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1998-05-20 - Plan Commission - Minutes REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION May 20, 1998 Proposed office building,southeast corner of Weiland Road Deerfield Parkway(south of LaSalle Bank),Rezoning to the Office and Research District and approval of a Preliminary Plan—Workshop#1 Congregation Beth Am,225 McHenry Road (Crate and Barrel store), Approval of a Special Use and amendment of the Planned Unit Development(P.U.D.) --Workshop #1 Buffalo Grove Town Center Unit 8 (Eagle Food Store) Plat of Resubdivision Recording Secretary, Fay Rubin, called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Moved by Commissioner Krug, seconded by Commissioner Berman to elect Commissioner Samuels Chairman pro tern. The motion was carried unanimously for Commissioner Samuels to be Chairman pro tern for the evening. Commissioners present: Mr. Krug Ms. Howard Mr. Samuels Mr. Berman Mr. Trilling Mr. Ottenheimer Mr. Viehman Commissioners absent: Mr. Goldspiel Mr. Moons Also present: Mr. Lawrence Freedman,Ash, Anos, Freedman& Logan Ms. Karen Doulton Lange, Spaceco, Inc. Mr. Adam Miller,Kiferbaum Construction Corporation Mr. Marc Schwartz, Marc Schwartz& Associates Mr.Nevin Hedlund,Nevin Hedlund Architects, Inc. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 1 Mr. Michael Werthmann, Kenig,Lindgren, O'Hara,Aboona, Inc. Mr. Joseph Pasquinelli,Archideas Mr. Brian Rubin,Village Trustee Mr. Robert Pfeil,Village Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES -None COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS Commissioner Krug stated he attended the Village Board meeting on May 18, 1998 and he noted that Commissioners Howard, Ottenheimer, and Viehman were reappointed for another term on the Plan Commission. PROPOSED OFFICE BUILDING. SOUTHEAST CORNER OF WEILAND ROAD/DEERFIELD PARKWAY(SOUTH OF LASALLE BANK).REZONING TO THE OFFICE AND RESEARCH DISTRICT AND APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN -- WORKSHOP#1 Mr. Freedman reviewed the history of the site stating that Busch Weiland Partnership has owned the property since 1986 when it was annexed to the Village along with the property immediately to the north which is presently the Creekside Commons shopping center,the area to the northeast which is now an apartment complex and the Corporate Grove area to the east. At the time there were no plans to develop the site or bring it into the Village. It was the Village who approached the owners as the site was needed for contiguity in order to develop the Corporate Grove area. Mr. Freedman noted that normally a developer has an idea of what he wants to do with a property which is being annexed. In this case there was no idea of what should be done. Therefore the original annexation parcel was designated as B-1, R-9 Multi-family and Industrial. Part of the industrial tract was sold to Comerica Bank which has since become LaSalle Bank. At that time Aptakisic Creek was moved and the property was subdivided into three lots. Lot 1 was sold to the bank, Lot 2 was designated for stormwater detention for both the bank site and the balance of the site which is now Lot 3. Only a portion of Lot 3 is developable due to a stormwater detention easement needed for the Aptakisic Creek floodplain. Mr. Freedman stated the owners have now decided to develop a speculative office building. Village staff has suggested that Office and Research zoning would be more appropriate than Industrial zoning, although the office use is permitted in the Industrial District. The Office and Research zoning will allow some latitude with setbacks such as along Weiland Road. The only variations sought relate to engineering standards concerning proximity to Aptakisic Creek and the elevation of the proposed parking area above the floodplain. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 2 Ms. Karen Lange of Spaceco, Inc. stated that Aptakisic Creek has been relocated to the southern portion of the site and there is a bikepath on the north side of the creek which will not be touched. She stated two variations of the Development Ordinance are being requested. The first variation is the standard concerning the elevation of the parking lot. The Village's standard requires the lowest elevation in the parking lot to be 1 foot above the high water level of the stormwater detention area. The second variation is to allow the parking lot within 100 feet of the center line of Aptakisic Creek. Ms. Lange noted that there is a detention basin in the northeast corner of the three-lot subdivision. She stated that this area will be cleaned up by re-grading and planting with grasses and ornamentals to beautify the area. All of the stormwater drainage in the parking lot would drain to this basin which is restricted before it discharges to Aptakisic Creek. The Village standard requiring the parking lot to be 1 foot above the high water level of the basin is to prevent stormwater back up on to the parking lot during heavy storm events. The rationale is if the detention basin becomes full during a 100 year storm event,and if the parking lot structures are below that high water level elevation,water will begin to come up and storing in the parking lot. She stated that the proposed design will be comply with this requirement and that they have adequate volume in the detention basin to prevent water storage on the parking lot. Ms. Lange stated the challenge on this site is in the site constraints caused by the existing creek and the bikepath. Once the building and parking are placed on the site, it is close to the bikepath and a 3 foot high retaining wall will be necessary along the south side of the parking lot along the bikepath. That is to keep the parking lot and the building high enough so that it can drain properly into the existing detention basin. Ms. Lange stated she is proposing to have the lowest level in the parking lot to be at or above the high water level and that is the reason for the 1 foot variation request. In order to meet Village ordinance standards,they would need to raise the parking lot even higher and with a 3 foot retaining wall on the south edge and the wall would have to be nearly 6 feet high. She stated they are not proposing any stormwater detention in the parking lot. Because of the proximity of the detention basin to the creek,there is no obstruction between the existing detention basin and the outflow. This means the water from this detention basin, once is reaches the 100 year level can easily flow out to the creek. Ms. Lange stated the second variation concerns the distance of the parking lot to the centerline of Aptakisic Creek. The Village's ordinance requires a minimum distance of 100 feet from a structure to the centerline of the creek. Because of the relocation of the creek to the south side of the site,the property area would be virtually undevelopable if a parking lot had to be 100 feet from the creek. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 3 II Mr. Pasquinelli noted that the original property has been subdivided into three lots. A predominant feature of the site is the stormwater easement which has the creek running through it. This creates a substantial buffer to the single family residential on the south and the industrial area on the east. He stated there is a common access point on Weiland Road for both the bank lot and the proposed office site. There is a secondary access point on Deerfield Parkway which is a right in, right out. He noted a large portion the office site (Lot 3)is unbuildable due to the floodplain. Mr. Pasquinelli stated the proposed building would be two-stories with a total floor area of about 51,000 square feet. The plan provides 212 parking spaces which is slightly over the Village's requirement for general office use. However,they feel the amount of parking proposed is necessary to ensure that tenants will have adequate parking. He stated they have located the building to stay as far away as possible from the residential area to the south. Mr. Pasquinelli noted that the entrance to the building will be visible from the main access on Weiland Road. He said that the entrance is in the center of building and thereby accessible to a majority of the parking. There is a loading area on the east side which includes a remote trash enclosure to be enclosed with solid fencing. There is clear access all around the building for emergency response by the Fire Department. The parking lot lighting will be designed to keep all light on the site with no spillover to other properties. A significant feature of the project is a retaining wall along the edge of the stormwater easement and bikepath which will help to negotiate some of the grades to allow for the parking lot to be built and drained into the detention area. Mr. Pasquinelli noted the height of the building is approximately 30 feet. The predominant materials are glass and precast concrete which will be colored in lighter tones. The glass will be a grayish-green color set in silver aluminum frames. They have tried to break down the elements of the building into smaller parts to relate more to the scale of the residential neighborhood. This is a transitional site and they have tried to balance the concerns of leasing office buildings and creating a nice character for the building. He stated they have bermed up to the window sill line effectively helping to lower the overall mass of the building. This will help reduce its size and bulk. Mr. Pasquinelli reviewed the requested 3 foot retaining wall noting that without the variance the wall could become quite tall and ungainly. He discussed the landscape plan,noting the parking will be broken up with landscaped islands so that there are no more than 20 cars in a row. Every island will be landscaped with a tree. The perimeter along the bikepath will have river birch trees which are consistent with those in the creek bed. The river birch will also be repeated up along the building. There will be areas of shrubs and annuals and perennials flanking the entrance as well as flanking the vehicular entrance. The basin will be entirely cleaned and sodded and then maintained. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 4 1 Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if Mr. Kuenkler has commented on the requested variations. Mr. Pfeil commented that Mr. Kuenkler has discussed the plan with the project engineer, he is not aware of any concerns or objections with the proposed plan by Mr. Kuenkler up to this point. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if the variations would still be needed if another type of project were built. Mr. Pfeil stated he does not know how the requirement for a 100-foot setback from the creek would ever be overcome. He noted that the site is virtually unbuildable if this standard has to be met. Mr. Freedman stated the Village Engineer did not feel the concept was one he would have difficulty with. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if there were any potential users for the building. Mr. Freedman stated no,noting they felt that was premature. Mr. Adam Miller of Kiferbaum Construction stated they believe this kind of building would appeal to law firms, designers and accountants and in general more of a general office type user. The building shies away from more of a retail type of application or medical type application due to the parking. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if it is anticipated to have more multiple users than a larger single user. Mr. Miller stated the building will be set up to handle multiple users but it could go to a single user or one user per floor. Commissioner Krug asked where the mechanicals for the building would be housed. Mr. Pasquinelli stated they are contemplating rooftop equipment behind screens. He noted the basic core of the building is used for elevators and washrooms in the center of the building. There are exit stairs on either end. This provides an excellent opportunity to bring the mechanical distribution into the building. He stated they plan to provide rooftop screening for all rooftop equipment. Commissioner Krug asked how high the nearest two-story residence is in relation to the proposed building. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 5 Mr. Pasquinelli stated his experience with two-story residences is that to the top of the second floor wall is about 17 to 18 feet and then the roof takes off from there. Commissioner Krug stated he would like to see sight line drawings from the residential area to the building. Mr. Pasquinelli stated there are two ways to screen. One way is to raise the height of the building on the exterior up 4 to 6 feet. The other way is to set the equipment on top in the very center and come around it with the same 5 foot screen. The overall effect of the building will be lower if a screen in the center is done. Commissioner Krug asked if the engineering plan has taken into consideration all the current data from the Corps of Engineers concerning flood events in the Aptakisic Creek system near the site. Ms. Lange stated that when the creek relocation was done, all projections were taken into account and the modification was done in accordance with FEMA requirements. Commissioner Krug stated he would like to know the height of the creek before the 1986 flood. He asked if the issues presented in the Fire Department memo have been addressed. Mr. Pasquinelli noted the building is accessible around three sides of the building. He noted if the loading area is inadequate they could likely work a loading zone into the edge of the building. He stated a building of this size does not really require a large loading berth or depressed dock. Commissioner Krugstated he would like to see a larger scale on the loadingarea and the g dumpsters. Commissioner Viehman stated his sense of the memo from the Fire Department was that the concern with the loading area is that trucks will stop in the fire lane and load. He noted the commentary made is that there needs to be a space made available not in the fire lane. Commissioner Viehman asked what happens to the level of the parking lot relative to the building height when the retaining wall height is reduced and subsequently what does that do to the berming that was mentioned which would be used to reduce the height appearance of the building. Ms. Lange stated the proposed 3 foot high retaining wall would lower the top of foundation elevation of the building as well so that the whole site grade is lowered. The berming in front of the building can still take place because it is like a fake berm. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 6 Commissioner Viehman noted that with that answer the line of sight drawings will be even more important to determine the impact of the proposed design. He asked what the impact would be on the flow of water from the parking lot into the detention pond. Ms. Lange stated the flow of water from the parking lot to the detention basin remains the same as it is via pipes under the parking lot which discharge into the basin. Any overflow of the basin would overflow towards the creek and this site is quite a bit higher than the creek. In order for the creek to back up into the basin and flood the parking lot, it would have to be well over the 100 year storm event. Commissioner Viehman noted the parking on the north/south roadway on the west end of the property even with a 26 foot width may raise some concerns with backing into the line of traffic there. Depending on users,that is a critical issue relative to the users of the building. If the users are fairly stable,then cars will be more stationary. But activity that will bring a lot of people in and out will raise more concern. Commissioner Howard asked if the required 25-foot wide landscaped yard along Weiland road will be provided with no encroachment of bumper overhang from parked vehicles. Mr. Freedman stated yes. Commissioner Howard asked if there is any possibility of shared parking with LaSalle Bank on the land between the bank and the proposed office building. Mr. Freedman stated that the bank has been asked to consider this concept but it appears that they are interested in developing shared parking between the two buildings. Commissioner Berman asked if the Village Board had any reservations about removing this parcel of land from any kind of tax revenue generating retail type uses given its destination as a commercial location. Mr. Pfeil stated the Board did not comment on this issue when the project was referred to the Plan Commission. Part of the context is that it has been difficult to find a good use for this property so the Board referred this office project without any reservations. Commissioner Trilling suggested integrating the dumpster itself with the building ideally on the north side of the building so that it is hidden from almost any view. This would also be beneficial for any vans and the like. He asked if the high water level can vary. Ms. Lange stated yes. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 7 Commissioner Trilling noted that by lowering the high water level by two feet,the building and the parking can be at a lower elevation than if maintained at its current level of 773. Ms. Lange stated yes and noted that in turn allows for a lower retaining wall. Commissioner Trilling asked what prohibits going to an even lower high water elevation. Ms. Lange stated further lowering the high water level would cause the rims of the existing catch basins that service the bank site to be lower and water would back up into the bank site. The location of the normal water level would require going deeper which would therefore mean losing volume. This is a dry bottom basin and they want to maintain it as such as you cannot have a wet basin in this location. In addition a wet basin does not have enough room for Village requirements for depth of water. In addition,the low flow water runs out of this detention basin through a pipe to the creek. In lower rainfalls water goes through via a pipe and exits the site to the creek. Therefore they are limited to what the existing pipe outlet is. Right now the rims of the catch basins are approximately 668.96. The rim is being lowered to 668 even. It is the catch basins on the bank lot and the outlet pipe to the creek are the constraints on the site. Commissioner Trilling noted he would like as much information as possible provided to the Village Engineer for him to evaluate and ascertain that this is the lowest water that can be achieved. Ms. Lange stated they have given Mr. Kuenider their report. Commissioner Trilling stated a 5 to 6 foot parapet around the building for screening of HVAC equipment may not be necessary at that height based on a line of sight study Mr. Pasquinelli stated they will do a line of sight study but it has been his experience that you cannot get far enough away from the building with the line of sight view. He noted his preference would be to raise the screen to at least the height of the equipment so that from all around the equipment would not be visible. He stated it will probably be a solid material screen made out of metal with a shallow corrugation that is almost flush in keeping with the style of the building. g P g tY g Commissioner Trilling stated the developer should consider restricting uses who tend to crowd into office space such as telemarketing firms. Mr. Pfeil stated the Zoning Ordinance does not make a distinction concerning telemarketing or customer service operations. Medical and dental offices are the only uses that have a more stringent parking requirement than general office use. Commissioner Trilling asked if there has been any consideration to raising the bikepath in any Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 8 way in lieu of building the 3 foot retaining wall. Ms. Lange stated they do not want to get anywhere near the bikepath because it is in and on the flood plain. Even raising the bikepath would still mean sloping down from the path to the creek which would be filling in the flood plain. `./ Commissioner Trilling asked what kind of retaining wall would be constructed. Ms. Lange stated they are looking at a keystone type of retaining wall which is more decorative. Mr. Pasquinelli stated they have not yet determined the type of wall,however, as it gets taller the keyblock wall may not work structurally and it may require a structural retaining wall if it becomes 6 feet tall with some other facing material on top. The intention is not to have an ugly wall of exposed concrete there. Commissioner Trilling asked what kind of landscaping would be done in front of the retaining wall. Mr. Pasquinelli stated they will consider landscaping. Commissioner Trillingnoted that there is only3-acres of usable area on the site and as such the densityof this building is somewhat high. Mr. Freedman noted the building does take into account the open space around the area and the density is fairly low because of it. Commissioner Berman asked if the developer plans to do a traffic study in relation to Weiland and Deerfield Parkway. Mr. Freedman stated they do not feel one is necessary. Ms. Lange stated she spoke to Mr. Kuenkler on that subject who stated he did not feel it would be necessary because it was all discussed when the bank was developed originally. Commissioner Berman noted a prior concern about the impact of traffic in that stretch, particularly in relation to the residences across the street to the west and their ability to access and egress from their development. At the time the Commission was satisfied that the bank would not pose an undue burden on the traffic pattern. However,he would like to confirm that this development will not create further problems or conversely that the improvements at the Weiland and Deerfield Parkway intersection have alleviated any potential problems. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 9 Mr. Freedman stated he would request that staff consider asking the Village traffic consultant and Mr. Kuenkler whether they feel they have enough data to answer this question. If not,they will commission a traffic study. Chairman pro tem Samuels asked why a guardrail is planned for a 6 foot retaining wall but not for a 3 foot wall. Mr. Pasquinelli noted a guardrail is actually not required for either wall, however,he feels for practical concerns and safety one should be placed if a 6 foot wall is chosen. Chairman pro tern Samuels asked if the building will have a sprinkler system. Mr. Pasquinelli stated yes. Chairman pro tem Samuels asked if the full access driveway on Weiland is wide enough to handle one incoming lane and two outbound lanes. Ms. Lange stated they will have to look at that. Chairman pro tem Samuels stated it might be a good idea to look at that because an office use does create a need. Mr. Freedman noted that frontage road was put in with the understanding that it was quasi temporary depending on the future use. CONGREGATION BETH AM, 225 MCHENRY ROAD(CRATE AND BARREL STORE), APPROVAL OF A SPECIAL USE AND AMENDMENT OF THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT(P.U.D.)--WORKSHOP#1 Commissioner Trilling stated that as a member of the congregation and as a member of the design and construction committee for the congregation he will recuse himself from any discussion on this matter. Mr. Marc Schwartz stated the petition is for a concept and preliminary plan review of Lots 2 and 3 of the Seigle subdivision. The Crate and Barrel lot is zoned B-3;the vacant parcel is zoned B-2. The request is for the approval of a Special Use to allow for the operation of a synagogue at this site. Mr. Schwartz stated the plan was referred to the Plan Commission on April 20, 1998. The synagogue is looking to use the existing Crate and Barrel building as a synagogue structure. The exterior would be modified in a very insignificant manner to provide for the needs of the Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 10 synagogue. Lot 2 has an existing 132 parking spaces and the proposed plan is for 177 parking spaces. The proposed sanctuary is really the determining factor as to parking which provides for one parking space for each 3 seats. The proposed sanctuary is 275 seats and therefore the requirement is for 92 parking spaces. Therefore there are 89 spaces proposed in excess of the requirements of the existing ordinance. Mr. Schwartz stated Congregation Beth Am is seeking to come to Buffalo Grove primarily because it is a congregation which exists now in Wheeling and has been expanding dramatically. The congregation presently consists of 490 families and of those 490 families,246 families reside in Buffalo Grove. Since July, 1995 Congregation Beth Am has grown by 199 families. Of those recent families, 116 of those families are Buffalo Grove residents. The congregation with 490 families is approximately 2800-2900 people. It is anticipated that the synagogue will grow to about 600-650 families over a long period of time. Mr. Schwartz stated the Seigle site is one that was developed and approved by the Board in 1989. At that time the Seigle store was developed primarily for the purpose of the developer and construction trade. At the same time, Seigle was developing its site on Route 60. The plan was that 60-65percent of the sales that would begenerated bythe Buffalo Grove store would be developer sales, construction sales and that the retail component would be somewhere around 35 percent of sales. However,the market shifted dramatically with growth moving further north. The Seigle construction and development store in Mundelein took hold over and above the Buffalo Grove store. The Buffalo Grove store was not designed as a retail center and a retail outlet as evidenced by the fact that it is set back from the roadway,the network of roadways within the development site are not designed for tremendous traffic volumes,and the signage is sparse. Mr. Schwartz noted the building is now leased to Crate and Barrel who has not been able to generate the traffic. The reason this is an unsuccessful retail location is primarily due to the fact that the building is set back, it does not have exposure on either Lake Cook Road or Route 83, the signage is diminutive and because it was not developed as a major retail site. This site is a natural fit for Congregation Beth Am which is interested in a location and a facility which can house its growing community in Buffalo Grove. Mr. Schwartz stated the Crate and Barrel store was projected to generate five million dollars at a minimum in retail sales from the Buffalo Grove site. The Crate and Barrel store last year generated slightly under 1.1 million in sales which is why Crate and Barrel no longer wishes to remain a tenant in that location. He further noted that in taxable revenue from sales last year the Village of Buffalo Grove received only about$10,000 to $12,000. This is an insignificant amount of sales tax when looking at the Village in its entirety. Mr. Schwartz noted the synagogue chose this site because they have a seller who is looking to Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 11 sell the property to a part who can utilize it to its best advantage. Mr. Nevin Hedlund of Nevin Hedlund Architects,Inc. stated the original development was broken into three parcels. Lot 1 is the Wendy's site,Lot 2 is the original Seigle site and Lot 3 is the undeveloped site. Lot 2 has 132 existing parking spaces half of which are in front of the building and the other half on the north side of the building. The main entry to the existing building is located on center with the access road. To the north is a blank wall facing the residents. On the east is a warehouse structure which was built to house lumber. The backside of this structure was rendered in brick and has windows with shutters to give it the appearance of a series of townhomes. This facade faces the back of the existing shopping center where there is an open warehouse structure. Mr. Hedlund stated they are proposing improvements to the rear portion of the building which currently includes loading areas. The traffic flow extends around the entire lane which maintains a fire lane and the existing access to the fire connection on the north side of the building will be maintained. New lighting will be introduced on the north parking lot to accommodate night vision. However,this will be with prescribed cut off angles so as not to affect neighbors to the north. Mr. Hedlund stated they are proposing specific improvements for the rear of the building to include a drop off zone with additional parking at the rear warehouse. There will be a new second entrance with a paved walkway underneath a canopy with new landscaping. The existing parking spaces in the front will remain as well as the existing parking spaces to the north. He stated they will maintain the structure as is as it is a buffer between the structure and the houses to the east. Mr. Hedlund stated the building is comprised of two buildings. One is the large structure in front of the building that houses the main display area. The second structure is a warehouse structure in the rear of the building. Within these two structures are the main components for the building program. One is the sanctuary space which will be in the rear building. The social hall and classrooms will be toward the front of the building. He further noted the traffic study numbers were generated directly from how the building will be used. The sanctuary space is projected to have a maximum of 275 seats to be used on an average basis. The social hall is shown with the potential for 300 dining seats and this responds to a typical use for a Saturday night function. There are 20 classrooms to accommodate usage on weekdays and Sundays. The traffic report also responds to the issue of high holiday use where there are specific functions that require the maximization of the number of seats used for this one time event. This plan responds by having an expanded multipurpose room between the social hall and sanctuary where up to 900 seats can be accommodated for this one time event. Mr. Hedlund stated there are two entries to the building. One is the main formal entry and the other is a secondary rear entry that ends up in a central reception area between all of the major Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 12 functions. Mr. Michael Werthmann of Kenig, Lindgren, O'Hara,Aboona, Inc. stated the site is located in at the southeast corner of McHenry Road and Bank Lane. Currently the site has two direct access drives and a cross easement to the shopping center south of the south. The first access is on McHenry Road and is a restricted right-in, right out. The Bank Lane access drive is a full access drive that provides access to McHenry Road at an unsignalized intersection. There is also a cross easement to the shopping center to the south. Through this cross easement there is indirect access through the main access drive to the shopping center. There is a right out only drive on the northern property line of the shopping center and there is also the main access drive that is signalized and is aligned opposite the Town Center access drive. The existing system with the two main drives and some additional access provides a great deal of flexibility and does not concentrate traffic at any one location. Mr. Werthmann noted they conducted traffic counts at four locations,namely, Bank Lane at McHenry Road,the main access drive at McHenry road,the right out only access drive at McHenry Road and the signalized access drive to the shopping center. The counts were done on a Friday evening which is when religious services will occur from 5:00-7:00 p.m. They also did a Saturday count from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the signalized intersection at the shopping center. This was done to get a comparison of the Friday evening peak period and the Saturday peak period traffic volumes. Based on those counts the traffic along McHenry Road is approximately 10-15 percent lower on Saturday than on Friday. The traffic from the shopping center is slightly higher,but the overall through traffic on McHenry Road is lower. As a result the peak period of traffic occurs on a weekday evening when you add the existing traffic plus the traffic that will be generated by the synagogue. During the weekdays the main event will occur on Fridays when services occur which would be from 7:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday there will be religious school programs with about 60 children in each program. The first session begins at 4:30 p.m. and ends at 6:00 p.m. and the second sessions begins at 5:30 p.m.to 7:00 p.m. In addition there will be Saturday ceremonies from about 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and possibly later if a meal is provided. There is also Sunday school from about 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Trip generation information for Tuesday through Thursday when school programs are going shows that between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. about 35-40 inbound trips are expected and 35-40 outbound trips. During religious services with about 250-275 people expectations are for about 90-95 vehicles inbound and about 30 outbound vehicles in the peak hour which is roughly between 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. which is actually outside of the peak hour of traffic on the roadway system. Based on those numbers and adding the traffic to the roadway system, it was determined that the synagogue will have a minimal impact on existing traffic. He noted the Crate and Barrel may not be generating a lot of traffic but it is generating some and the synagogue will be Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 13 replacing some of that. Secondly, the traffic will be distributed over several different access drives. Traffic coming from the north will most likely come in an make a left into Bank Lane and then into the drive. From the south people will probably enter through the main access drive. Outbound traffic going north can exit directly out of the main access drive or continue up to Bank Lane. Southbound traffic will most likely come through and out Bank Lane. Some will probably drive through the shopping center and access through the signalized intersection. Based on all of this and the intersection capacity analysis,all of these access drives will operate at acceptable levels of service. Mr. Werthmann stated that interaction with the Wendy's restaurant and conflicts thereto will be minimal as the synagogue will be generating the majority of its traffic on weekday evenings or on a Saturday whereas Wendy's generates its peak traffic during the one hour lunch period. Some traffic is generated during dinner hours but not as high as the lunch period. Secondly,the major traffic at Wendy's will occur on the western end of the site and the synagogue traffic will be occurring on the eastern end of the site where the drop off area is located. Given that,the traffic between the two will not pose any safety or operational problems. He indicated they do not believe they will add a great deal of traffic to the signalized intersection at the shopping center as most traffic will use Bank Lane. Mr. Werthmann stated the site will provide a total of 177 spaces. There will actually be 175 spaces with two of the spaces used for a fire connection. The synagogue will have a peak demand of roughly 300 people. He stated they have assumed 2.25 people per auto and at that rate the peak demand is between 130-140 vehicles. The 175 spaces based on 300 seats is a ratio of 1:1.5 seats and the code requires 1:3. On high holidays,the synagogue is making provisions for excess parking at the Town Center parking lot and will provide a crossing guard to facilitate pedestrian traffic across McHenry Road. Given these facts,the parking is more than sufficient to accommodate the synagogue. Mr. Werthmann stated the memo from the Police Department had a concern about traffic coming out and making a left out the main access drive. He stated they will endeavor to increase signage appropriately. The drive and pork chop has been designed to IDOT standards and there is not much more to do. Enforcement is really the key issue here. Mr. Schwartz stated there are no plans to do anything with Lot 3. There are plans to retain Lot 3 as green space and to make it part of the overall site development as green space and to be sensitive to the neighbors. If the future holds additional needs, it would be in the form of a land bank. The appearance of this green space will be improved from what it is today. Mr. Schwartz further noted the shed at the rear of the property will now be used for parking and will remain in its present configuration. It is open on three sides with only the rear of the shed which has been built up. That was done in order to be sensitive to the Woodstone property Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 14 owners as it is a mirror image of the Woodstone properties. This will now remain as a buffer. Commissioner Berman asked for more detail on the stacking and process for drop off and pick up for the school function. Mr. Hedlund noted the plan includes a drop off area with a covered walkway and the stacking can happen in the driving lane adjacent. Approximately 20 cars or more can be stacked in this location. Commissioner Berman noted there is the potential for 300 children at the school on Sunday. Mr. Werthmann noted the survey assumed about 2.5 kids per car. Commissioner Berman noted that means approximately 50 to 75 cars both coming and going. Stacking potential is for about 20 cars so the question is what happens to the other 130 cars. This can easily work for drop offs during the week but Sunday poses a problem. Mr. Werthmann noted on Sunday there is some overlap and they can work with the synagogue to spread out the gap. Commissioner Berman stated he is concerned with how the site will handle this problem. Mr. Hedlund stated the London school on Dundee Road has a similar configuration. Here a number of parents park and go in to get their children and then walk back to the parking lot. The queuing line here is very similar to the proposed plan. Commissioner Berman stated it would be helpful to see an informal drawing of the site layout at the current location and some counts on queues as well as the amount of time required to get people out. Mr. Hedlund noted that Sunday mornings is the lowest use for the surrounding commercial properties which helps the situation. Commissioner Berman noted that late Sunday mornings is a very heavy use for the commercial center directly to the south. Surface street traffic may be lower but the use may be high. Commissioner Berman noted there was no accounting for cut through traffic through the residential areas. As things are now, it is common for people to use that subdivision to get to Weiland Road and this is something that must be taken into account in analyzing the traffic impacts and the counts. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 15 Mr. Werthmann stated he will have some answers for the next meeting. Commissioner Berman noted he was relieved to see that the plan has been set up to bring all the traffic around to the rear of the building. He stated he would be very unhappy if the synagogue did not prohibit drop off and pick up at the front of the building. Mr. Schwartz stated it is the intention to have drop off and pickup in the rear. Commissioner Berman noted there is no entrance on the north side of the building. Mr. Hedlund stated that was correct as they were trying to minimize any changes to the north elevation. Commissioner Berman stated he was concerned that people will not want to park on the north side as there is no entrance and will therefore crowd into the front lot and perhaps choose to park in the Wendy's area rather than on the north side. Mr. Hedlund stated from a building,planning and security standpoint they have planned to minimize the number of entries to the building to control the flow of people. Commissioner Berman asked if there were any improvements planned for the front lot to further differentiate the Wendy's spaces to those that belong to the synagogue. Mr. Hedlund stated they plan only on using signage. Commissioner Berman asked if there is any concern by Wendy's management regarding parking. Mr. Schwartz stated there have been none to their knowledge. Commissioner Berman asked if there is any concern that the pavement in the rear of the building is of a different quality due to its former use or will same require any improvements. Mr. Schwartz stated the standards for parking lots in Buffalo Grove are substantial and this parking lot meets those standards and there is no concern that it is in any way substandard or different than the one in front of the building. Commissioner Berman stated he feels this site is suitable for this use and he would welcome the use subject to some of the planning issues being worked out. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated he agrees with Commissioner Berman that this is an appropriate place and use. However,he would like to be assured that there will not be an internal Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 16 circulation problem. He noted Wendy's already has a tremendous stacking problem and would like to be sure it will not be more of a problem on special occasions and high holidays. Mr. Schwartz stated the Wendy's and the congregation have their peak hours at different times. The congregation is not busy during the week at lunch time and probably would only have 8-10 cars in the lot at most. The real issue may be on a Saturday morning. Usually Wendy's is not very busy in the mornings so there should not be a problem for Saturday morning services. When services are over, many people stay for a meal and some leave but in a random fashion instead of all at once. The high holidays is a unique situation and on those days there will be some confusion and congestion. Commissioner Ottenheimer stated his concern is between the hours of 11:00-12:00 noon on Sundays. He would like to be more sure that this Sunday noon hour will flow smoothly. Mr. Schwartz stated they will further evaluate both Sunday and Saturday hours and come back with more finite answers. Commissioner Ottenheimer also asked for some numbers for the religious school operations during the week at the dinner hour. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if there are any plans for modification to the landscaping. Mr. Hedlund stated they will be adding landscaping at the back to make it a design feature to enhance the value of the building and make it an asset for the congregation. The other surfaces are all paved surfaces except for a small amount of detention at the front of the lot along McHenry Road. He stated they plan to aggressively maintain the green space on Lot 3. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked of all 20 classrooms would be constructed at once. Mr. Hedlund stated yes. Commissioner Krug also stated this will be a good use for the land. He noted Friday evening is a busy night for the bank. Mr. Werthmann stated they did not specifically count the bank but they did count Bank Lane at the intersection of McHenry and noted there were approximately 85 vehicles leaving Bank Lane and about 120-130 coming in as existing traffic at peak hour. Commissioner Krug suggesting checking the bank and Seigle's traffic studies at the time to see how they stack up. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 17 Commissioner Krug asked if the gatehouse will remain on the south side. Mr. Hedlund stated they will return that parking to what it originally was for Seigles so the gatehouse will be eliminated. Commissioner Krug noted the traffic study was done from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and asked if services would be ongoing at that time. Mr. Werthmann stated they were informed that religious services begin at 7:00 p.m. Tonight he was informed services begin at 7:45 p.m. This peak hour of traffic will basically occur one hour later. Commissioner Krug asked if Lot 3 will remain B zoned. Mr. Schwartz stated there is no intention to develop the lot other than as green space. However, if the Village grants a Special Use,they anticipate same to be for the entire site owned by the Congregation because the Special Use restrictions would then apply to the entire site. Commissioner Viehman noted a serious concern as to whether this is the right fit for this location relative to traffic. He noted the flow of traffic here is next to one of the most disastrous shopping centers in the Village. He further noted the numbers on the traffic study be sharpened as they seem to conflict with current testimony. Commissioner Viehman stated he does not have problem with the use but the traffic flow is a major concern as are the limited access points on Bank Lane and the signalized intersection at the shopping center. He further noted nothing has been projected with the anticipated traffic due from the future Eagle development which will exit at Bank Lane creating conflict for left turns. There are a lot of issues that the traffic study needs to look at. He asked if any consideration had been given to parking on the east side behind the shopping center behind Walgreens. He asked if it is anticipated that there will be overflow parking from the congregation there because it is closer than parking on the north side. Mr. Schwartz stated that with signage and education of the congregation there will be no parking on the Jewel/Osco property. Commissioner Viehman stressed he is not so concerned with the parking space but what happens when traffic begins to exit from that parking going west and conflicting with congregation traffic. Mr. Werthmann stated that is currently a gated secured location so there is no access allowed between the two properties. However,they will look into this situation. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 18 Commissioner Viehman asked if there are enough doors for the proposed maximized seating periods in case of emergencies. Commissioner Howard stated she would like to see some kind of easing of the stacking problem at Wendy's where you cannot get around the cars stacked to get into Wendy's. Commissioner Krug stated he would like some consideration given to drop off and pick ups by having one way traffic on the south side going around to the north and west and no left turn back onto the driveway which will force people out north onto Bank Lane. Chairman pro tem Samuels asked if the rear improvements which were constructed for the prior use are still necessary and if they could be taken down. Mr. Hedlund stated the initial purpose to keep the structure is so as not to dramatically change the character of the building on the surrounding community. In addition, it is a purely financial issue. They would like to use the resources they have on the inside of building to provide the actual functional spaces. Therefore,they would like to minimally improve in a phased manner the improvements in the back. At a later date,they may be able to come back to redo that area. Mr. Schwartz also noted they he does not believe the Woodstone residents would want to have that structure removed since it is a mirror image of their own property and it shields them from cars and parking and lights. Chairman pro tern Samuels stated he would encourage having some kind of functional non- emergency entrance on the north side of the building in order to facilitate the use of those parking spaces. He also noted that the west entrance which is the current front of the store will still be a major drop off and pick up point as many parents will not want to queue up. Unless some kind of restrictions are placed,people will be using that area for drop off and pick ups. Mr. Schwartz noted that makes a certain amount of sense and it is the intention of the congregation to have the major drop off and entry in the back as depicted and there are ways to deal with the problem. Chairman pro tern Samuels asked about the feasibility of a light at Bank Lane. Mr. Schwartz stated the impact of the traffic generated from this site does not warrant a traffic light even combined with Eagle. Chairman pro tern noted that in that case there will be a severe problem at the light at the Grove Shopping Center. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 19 Mr. Schwartz stated that all the comments made by the Commission concerning traffic raise relevant issues. However, whether it is a congregation which is a less intense use than the commercial zoning that exists, or whether it was a successful Crate and Barrel,this entire area is problematic and it is their goal and responsibility to come back with the best plan. However,the problem cannot be solved. The plan can only minimize the effect the congregation has on the property. Chairman pro tern asked if any other potential uses have been considered for the building in the course of Seigle's marketing efforts. Mr. Schwartz stated the marketing was for a retail type use. Based upon the previously presented elements, a major retailer for a 37,000 square foot building was not interested. Big box users do not want to be out on their own. He further noted there have been no theaters or other entertainment users interested in the site. Commissioner Viehman asked if there will be additional lighting on the east side of the building under the existing warehouse and covered areas. Mr. Hedlund stated there will be improvements on the east and in the rear with drop off angles that will not effect the neighbors. Don Stillman, president of the homeowners association of Winchester Estates noted their main problem is coming out of the shopping center or the proposed synagogue unto Bank Lane and heading north on Brunswick and going around Woodstone to Weiland Road. This is a major problem which currently exists. Helene Stein, 97 Woodstone Drive, stated it is impossible to get out of Bank Lane now without any new development. This development will increase this difficulty which is the major concern for the residents of the area. Judith Feder, 106 Woodstone Drive,asked if there will be any kind of preschool or daytime day care programs in the synagogue. Mr. Hedlund stated there is currently no preschool program and no plans at this time for one. BUFFALO GROVE TOWN CENTER UNIT 8(EAGLE FOOD STORE) - PLAT OF RESUBDIVISION Mr. Schwartz stated they have submitted the plat which has been reviewed by Mr. Kuenkler and staff and all issues to date have been resolved. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 20 Mr. Pfeil stated the Village Engineer recommends approval subject to the provision of some monuments and the fire lane easements will need to be verified with the Fire Department before the final plat is approved by the Village Board. Otherwise, the plat does comply with the site plan that was approved for Eagle Foods. Mr. Schwartz stated that on behalf of the developer they would accept the comments of the `,/ memorandum dated May 19, 1998 from Mr. Kuenkler and would ask approval subject to the incorporation of those comments. Moved by Commissioner Krug, seconded by Commissioner Howard to recommend approval of the Plat of Resubdivision of the Buffalo Grove Town Center Unit(Eagle Food Store), subject to placement of the required concrete monuments and fire lane easements as noted on the memorandum of May 19, 1998 by the Village Engineer. Chairman pro tem Samuels called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: Krug, Howard,Berman, Trilling,Ottenheimer, Viehman NAYES: None ABSTAIN: Samuels ABSENT: Goldspiel, Moons The motion passed 6 to 0. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT-None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil stated the next meeting will be June 3, 1998. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS -None STAFF REPORT-None NEW BUSINESS -None ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Berman, seconded by Commissioner Krug and carried unanimously to adjourn. Chairman pro tem adjourned the meeting at 10:45 p.m. Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 20, 1998-Page 21 Respectfully submitte Fay R in,Re or ing Secretary APPROVED BY: cx MI HAEL SAMUELS, Chairman pro tern Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Y 20, 1998-Page-Ma 1998Pa a 22