1991-08-21 - Plan Commission - Minutes REGULAR MEETING
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
August 21, 1991
Rohrman Automobile Dealerships, Chatham B-3 Parcel
and the Happ Farm, Northwest Corner of Weidner Road
and Dundee Road - Rezoning from B-3 and R-E to
B-4 and Preliminary Plan
Deerfield Bakery - Final Plat
Vice Chairman Goldspiel called the meeting to order at 7: 30 p.m. in
the Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove,
Illinois.
Commissioners present: Mr. Goldspiel
Mr. Krug
Mr. Rhodes
Mr. Charlette
Ms. Howard
Mr. Rosenston
Mr. Samuels
Mr. Silbernik
Commissioners absent: Ms. Genell
Also present: Mr. Marc Schwartz, Batler & Schwartz
Mr. Daniel Wolf, Batler & Schwartz
Mr. John Pezl, CE Design, Ltd.
Mr. Bob Rohrman, Rohrman Automobile
Dealerships
Mr. William Herrmann, CE Design, Ltd.
Mr. Olav Espenes, Jon Espenes Company
Ms. Mary Fritz, Land Design Collaborative
Mr. Robert Zolomij , Land Design
Collaborative
Mr. Rolf Kilian, Metro Transportation Group
Mr. Brian Rubin, Village Trustee
Mr. Jeff Braiman, Village Trustee
Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner
Moved by Commissioner Rosenston, seconded by Commissioner Krug to
defer approval of the Deerfield Bakery Final Plat to the next
regular Plan Commission meeting date. All Commissioners were in
favor and the motion carried.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 1
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Commissioner Samuels, seconded by Commissioner Rhodes to
approve the minutes of the Public Hearing and Regular Meeting of
August 7, 1991. Mr. Pfeil noted corrections requested by
Commissioner Genell to page 4 of the Public Hearing minutes,
paragraph 7 to state " . . .the office building from 24, 000 square
feet to 36, 000 square feet. . . " as well as corrections to page 3 of
the Regular Meeting minutes, paragraph 2 , line 1 to state R-3
zoning and line 3 to state R-E zoning. Commissioner Samuels moved
and Commissioner Rhodes seconded the motion for approval of the
minutes as amended. All Commissioners were in favor with
Commissioners Howard and Silbernik abstaining, and the motion
carried.
COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS
Commissioner Silbernik reported on the Village Board meeting of
August 19, 1991, stating that the annexation agreement of the Stone
Creek property was continued to September 3 , 1991. There was
discussion regarding the height of the proposed two story office
building. The DeGrazia Company would prefer to have a 36 foot
height allowance and the Board was leaning towards a 28 foot height
limit. Commissioner Silbernik further noted that discussion was
held on the pre-application for a townhome development on Bank Lane
north of the Seigle's Home Center on Route 83 .
ROHRMAN AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIPS, CHATHAM B-3 PARCEL AND THE
HAPP FARM, NORTHWEST CORNER OF WEIDNER ROAD/DUNDEE ROAD
REZONING FROM B-3 AND R-E TO B-4 AND PRELIMINARY PLAN
Vice Chairman Goldspiel described the nature of the proceedings to
the public.
Commissioner Rhodes noted that this meeting was concerned with a
concept plan only. He stressed that a great deal of work was
necessary before any final plans would be considered for approval.
Mr. Schwartz introduced the entire team involved with the
development project. He stated this project was referred to the
Plan Commission by the Village Board on June 3 , 1991. The property
commonly known as the Chatham B-3 parcel consists of approximately
seven acres and the property commonly as the Happ Farm consists of
approximately eight acres for a total of 15. 6 acres. He noted the
Chatham B-3 property is presently owned by Mr. Rohrman and the Happ
farm is owned by the Happ family. He further stated that there
were condemnation proceedings at the present time by School
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 2
District 214 to acquire the Happ property.
Mr. Schwartz stated this development includes the eight acres of
the Happ parcel, of which four acres would be acquired by School
District 214 for two soccer fields adjacent to the school and four
acres would be used for one automobile dealership. The other
property included in the project is the seven acre Chatham B-3
parcel, of which four acres would be developed for an automobile
dealership, and the northern three acres would be donated to School
District 214 for additional soccer fields or ball fields. In total
7. 16 acres of land would be used by School District 214 for
recreational purposes and eight acres would be used by Bob Rohrman
for development of the two automobile dealerships.
Mr. Schwartz further stated that the seven acre Chatham parcel is
presently zoned B-3 . The original annexation agreement, which was
amended in 1985, expires on January 20, 1995; this agreement
approves development of two office buildings of four stories with
114,800 square feet each. The Happ parcel is zoned Residential
Estate. Mr. Schwartz stated that the petitioner is requesting re-
zoning of the Chatham property to B-4 and re-zoning of
approximately 4 acres of the Happ property from R-E to B-4, with
District 214 seeking special use under for the playing fields under
the B-4 zoning. He stated that he is representing only Mr. Rohrman,
District 214 would need to present their development plans to
the Village at a future time.
Mr. Schwartz further stated they were proposing to develop two
automobile dealerships of approximately 23 , 700 square feet and
28, 000 square feet which have been projected to bring the Village
between $180, 000 and $200, 000 per year in sales tax revenues per
dealership. These revenues would probably increase as the
dealerships become established in the marketplace.
Mr. Schwartz stated that this development would. provide a benefit
to the community at large by maintaining and adding three acres of
green space and playing fields for the community. He also stated
that the size of the automobile dealership buildings would be much
smaller in terms of building square footage than the already
approved four story office buildings.
Mr. Zolomij stated that B-4 zoning for the area would be consistent
and compatible with existing business areas on the other side of
Dundee Road. The north section of the Chatham parcel would become
a recreational area and would be adjacent to the park area on the
north side of Weidner Road. The recreational fields to be
developed by District 214 would be compatible with adjacent
residential areas.
it
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 3
Mr. Zolomij stated that his goal was to provide a site plan which
provides safe access into and within the site which would also be
compatible with adjacent uses. He stated that the goal was also to
provide good screening through the use of extensive landscaping on
the site. He noted the retention pond would be located in the
middle of the property and would form an attractive aspect to the
design. Berms of three to three and a half feet would be placed on
Weidner Road to limit the visual impact of parked cars. The
northern section of the development would be extensively landscaped
and bermed and there would be many islands on the property with
extensive landscaping used to make them as attractive as possible.
He further noted that Dundee Road would have many trees planted to
further enhance the attractiveness of the development.
Mr. Pezl spoke on the engineering aspects of the development. He
stated that drainage was of primary concern and therefore a 6.95
acre feet retention pond was proposed for the Chatham property. He
stated that preliminary engineering reports have noted that this
retention pond will accommodate and serve the purpose of this site
and the surrounding development quite well. He noted that both
sanitary sewer and water mains were available and to serve the
site. Pedestrian access would be accomplished with an eight-foot
wide walkway along Dundee Road and three additional street lights
would mirror the south side of Dundee Road.
Mr. Pezl noted that lights with sharp cut-off fixtures would be
placed along the perimeter of the site and light would not spill
over onto adjacent properties. The type of lighting to be used is
a down type of lighting system on a timer which should not present
a problem to the residential area adjacent to this site.
Mr. Pezl stated that the plan proposes three driveways onto Dundee
lined up to existing driveways on the south side of Dundee Road
with turning bays being 85 feet as suggested by. IDOT. He further
noted that the dealership buildings would front on Dundee Road,
including the service bays.
Mr. Kilian presented a traffic impact study using traffic counts
done on August 7, 1991 from 3 : 30 p.m. to 7: 00 p.m. The study
reflects the peak traffic hour to be 4:45 p.m. to 5: 45 p.m. A
traffic count was conducted at Dundee and Weidner and a count on
cars entering and exiting the existing Chrysler dealership on the
south side of Dundee Road was performed. In all, 55 cars entered
and 85 cars exited the Chrysler dealership during the peak period
for a total of 145 trips. Mr. Kilian noted that the already
approved four story office buildings would generate 345 trips.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 4
Mr. Kilian noted that of the three proposed driveways to Dundee
Road, the two easterly driveways are full access driveways and the
westerly driveway is a right turn in and out only driveway. Once
again he reiterated that an office development such as the one
already approved for the site would generate eight times the amount
of traffic as that of the proposed car dealerships.
Mr. Schwartz stated that they are here to address the concerns
voiced by residents. Regarding outside noise from loudspeakers,
Mr. Rohrman has noted that pagers would be used by his staff and
there would be no need for loudspeakers. The issue of test drives
and the traffic effect this has on the neighborhood would be
mitigated by using only Dundee Road to Route 53 on to Lake Cook
Road as opposed to the use of any interior roadways. Extensive
screening and landscaping would be used to both enhance the
appearance of the development and protect the rights of the
residents.
Mr. Schwartz further stated that the retention pond would be
slightly altered and moved, but would certainly remain and drainage
would be good. He also noted that IDOT had been consulted and
their issues would be addressed. Mr. Schwartz also noted that the
photometric study had not yet been completed, however, the lighting
would all be directed toward the dealerships and there would be
little spillage onto residential areas. He further stated that
there would be no body shop on the premises and that noise would be
of no problem to the residents.
Mr. Schwartz also stated that the used car dealership would be
comprised of trade in cars only. Mr. Schwartz indicated that the
rear area of the development would be fenced to protect both the
students using the walkway to the soccer fields and the development
itself.
Commissioner Krug inquired if the exit and entrance on Stratford
Circle was necessary.
Mr. Kilian stated that the connection to Stradford would provide
secondary access to the western dealership for emergency vehicles
and customers from within the residential area.
Commissioner Krug also inquired if there would be gates on the
dealership driveways used after closing hours.
Mr. Rohrman stated that he has never used gates in any of his
dealerships.
Commissioner Krug suggested that Mr. Rohrman consider the use of
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 5
gates at the Weidner entrance to deflect high schools students from
using the dealership as a shortcut route.
Commissioner Krug asked what the distance is between the lot line
in back of the dealership to the nearest residential building.
Mr. Schwartz stated the distance was 40 feet from the lot line to
the residential garage.
Commissioner Krug inquired if the traffic study had taken into
consideration test drives conducted on Saturdays.
Mr. Kilian stated that Saturday test drives had not been studied as
the majority of test drives are conducted between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
on weekdays.
Commissioner Krug inquired if there would be any underground tanks
on the site.
Mr. Rohrman stated there would be no underground tanks and that any
used oil would be picked up by the company who supplies the new
oil.
Commissioner Krug asked for examples of parking lot lighting that
Mr. Rohrman has used on his other dealerships.
Mr. Rohrman said his Acura and Lexus dealerships in Palatine
use lighting that has sharp cut-off fixtures so light does not
spillover onto adjacent properties.
Commissioner Krug noted his exception to the land planner's
statement that this development would be compatible with the
surrounding residential area and stated that he did not feel that
this was a proper site for automobile dealerships.
Commissioner Rhodes inquired if there would be fuel kept on the
premises.
Mr. Rohrman stated that cars were filled up at local gas stations
and no fuel would be kept on the premises.
Commissioner Rhodes expressed his dislike of the building service
bays facing Dundee Road. He stated he would rather have the
service entrance face the corresponding dealership.
Commissioner Rhodes also inquired as to the height of the proposed
buildings.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 6
•
Mr. Schwartz stated the height of the buildings would be 25 feet
with screened roof-top mechanical equipment.
Commissioner Rhodes stated that a traffic study should be conducted
when Buffalo Grove High School football games are in session as
these games generate a great deal of traffic. He further stated
that test drives on Dundee were not a good idea as the traffic
along that route was severely congested already.
Commissioner Howard inquired if some of the sizable trees on the
property were to be preserved.
Mr. Zolomij stated that nine or ten trees of the 40 trees on site
would be preserved.
Commissioner Howard noted her concerns regarding tree preservation
and also noted her concerns for adjacent residents who would be
experiencing increased traffic between the hours of 7 p.m. and 9
p.m.
Mr. Rohrman stated that sales occur throughout the day with peak
sales periods occurring between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. His Honda
dealership in Schaumburg sells about 400 cars per month, and may
get 30 to 60 people per evening visiting the site. The Buffalo
Grove Saturn dealership is projected to sell about 180 cars per
month, and he thinks about fifteen people would visit the site
each evening.
Commissioner Howard inquired what time the dealership lighting
would automatically shut off.
Mr. Rohrman stated that lights would be shut off at 9: 00 p.m. Some
security lighting would stay on all night.
Commissioner Howard inquired if there would be .extensive use of air
wrenches.
Mr. Rohrman stated that since cars are no longer torn down as they
once were, there is very limited use of air wrenches these days.
Commissioner Howard expressed concern regarding the turning radius
for large transport trucks delivering new cars.
Mr. Pezl stated that the final plan would make sure that all radii
and turnarounds were accommodated.
Commissioner Howard stated her agreement with Commissioner Krug's
statement that automobile dealerships do not belong at this
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 7
location. She indicated that she does not think that B-4 zoning
should be allowed on the north side of Dundee Road.
Commissioner Rosenston inquired if there would be stop lights on
Dundee and if there would be a non-mountable median strip on Dun-
dee Road in front of the western driveway into the site.
Mr. Pezl stated there would not be traffic signals on Dundee but
there would be a non-mountable median strip in front of the western
driveway.
Commissioner Rosenston inquired if it would be possible to build
only one building to house both the Honda and Saturn dealerships.
Mr. Rohrman stated that both General Motors and Honda would not
allow such a combination.
Commissioner Rosenston commented that he is concerned with the
excessive amount of concrete on the site plan, and he noted that
the proposed landscaping in shown only around the perimeter of
the property. He said more landscaping should be done on the
interior of the site, particularly around the buildings and in
the parking areas. He indicated that from the traffic impact study
he felt this development would be more desirable than the approved
the office development. He asked for more information concerning
the hours of operation of the dealerships and how the silo would
be integrated into the site plan.
Mr. Rohrman said the dealerships would have hours of operation from
7: 30 a.m. to 5: 00 p.m. for the service departments and 9 : 00 a.m.
to 9 : 00 p.m. on weekdays for the sales departments.
Mr. Schwartz said the silo would be retained as part of the site
development and a covered bridge would be built over the stormwater
retention pond to add character to the site.
Commissioner Charlette said he is concerned about the widths of the
proposed driveways, and he questioned if the site will be able to
handle large truck turning movements. He also inquired as to the
location of the trash areas.
Mr. Pezl said the driveways meet Village standards and will handle
truck movements.
Mr. Rohrman stated that deliveries of new cars are made by semi-
trucks and that a parts truck delivers parts once a week to the
dealership. He also stated that the dumpster area had not yet been
designed.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 8
Commissioner Charlette inquired how large the used car facility
would be.
Mr. Schwartz noted the used car facility would be 25 feet by 30
feet.
Commissioner Charlette expressed his desire to see less concrete
and the development of only one building. He stated that he was
not generally in favor of this development.
Commissioner Silbernik expressed his disappointment with the
traffic impact study which was conducted only one day and did not
take into consideration early morning traffic when school is in
session. He also noted that many cars line up early in the morning
waiting for the service department to open and the resulting noise
and activity level should be noted as a disturbance to the
residents. Commissioner Silbernik also stated that his concern
relative to the lighting pertains to the visibility of the bulbs to
the adjacent residents more than the spillover of light. He said
the developer should do an environmental impact study for the
project.
Mr. Schwartz stated that the photometric study needed to be
completed before this concern could be answered.
Commissioner Silbernik asked when the body shop for Saturn would
open.
Mr. Rohrman stated that all of his body shops are independently
owned and that there would never be a body shop on this site as the
property was too expensive to warrant the construction of a body
shop.
Commissioner Samuels expressed his desire to see a comparison of
tax revenues between an office building development and automotive
dealerships.
Commissioner Samuels noted that the traffic count was conducted in
August which is a vacation month and could possibly account for the
lower traffic counts.
`1 Mr. Schwartz stated that they would take into account all traffic
issues at further workshop meetings.
Commissioner Samuels asked how many parking spaces would be
available for each dealership.
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August g g uqust 21, 1991-Page 9
Mr. Schwartz stated that the Honda dealership would have 58 spaces
for employees and customers and the Saturn dealership would have 48
spaces, all of which would be calculated to Village Code and that
two handicapped parking spaces per building would be provided.
Commissioner Samuels inquired if there is data available regarding
the impact of this kind of development on existing property values.
Mr. Schwartz stated that type of data is difficult to obtain but
that they would do their best to obtain it. He also inquired if
the Commission wished this data to be compared to this auto
dealership development or to an office development.
Commissioner Samuels requested that data be obtained for both a
dealership development and an office development.
Commissioner Krug stated that there should be a bike path
designated instead of a concrete walk along Dundee Road.
Commissioner Krug also inquired if Mr. Rohrman would be conveying
or selling the property to School District 214.
Mr. Schwartz stated that the west 4 . 6 acres of the Happ property
would be sold to District 214 and the north three acres of the
Chatham B-3 parcel would be donated to District 214.
Commissioner Rosenston requested that the developer address the
traffic impact study to the opening of schools, school buses and
ball games when school is in session.
Commissioner Goldspiel inquired if the developer had any thoughts
of expanding the dealership buildings.
Mr. Rohrman stated that was no thought of a body shop or any other
building being constructed on this site. However, there might be
an extension to the service building if it should be warranted. He
stated the plan would be sufficient as is for at least ten years.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked what changes would be made to the
existing grade of the property.
Mr. Pezl stated that the west building (Honda) would be at an
elevation of 701. 0 feet which is three feet below the current
elevation. The east building (Saturn) is at an elevation of 693
feet which is one foot above the present high point of the site.
These elevations are governed by the needs of the detention area.
The proposed high water elevation is approximately one to two feet
higher than the present high water level. The parking lots have to
be designed to be at least one foot higher than the high water
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 10
level in the retention pond.
Commissioner Goldspiel noted his concern on the traffic issues.
Mr. Kilian noted that an office building would generate two to two
and one half times greater traffic than the proposed development.
Additionally, ingress and egress to the office building would be on
Weidner which would create more traffic within the residential area
than the proposed development.
The Plan Commission concurred that the developer's traffic study as
presented would need to be revised to include additional traffic
counts and to include a study of gaps in traffic on Dundee Road to
allow turning movements from the site.
Mr. Schwartz stated he would like to talk with the Village traffic
consultant regarding the traffic study and address the Plan
Commission' s concerns and issues on traffic with him.
Commissioner Goldspiel inquired if there were any changes in the
median configuration on Dundee Road concerning turn lanes.
Mr. Kilian stated that a piggyback left turn lane was proposed as
well as 85 feet of storage as requested by IDOT so as not to
inhibit the flow of traffic.
Commissioner Goldspiel asked what facilities would be housed within
each building.
Mr. Rohrman stated that the balcony area of the building would
include conference rooms, washroom facilities, lunch room, computer
room and some parts storage.
Mr. Braiman noted the Village Board's concern regarding a two
building development plan. He stated that the Board expected the
plan to come back as a plan for one dealership.
Mr. Schwartz stated that this development was not financially
feasible with only one dealership based on the cost of the land.
Additionally, a one building dealership would not work out well for
the school district, which would have to pay more for its land if
Mr. Rohrman can only develop one dealership.
Mark Elias, 664 White Pine, stated that residents had questioned
the possibility of a car dealership being built in 1980 when James
Mastandrea had proposed the Chatham development and it had been
represented by the Village that only an office development would
occur at the Weidner/Dundee B-3 parcel. In 1987 car dealerships
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August
qu q- gust 21, 1991-Page 11
were proposed on the former Archdiocese property on Dundee Road,
but the Village ultimately allowed only single-family residen-
tial development. Mr. Elias stated that the Village should not
allow car dealerships on the Chatham/Happ properties. He stated
that that the residents in the neighborhood near the Chatham B-3
site do not want the proposed dealerships, and would rather see
development of an office building even if it brings in less tax
revenue. He stated that residents of the area do not want any
car dealerships whether it would be one or two buildings. He fur-
ther stated that the present state of the economy would preclude
the development of any office buildings. Mr. Elias further noted
that several exits and entrances are being proposed along Weidner
Road and Stradford Circle which would result in traffic spilling
out into the residential neighborhoods near the site. He commented
that the plan proposes several curb cuts to Dundee Road, and the
Village did not allow the office plan approved in 1980 to have any
driveways to Dundee Road because of the traffic impact. He
questioned the advisability of these proposed exits and entrances
to Dundee Road and the potential traffic impact that would result
from the auto dealerships.
Len Janske, 665 Mayfair Court South, stated that test driving of
automobiles from the surrounding dealerships abounds throughout the
Chatham development. He also asked what School District 214 would
ideally like to see happen with this property.
Mr. Swanson, business manager for District 214, said that the High
School District needs seven to eight acres of land and that an
agreement to purchase some of this land and acquire some of it
through donation, has been entered into with Mr. Rohrman and the
Happ family. He further stated that under condemnation proceedings
for the Happ property, the price of the land is unknown. He
indicated that the agreement with Mr. Rohrman and the Happ family
is financially beneficial to the School District.
Commissioner Goldspiel commented that residents of the Chatham area
should consider the proposed locations of the High School
District's playing fields and compare the alternate locations
if only the eight acre Happ property were used as opposed to
using the northern part of the Chatham B-3 parcel. He also
commented that when the Chatham plan was reviewed by the Village
in 1980, the School District was asked if the District needed
any of the Chatham area for expansion, and District 214 stated
that additional land was not needed.
Mr. Janske noted that the hours of use for car dealerships are
extensive and he would prefer to see development of an office
building. He said that it is unlikely that an office development
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 12
would be feasible, but if offices were built, traffic impact would
be more manageable that the impact from car dealerships.
Dan Solo, 608 Hapsfield Lane, stated that the proposed exit on
Weidner Road would be used by people to make a left turn onto
Dundee Road, and the Plan Commission should consider the impact
of the development on the residents who would live closest to
the dealerships.
Ellen Malow, 838 Stradford Circle, stated that no account had been
taken in the traffic study regarding school buses in the morning
and afternoon peak traffic hours. She commented that alternate
uses for the Chatham B-3 site should be discussed; the proposed
car dealerships and the approved office project are not the only
uses that should be considered. She suggested that the property
should be rezoned for single-family or multi-family housing.
She noted that the Windsor Ridge single-family development on
Dundee Road sold out almost immediately, so there is obviously
a demand for this type of housing in the area.
Trustee Rubin said that the Village Attorney would study the legal
implications of downzoning the property to residential use, and
the Village Board would be informed of the Attorney's opinion.
Mr. Rubin noted that the Village has received a petition for
rezoning to B-4 from Mr. Rohrman as owner of the Chatham B-3 site,
and the Village is fulfilling its responsibility to give a land-
owner a hearing.
Fred Schroeder, of the Mill Creek subdivision, stated that the
existing car dealerships on Dundee Road are experiencing a lot of
theft and vandalism, and more dealerships would just continue to
attract this type of crime in the Village. He said that test
driving of cars in the neighborhoods near the existing dealer-
ships is already a problem for residents, and the proposed
development would worsen the problem of test driving.
A resident of 723 Weidner suggested reducing the height of the
proposed buildings and maintaining a true one story structure for
the development which would enhance the development aesthetically.
He said the driveway exits to Weidner Road and Stradford Circle
are of concern to him.
Bonnie Raymond of the Mill Creek subdivision noted that test
driving of cars is conducted not only by potential buyers but by
mechanics who routinely abuse posted speed limits. This is not
pleasant for the neighborhood and children playing near the
streets. She commented that the Chrysler dealership approved
several years ago has definitely been a detriment to the adjacent
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 13
residential area.
Art Dore, 884 Stradford Circle, noted his opposition to the
development based on the traffic safety factor for children and the
potential loss of property value within his development.
Al Vermiglio, 445 Chatham Circle, stated he is in favor of the
development plan as it would add tax revenue to the school district
and keep property taxes down. He also stated that this development
would generate sales tax revenues for the Village. He further
stated that this development would be built elsewhere on Dundee
Road or Lake Cook Road if Buffalo Grove does not want it, and the
Village would be losing out on significant tax revenues and the
associated fiscal benefits.
Ron Haas of the Mill Creek subdivision asked about the status of
the condemnation of the Happ property by District 214.
Mr. Swanson stated that District 214 is waiting to see the outcome
of this development plan before proceeding any further.
Ben Pomerantz of Weidner Road noted that residential property
values would be diminished with the presence of 400 parked cars in
an automobile dealership.
Ron DeFoe of Weidner Road noted his opposition to the proposed
development based on environmental pollution. He also noted that
high school students would be tempted to use the Stradford Circle
and Weidner Road driveways as access to the school.
Robin Nemer, 604 Hapsfield, noted that the development of the
Windsor Ridge subdivision by Lexington homes brought a substantial
increase in traffic on Hapsfield Road, and with the proposed access
onto Stradford Circle and Weidner Road for the Rohrman dealerships,
the traffic would become even worse in the neighborhood.
Mr. Pfeil stated that the Village Engineer is very concerned about
the most easterly driveway from the dealership site to
Dundee Road, and the Village's traffic consultant has pointed
out that although IDOT may ultimately decide to allow a driveway
at this location, the design will not meet IDOT's minimum stand-
ards concerning the length of the turning bay. He also noted that
the Village Forester wants more complete tree survey and
preservation information than what has been submitted so far, and
the Forester believes that more trees on the site should be
preserved than what the developer has proposed.
Commissioner Samuels commented that preserving land as open space
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 14
has a cost and taxpayers are very much affected by acquisition
of land by public bodies. He said that although it may be desirable
to preserve all undeveloped land as open space, it is not fiscally
possible for a local government to do this. He said the Village
needs to achieve an economic balance for the taxpayers by allowing
certain properties in appropriate locations to be used for commer-
cial development. He said that in his opinion the proposed auto
dealerships at this location is not necessarily an inappropriate
land use. He noted that this parcel is one of the last properties
available in the Village for commercial development, so it is not
likely that development of this property for auto dealerships will
set a precedent of commercial over-building in the Buffalo Grove
portion of Dundee Road. Commissioner Samuels also noted that the
automobile dealership development would produce less traffic impact
than development of office buildings and the automobile dealership
would not be built to the same height that an office building would
require.
Commissioner Goldspiel stated that it is the Cook County side of
Buffalo Grove that has the least amount of open space and he does
not feel that the Cook County side should be made to bear the
burden of impacts from commercial development. He further noted
that the Village has long maintained a desire to keep Dundee Road
as the gateway to the southern portion of the Village and this
development is a threat to the Cook County portion of the Village.
He said he is concerned that residents will feel that the area
is being downgraded, and this may result in less effort being
made by residents for property maintenance and general upkeep of
their neighborhoods. He indicated that he is more troubled by
the Rohrman proposal than any other project he has ever seen
during his tenure on the Plan Commission. Commissioner Goldspiel
stated that use on these parcels would be better as residential or
a combination of residential and office development.
Commissioner Rhodes concurred with Commissioner Goldspiel and
further noted that the Village had rejected the concept of auto
dealers on the Archdiocese property on Dundee Road, and that site
was developed for the single-family Windsor Ridge subdivision
and a park. He commented that the Cook County portion of the
Village needs more open space. He said the Rohrman project may
generate tax revenue, but he questioned why the adjacent neigh-
borhood should bear the impacts of the development. He noted that
`.I traffic is getting considerably worse in the Dundeee Road area,
and he suggested that the proposed dealerships would aggravate
this situation.
Commissioner Silbernik stated that the plan is too dense and there
is too much concrete. He stated he would prefer an office
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 15
development as traffic would subside after rush hours and there
would not be 400 parked cars perpetually on the site. He indicated
that B-3 zoning is more appropriate for the Chatham site than
B-4 zoning.
Commissioner Krug stated that the Village's first master plan
was designed to keep strip commercial development off of Dundee
Road. The Village's planning concept has been to keep Dundee Road
as a window to the southern portion of the Village. Commissioner
Krug further stated that just because there were other automobile
dealerships on the south side of Dundee Road does not mean that
additional dealerships are needed.
Vice Chairman Goldspiel requested a polling to determine the Plan
Commission's position on the proposed Rohrman development. Commis-
sioner Silbernik suggested that the polling ask if a car dealership
would be an appropriate use for the Chatham B-3 parcel and the Happ
Farm parcel.
The vote on the polling was as follows:
YES: Samuels, Rosenston
NO: Silbernik, Goldspiel, Krug, Rhodes, Howard, Charlette
Commissioners Samuels and Rosenston commented that their "yes"
votes are premised on an acceptable land plan; the plan being
presented at the current workshop is not acceptable.
Commissioner Rosenston commented that during the past election
campaign for Village Board trustee positions, many residents had
indicated to him that the Village needs to pursue revenue producing
developments to achieve a more economically balanced community and
to moderate property taxes for residents. He said auto dealerships
are the type of development that would be very advantageous for the
Village in terms of sales tax revenue.
Commissioner Samuels noted that he would vote for approval of a
similar project in a suitable area within the Lake County portion
of the Village. He noted that this is an issue of the needs for
the whole Village. He said that when he evaluates the merits of
a proposed project, he does not vote according to whether it is
in Cook or Lake County or how it might affect his own property.
He noted that he supports street improvement projects that will
be in Lake County, and in the case of Busch Road, the improvement
would be near his own residence.
Commissioner Krug noted his conviction in maintaining the non-
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 16
commercial appearance of Dundee Road prompted his no vote on the
suitability of this development.
Commissioner Charlette noted that members of the Plan Commission
were volunteers and that he voted no on this plan because it did
not fit the area.
Commissioner Silbernik commented that there may be other uses
appropriate for these parcels, but that the residents adjacent to
these parcels may not favor other kinds of development.
Mr. Schwartz stated that Mr. Rohrman would like to pursue the
development of the car dealerships and that with the notes taken at
this meeting they would address the concerns and issues conveyed by
the Plan Commission to the developer.
Vice Chairman Goldspiel asked the Plan Commission to review all
the items and issues that the developer and his development team
should address for the next workshop. The list included the fol-
lowing items:
1. Direction of the service bays to face sideways into the site
rather than toward Dundee Road or any adjacent street
2 . Elimination of the rear entrance to Stradford Circle on the
northwest side of the development
3 . Appearance of the buildings should be better defined
4 . Tree preservation needs to more carefully addressed to
preserve more trees than is currently proposed
5. Better plan addressing access and movement of semi-trailers
delivering and unloading automobiles on the site
6. Expansion of green space, particularly adjacent to the
residential areas
7 . Comments on the revised site plan by the Village traffic
consultant
8. Comments by the Village's Police and Fire Departments regarding
the revised plan; the Police Department should comment on
the current situation in the neighborhood concerning the
test driving of cars
9. More landscaping around the proposed dealership buildings
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 17
10. The developer's traffic study needs to be expanded to include
information concerning traffic in the morning, peak traffic in
the morning and afternoon that is more typical than the August
vacation period used in the current report, and an analysis
of how site traffic will interact with traffic from Buffalo
Grove High School, including Saturday football games. A "gap"
study of Dundee Road should also be done to indicate how traf-
fic will be able to exit the site. The current traffic pattern
from Vernon Lane to Hapsfield Drive and Weidner Road should
be reviewed to determine if cut through traffic is a problem
in the neighborhood.
11. Environmental impact report to address noise and air quality
12 . Greater detail on lighting and its impact on adjacent proper-
ties
13 . More specific information on landscaping and screening adjacent
to residential properties
14. Study the possibility of moving the two dealership buildings
closer together
15. Verification of projected sales tax revenue that would be
generated by the two auto dealerships
16. More landscaped islands in the parking lot areas
17. Study of the impact of the auto dealership use on adjacent
property values
18 . Elimination of the used car building
19. Labeling of the bike path on Dundee Road
20. Show the location of adjacent residential structures in rela-
tion to the proposed development
21. Verify the heights of the proposed buildings
22 . The revised plan should indicate that no cars will be
parked or displayed on the street parkway
23 . Provide information about the current monument sign for
the Chatham residential development that appears to be
on the Chatham B-3 parcel
24. Study the possibility of having only one access driveway
Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-August 21, 1991-Page 18
from the dealership properties to Dundee Road
25. Indicate the location and screening plan for dumpsters
26. Provide a rendering of the silo and how it will relate to
other buildings on the site
27. Identify all variations of Village ordinances that will be
requested by the developer
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - None
FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE
Mr. Pfeil stated there would be a Comprehensive Plan Meeting on
August 28, 1991 and a joint meeting with the Village Board on
August 26, 1991 to have a presentation of the preliminary update
of the Village' s Transportation Plan.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS - None
STAFF REPORT - None
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Commissioner Rhodes, seconded by Commissioner Rosenston,
and unanimously carried to adjourn. Vice Chairman Goldspiel
adjourned the meeting at 11:40 p.m.
Re ctfull bmitted,
(____-----
Fay Ru in
APPWVED BY:
9 ,
STEP EN GO DSPIEL, Vice Chairman
BuffaloComm-Regular Grove
Plan Comm Re ular Meeting-August 1991-
Page q August 21, 1991 Page 19