village Board approval of the plat. Commissioner Berman accepted the amended motion to defer. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 3 Commissioner Samuels stated the issues represented by the final plat have nothing to do with the issues that are raised by the Commission which is why he routinely abstains from voting on plats. A plat either conforms or does not conform and it really makes no difference and therefore it would make no difference if action was taken now on the Corporate Grove First Resubdivision, fmal plat. He further noted the vote is not on the substance of the petition but rather on whether the plat conforms with what is contained in the document. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated he feels the vote is procedural only but procedures have a purpose. Chairman Goldspiel noted that approval of plats is one of the few things that is actually spelled out in the Illinois statutes that the Plan Commission must do and are therefore under obligation of state law to take this matter seriously. Commissioner Rosenston asked the developer if deferral would create any problems. Mr. Mays stated this is a very straight forward subdivision of an existing lot and it would be of great assistance to the development team to be able to move forward with this in a timely manner. Chairman Goldspiel called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: Krug,Berman, Ottenheimer, Goldspiel NAYES: None ABSTAIN: Rosenston, Samuels,Trilling ABSENT: Howard, Lundine The motion passed 4 to 0. THE MILBRO PROPERTY. SOUTH SIDE OF ILLINOIS ROUTE 22. EAST OF THE TENERIFE TOWNHOMES.APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT— WORKSHOP#2 Mr. Mark Weir of the Quill Company stated they are here to gain approval of a preliminary plan. He stated a critical part of the plan is the exchange of land. The Village Board made two very specific conditions on that exchange. They want to ensure there is a dedication of Route 22 right-of-way to facilitate the SRA improvements in the future. They also wanted an ingress/egress easement be put in across the Lincolnshire property to make sure that this development is not a dead end cul-de-sac project. He stated a preliminary plat of subdivision has been placed on the consent agenda in Lincolnshire and should be approved shortly providing such an easement. The future dedication of Route 22 will be handled under a separate document called a Plat of Highway. He stated they now have everyreason to believe eve that the conditions of referral of the Village Board have been met. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 4 Mr. Weir noted a minor change which has been made to the plan. The proposed public roadway which terminates into a perpetual public access easement has been shifted south 80 feet. This was done to insure there would be appropriate room to expand the warehouse to the south. Mr. Weir stated their plan is to obtain a recommendation on the preliminary plan and they will then subdivide the land into 50 foot lots. He stated their intention is to put office buildings to the north along Route 22 and office/warehouse/distribution buildings throughout the balance of the property. He noted they have shown buildings as a way to test the site and show what is perceived as the maximum amount of real estate that would be built. He also noted their intention to construct a building which will abut the water will require a variation to reduce the 25 foot setback to 0 feet. He stated they will maintain the vertical separation from the high water line. He noted they are also requesting that the public sidewalk be put on the western edge of the right-of-way instead of the eastern side which would be all Lincolnshire property. They are proposing to connect the public sidewalk from the Holtz Road extension along Milwaukee Avenue west across the Ameritech property to be tied in to the sidewalks that have been constructed in the Town&Country subdivision. He further noted they are suggesting a looped walkway system in the 60 foot setback area which will wrap around to give people an opportunity to do a circular loop walk. This is a combination of public sidewalks connecting ultimately to the train station and then private walkway systems in a loop format. Mr. Weir further noted a minor issue with the crossection of the pond which has been designed to duplicate the ponds immediately adjacent to the subdivision. In addition,they have requested no striping in the parking lots except for handicapped parking and fire lanes,as they have worked well that way in their Lincolnshire facility. Commissioner Rosenston asked why no parking lot striping. Mr. Weir stated the 1200 space parking lot in Lincolnshire has no striping now and works well and as the owners of these proposed building,they would like to carry that idea on. Chairman Goldspiel asked for details on the land trade. Mr. Weir stated the concept and benefits to the Village of Buffalo Grove are as follows: 1. The land trade evens out the municipal boundaries through the exchange of 3-acres of land parcels. 2. This allows the proposed road to become the municipal boundary with everything east of the road would be in Buffalo Grove and everything west would be in Lincolnshire with the exception of the Ameritech parcel. This trade opens up the site so that it can be developed. Mr. Weir stated Lincolnshire will be asked to disconnect one piece and the Village of Buffalo Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 5 Grove will be asked to annex and disconnect on their piece. He noted both Village boards are in general agreement on the exchange which will be mutually beneficial. Commissioner Rosenston asked if there has been any staff comment on construction of the office building up against the pond. Mr. Kuenkler stated it would just be a building design exercise and did not see any reason it could not be done. He noted it is not a variation to the flood plain ordinance but rather a variation to the development ordinance. Mr. Weir noted their architects have designed buildings with water against them many times, noting the maintenance will be entirely up to Milbro. Chairman Goldspiel noted the main issue here then is the traffic issue. Mr. Weir stated Lincolnshire was at first concerned that the connective roadway system would adversely impact Schelter Road when all of the Buffalo Grove traffic was dumped onto Schelter Road. The Village of Lincolnshire hired Metro Transportation Group at Milbro's expense to analyze that impact. The issue of roadway improvements to Schelter road was discussed at length with staff and the board. It was resolved that the Schelter Road intersection needs improvement. It was also the consensus that there are many other people using Schelter Road, particularly 350 acres of industrial development,and it was therefore not fair to require the Millers to pay for an improvement to an inefficient and inadequate intersection. Mr. Rolf Kilian of Metro Transportation Group,Inc. stated he has had an opportunity to review the Village consultant's report. Chairman Goldspiel noted the first point is that the site is going to generate more traffic than the report indicates. Mr. Kilian stated that was not true. In fact,they have overestimated the trip generation for the site. There are several formulas provided for each land use to determine how much traffic a development will generate. He stated they have separated the amount of square footage of office and industrial development that is being proposed in each of the two communities. When you do that you end up with two smaller units which means your traffic generation,when using applied formulas, are greater. If you combine those as one development,the total square footage actually will yield a lower trip generation rate. They have,however,used the higher trip generation rate for this project. Chairman Goldspiel noted the Village consultant's report raised the question of whether all of the expansion on the Quill property had been included. Mr. Kilian stated they were provided with employment figures for both existing and future Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 6 potential development of the Quill property which is the information they used even though it was related to square footage in the report. Chairman Goldspiel noted that in that case the basic traffic engineering formula was not used. Mr. Kilian stated they related it to the ITE trip generation rates. He stated there are several ways to relate the information. One way is to relate it to square footage or acres or employees. Different uses have different ways to calculate. He stated there may be some differences in the actual numbers when calculated but they will be very close. Mr. Weir stated he gave Metro a very conservative figure of 3,000 employees for the entire site. It assumes extremely high percentages of office in the industrial buildings being shown and it is almost a double figure of what the employee count is. Chairman Goldspiel noted it might be a good idea to work out the numbers. He stated the figures are not crucial for this discussion because the Village's consultant represents his recommendations would be the same in any event. Mr. Kilian stated the Village consultant has indicated that the driveways that are between the buildings are too close to each other and should be combined into a single driveway. He stated they feel that the amount of parking and traffic that these driveways serve is minimal and therefore having two driveways next to each other will create very little conflict and there is no real safety issue. He stated they will operate very well as designed. Mr. Kilian also noted the consultant's comments about the driveway being too close to Schelter Road would be resolved when a complete final plan is ready. In addition,that driveway is within Lincolnshire and not Buffalo Grove. Mr. Kilian stated the concern with the type of material used to landscape the median island on the proposed south leg of Holtz Road at Route 22 will be taken care of so that site lines are not obstructed. He noted they have intentionally set the median back from the intersection to clearly avoid the possibility of any site restrictions. Mr. Weir stated the site plan is merely representational at this stage and all of these details will be addressed when these buildings are begun. Commissioner Rosenston noted he likes the side by side driveways from an aesthetic viewpoint. He noted concern that there could be a potential hazard though depending on traffic levels. Mr. Kilian stated you would be dealing with people who work here and come here everyday and would be very familiar with the layout. In addition, only a very limited number of vehicles would be served here. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 7 Commissioner Rosenston asked if the plan is to build the buildings as depicted. Mr. Weir stated absolutely not. Commissioner Rosenston therefore noted that the talk of adjacent driveways and everything else is premature. Chairman Goldspiel stated that the intention is not to come back to the Plan Commission when they want to build the buildings which is why it has been stripped out into the 50 foot lots so that the developer can combine any number of 50 foot lots to get the size parcel they want. Commissioner Rosenston noted that depending on how they build, it will dictate the size of the parking lots and where the curb cuts will be and so on. Chairman Goldspiel stated this is the only crack the Plan Commission gets at this plan and if there any concerns it is appropriate to state them now. He stated the proposal is that the developer can combine lots to make at least a minimum size parcel that would be built on and they would not have to come back for plan approval. Therefore any concerns need to be dealt with now,notwithstanding the fact that these are hypothetical buildings. It is necessary to develop some design principals that will govern this development. Mr. Raysa stated the Village of Buffalo Grove has done this concept at least twice before as far as the 50 foot lots and once those lots were consolidated they have never come back to the Plan Commission unless the current annexation agreement is amended to dictate they do come back to the Plan Commission. Chairman Goldspiel noted this means you need Village approval to subdivide but you do not need Village approval to consolidate. Mr. Raysa noted they did once add to the agreement or covenants that you had to consolidate a minimum of "X"number of lots or square footage, or you specifically spell out an amended annexation agreement that whatever is done must come back to the Plan Commission. Mr. Raysa noted there already is an annexation agreement that basically gives straight Industrial zoning. Because the parcels are being annexed and land is being disconnected, it would be his proposal to amend the existing annexation agreement. Once amended you negotiate what can be in that amended annexation agreement. Mr. Weir stated they would be happy to put something on the face of a plat in regard to some sort of minimum. They would not,however, entertain anything that renegotiates the annexation agreement in terms of the conditions that this property was annexed under. He stated they are asking the Village to disconnect and annex land but they do not wish to open up the annexation agreement to negotiate anything which was negotiated two years ago when the property was Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 8 annexed. At that time the Village agreed to give them the zoning and they agreed to comply with the codes when the property was developed and go through this process. He noted they would not wish to have the Village impose new restrictions that change the terms of conditions of that annexation. Chairman Goldspiel noted that the 50 foot lot proposal is to take care of all the subdivision at one time instead of subdividing each time a building is built. Mr. Weir noted that was their thought and they understood that was the minimum required by the Village. He noted they may have to rearrange that 50 foot lot minimum and they would then follow whatever established process there are to make the buildings stand alone. Chairman Goldspiel noted the point for the Commission is to be comfortable with the design and the traffic issues. Mr. Weir noted the concept is to have truck courts facing each other and office courts facing office counts. The concept is also to provide ample parking on the office side to take care of the office uses. Truck use will be facilitated more easily if there are adjacent driveways. Also,in the event the Millers should ever decide to sell this land, it is a better design solution to have the buildings on the site stand on their own with separate driveways. Mr. Kilian further noted the Village consultant's report also reiterates three of the recommendations made in their own report. They are recommending that the existing widening at Stevenson Drive be extended through the Holtz Road intersection to east of Holtz Road and then create a eastbound left turn lane and an eastbound right turn lane to service the proposed development and a westbound left turn lane to service this development. In addition they are recommending the development of an eastbound right turn lane at Schelter Road along with a larger corner radius to allow trucks to turn easier and safer. Finally,they recommend a restriping of the approach on Schelter Road to Route 22 so that a left and right turn lane can be created. By providing separate lanes, a left turn vehicle would not necessarily hold someone up wishing to turn right. Mr. Kilian stated they are still operating at what is considered an unacceptable level of service at that intersection. However, some improvements have been made to alleviate some of the problems. The turn lanes at Schelter Road allow a right turn to be made without being blocked by a left turner. The right turn lane takes right turning traffic,particularly in the morning,out of the through lane, allowing eastbound through traffic to continue uninhibited. Mr. Kilian noted they have made a recommendation to Lincolnshire to restrict the left turn movement from westbound Route 22 onto Schelter Road during peak hours. The reason for that is to improve the operation of that intersection during peak hours. He noted that maneuver can be made much safer and easily at the Barclay Road intersection where there is a protected left turn lane with a signalized intersection. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 9 Mr. Kilian stated the improvements will do a great deal to alleviate not only existing traffic conditions but also to accommodate the additional traffic that will be generated. However,the levels of service will not get any better until Route 22 is ultimately widened which is what IDOT has called for. He stated the most current SRA plan does indicate that these intersections will continue to be full intersections and not be restricted to right turn in and out only. Chairman Goldspiel asked if the only difference between the Metro traffic report and the Village consultant's report is that the consultant proposes a left turn at Schelter Road and Metro does not. Mr. Kilian stated that was correct. The only difference is that the consultant is recommending that the widening be continued all the way to Barclay so that there is a three lane road which would then provide a left turn lane at Schelter Road. In lieu of doing that,they are suggesting restriction of left turn movements and the use of the existing light at Barclay and the existing left turn. Chairman Goldspiel suggested this left turn restriction proposal be presented to the Village consultant for review. Commissioner Samuels asked if the restriction of the left turn onto Schelter Road was up to the Village of Lincolnshire. Mr. Kilian stated it would be a request that should be made by the Village of Lincolnshire to IDOT to make that restriction. Commissioner Samuels asked if the Village of Lincolnshire would ask for such restriction as they have never done so to date. He stated he is in agreement with the Village consultant who states the only way to take care of that intersection is to put a third lane to allow left turns. He noted signage would be required to alert people to turn left at Barclay which is prior to Schelter Road. Mr. Kilian stated this is an industrial area and people would be familiar with the area as they come everyday to work. If you do go past Barclay and come up against the left turn restriction, you can still turn left at the proposed access road and get to Schelter Road via this new roadway. Chairman Goldspiel asked if the developer has agreed to donate lane for the widening of Route 22. Mr. Weir stated it was one of the conditions of referral and they therefore are making the `/ donation. Chairman Goldspiel asked for details of interconnection traffic lights to improve traffic conditions. Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 10 ---------- Mr. Kilian stated the Village consultant has noted interconnection would not be workable because the eastbound and westbound traffic streams are of equal size. However,that is not the case. The actual traffic counts on Route 22 show the eastbound traffic in the morning is about double of the westbound and it is in reverse in the afternoon. Therefore,the two directions are not equal during the peak hours which would mean there could be some ability to progress traffic in one direction or the other during peak hours. If you are able to progress traffic you are able to create gaps in between the lights. Chairman Goldspiel asked for comment on the three options offered by the Village consultant. Mr. Kilian noted a limitation of right in and right out would provide some restrictions, particularly to those coming from the west. You would be forcing those people to either go out on Schelter to make a left turn or they would be forced to go south to Aptakisic Road. Mr. Weir stated they had started the process with a cul-de-sac off of Route 22. It has taken them a year to this point with this connection which gives opportunity to get in and out of the development without using Holtz or Schelter Road. He noted this is critical to this development. Mr. Weir stated the lights are now temporarily wired together. If the two communities can get together to work on the timing of the lights. Mr. Kilian noted these are both IDOT controlled signals so IDOT is the agency that would have to be consulted to modify any timings to those lights. Chairman Goldspiel stated we need to know what to ask of IDOT and what would be the optimum that can be achieved. Mr. Kilian stated they will investigate and do an analysis to see what the timings ought to be. Mr. Kilian further stated the alternatives presented by the Village consultant regarding using the Stevenson light and the option of a cul-de-sac are not a good idea. Commissioner Rosenston noted the road is already an unacceptable situation and both communities should be doing their best to get IDOT to do all they can with the lights to remedy the situation. Mr. Kilian stated they were retained by Lincolnshire to assist them in evaluating the proposal. He noted they are advising Lincolnshire of the need for the improvements as presented here. He stated they will continue to work with Lincolnshire and hopefully something can be worked out with IDOT to get the signal issue resolved. Commissioner Samuels stated he did not mean to infer the developer should pay the entire cost of adding a third lane at Schelter and Route 22. He noted this development will make traffic Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 11 incrementally worse and therefore it would be appropriate for the developer to commit to some contribution that might encourage the state's eventually widening of Route 22. Mr. Kilian stated they will make every effort to work with both Lincolnshire and IDOT to get a left turn lane at Schelter accomplished. Chairman Goldspiel asked if there was any hope of the two villages working together to resolve any of these traffic issues. Mr. Pfeil stated he would speak to the Village Manager about the traffic issues and what can be done concerning coordination with IDOT and Lincolnshire. For the developer it is important to get to a point where the plan as proposed is considered feasible and workable. There is,of course, a traffic impact related to the proposed development and the situation on Route 22 is difficult now in peak periods. Commissioner Rosenston noted the Village of Buffalo Grove is only concerned with one intersection. This project will have two access points,one in each village. The design proposed for the Route 22 intersection which is within the purview of Buffalo Grove are fine and will work well. The other access points and problem areas do not fall within Buffalo Grove's sphere and this Commission will not be able to solve those problems. Chairman Goldspiel noted that if Buffalo Grove could push just a bit more and get something worked out on the light, some of the problem may be worked out. Mr. Kilian noted that the Village of Lincolnshire is receptive to improvements along Route 22. Jerri Garber stated her major concern as a resident of Tenerife is the traffic. However, it should be noted they already have a noise problem with the aluminum factory behind them and whatever is built here is of great concern. She further noted many Stevenson kids are parking throughout the development and causing a problem. Mr. Weir noted the tallest building will be an office building of 4-5 stories which will be just off of Route 22. The balance of the property will be developed as one story warehouse type buildings. They will be no closer than 60 feet to the property line and they will not generally be taller than the existing Quill warehouse. He noted everything was done to keep traffic away between the buildings and the homes. In addition,a 6-foot solid wood fence will be built on the entire length of the property and all existing trees will be saved to be used as screening along the property line. Kurt Arno stated traffic is bad but is much worse when weather conditions become inclement. He noted the light at Stevenson High School causes him to sit through 3-4 cycles just to get into the turn lane for the complex. The addition of even more people on this road will increase a problem that is already of epic proportions. He further noted a noise problem at night with the Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 12 aluminum factory to the south. Therefore,they are very concerned with the various building noises this project may bring. Mr. Weir stated it is to their own best interests not to allow any user who will cause any problems with emissions or noise. Mr. Kilian stated the funding for improvements like this is not done with public monies. These are developer funds that would pay for these improvements. He also noted the traffic signal at Stevenson High School on Route 22 is not timed properly. It is on a fixed time operation and is very inefficient. When that signal is replaced with a permanent installation which will be a traffic actuated operation volume/density type of control,there will be a significant improvement in traffic flow on Route 22. Mr. Weir stated the improvements made in front of Tenerife are the same ones proposed for this development. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated he would like to see some of the proposed uses and ideas for this development so that they can be tied into the type of traffic that it will generate. Mr. Weir stated they do not know what the ultimate uses will be only that they will comply with Industrial zoning. He stated they will work with staff and use a very conservative figure of the number of employees they will probably have. Other than that there is not much else to base projections on. Commissioner Krug noted this project would be very similar to the Rogers Center and should not be any different or troublesome. The developer has done everything they can to deal with the problems of the site, including traffic. Traffic cannot be improvement any more until IDOT does something about it. Chairman Goldspiel noted it would be a good idea to get the two traffic consultants working together to straighten out any differences and to see what can be done about a light interconnect. Commissioner Rosenston summarized some of the issues by noting the proposed land swap makes goods sense because it squares off the property. Placement of the road which is on the boundary between the two towns is also a very good idea. He noted concern with the fact that the buildings create a sea of concrete,however,it is already zoned Industrial and you are not going to put anything up that is outside of code so it will work. He stated the developer has done everything possible with respect to the things we control to make this plan work and the Commission has certainly done this kind of plan with 50 foot lots before. Commissioner Berman concurred with Commissioner Rosenston and noted that none of these buildings are leased and if the problems are as bad as feared, it will take a long time to lease them and the traffic problem will take care of itself over time. He stated he has little reason to Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 13 believe that these buildings will be leased unless the traffic problem is resolved. Commissioner Trilling noted other warehouse/distribution/manufacturing businesses do not like their office space to exceed the 10 percent rule because it is difficult to resell the building once you have higher office ratios. The people who want office space will stay up front in the 4-5 story office building. Commissioner Samuels agreed with Commissioners Krug and Rosenston. He noted the traffic is as it is and the zoning is already in place. The only question is if this is a reasonable configuration for development. The use is of relatively minor importance in this issue because the zoning is already established and there is no further tuning that can be done to this plan that will significantly affect any of the issues such as traffic. Chairman Goldspiel called for a polling of the Commission as to whether this project should move on to a public hearing. The polling was as follows: Yes,proceed on to public hearing: Krug,Rosenston, Samuels, Berman, Trilling, Ottenheimer, Goldspiel No,do not proceed on to public hearing:None CHAIRMAN'S REPORT-None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil stated there will be a special meeting on December 11, 1996. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS -None STAFF REPORT- Mr. Pfeil stated he attended the Lake County ZBA hearing concerning the petition by Shell and McDonalds for rezoning of the property by the Crossings. The final vote was deferred to the ZBA meeting on December 6. It seems to be very much just a zoning issue for the Lake County ZBA; traffic impact and utilities weren't given much consideration in the ZBA discussion. The issue before the ZBA is rezoning to the Urban District. The Buffalo Grove Village Board has passed a resolution objecting to the rezoning that will be filed with the County Clerk. This type of objection by a municipality forces a 3/4 majority of the County Board to approve the rezoning. NEW BUSINESS -None ADJOURNMENT Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 14 Moved by Commissioner Rosenston, seconded by Commissioner Ottenheimer and carried unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Goldspiel adjourned the meeting at 11:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED BY: STEPHEN GOLDSPIEL, Chairman Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-December 4, 1996-Page 15