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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLAN COMMISSION - 12/09/2024 - 500 570 Higgins and 1550 Howard, 2 Industrial WarehousesElk Grove Village Plan Commission Minutes December 9, 2024 Present: K. Weiner S. Carlson F. Geinosky P. Rettberg J. Morrill R. DeFrenza R. Romanski Absent: G. Schumm L. Bacigalupo Staff: C. Gabiga, Assistant Village Manager R. Raphael, Deputy Director of Community Development B. Kozor, Deputy Director of Community Development Petitioner: Michael Alesia, Attorney, Michael A. Alesia & Associates, P.C. Teck Li Ho, Business Development Lead, Protech Environmental Inc. Chairperson Weiner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Item 1: November 18, 2024 Meeting Minutes Commissioner Carlson moved to approve the meeting minutes of November 18, 2024. Commissioner Rettberg seconded the motion. Upon voting, (Weiner, Carlson, Geinosky, Rettberg, Morrill, DeFrenza, Romanski, AYES), the motion carried 7-0. Item 2: PC Docket #24-6: Petition to rezone the property at 500 E. Higgins Road and 570 E. Higgins Road from B-1 Business District to I-1 Restricted Industrial District for the purpose of constructing two industrial warehouse facilities. Chairperson Weiner read the legal notice into the record and asked the Petitioner to explain their purpose before the Plan Commission. M. Alesia stated he and his firm have represented the Petitioner (AGG Properties LLC) for over 25 years. He stated he was involved in the acquisition of the properties through the submission of this zoning petition. M. Alesia explained the property used to be an office building and a bank. He stated the two new proposed buildings are speculative buildings. M. Alesia stated the proposed building on 500 E. Higgins Road will be 19,425 square feet. He stated the proposed building on 570 E. Higgins Road will be 18,917 square feet. M. Alesia stated the proposed buildings will have light, clean industrial uses and no heavy industry. M. Alesia explained the buildings will be precast construction, and they will appear modern and elegant. He stated the buildings will have landscaping elements in accordance with what Village staff required. He stated the buildings' aesthetic will be in harmony with the area. M. Alesia explained the building at 500 E. Higgins Road will need an easement for access, so the Petitioner has prepared a shared easement driveway agreement. The agreement states that occupants, such as employees and visitors, will park on their respective properties but they will use a shared driveway on the east side of the 570 E. Higgins Road property to access the parking lot. M. Alesia stated the proposed buildings will not be fully built out in the interior due to their speculative nature. He stated that once the end user acquires or leases the property, the interior of the building will be finished according to the new user's needs. M. Alesia stated he expects the final buildings to have an office in the front and a warehouse in the back. He stated there are docks planned for the rear of the buildings for this purpose. M. Alesia explained the buildings were not doing well as 13-1 uses and had no other prospects. He stated much of the nearby area is industrial and would fit into the character of the area. M. Alesia stated there should not be excessive traffic to and from this property because it has plenty of room for parking. M. Alesia commented that the Petitioner submitted all required paperwork and adjusted their proposal according to Village staff comments and requirements. Commissioner Rettberg asked if the previous buildings had been demolished. M. Alesia confirmed that both buildings are demolished and the lots are now vacant. Commissioner Rettberg asked what kind of businesses the Petitioner seeks to attract to the new buildings. M. Alesia stated the Petitioner's portfolio consists of light manufacturing. He stated that a use which involves a showroom or warehouse is likely, and the use would not be any heavy manufacturing or industry. Commissioner Carlson asked what would happen to the driveway easement if the properties were sold. M. Alesia stated that the Petitioner does not plan to sell the properties, but if they were, the easement agreement for the shared driveway would still be in effect. Commissioner Geinosky asked why the Petitioner is choosing to rezone to I-1 instead of constructing new B-1 speculative buildings due to the close proximity of residential properties. M. Alesia stated that commercial properties like the former office building and bank are no longer in demand as they once were and there were no prospective tenants for the properties. He stated that it is difficult to attract tenants for commercial properties and industrial properties are higher in demand. He also stated that light industrial uses generate less traffic than some commercial uses. Commissioner Geinosky asked how many clients are expected to occupy each building. M. Alesia stated the buildings are single -tenant buildings. Commissioner Geinosky asked how the Plan Commission can approve a speculative building. B. Kozor stated that the Petitioner and Village staff worked through several rounds of comments to build a proposal that is suitable for the proposed area. He stated that the I-1 zoning district is used as a buffer between residential areas and heavier industrial areas in the community. He stated that the entrance off Higgins Road would be removed, so traffic to and from these properties will be less impactful, and staff does not anticipate these properties would have a lesser impact compared to the residential or the commercial use that was there before. Commissioner Geinosky stated that he expects the Petitioner to adhere to all zoning ordinances relating to the properties because the Petitioner is not filing for any variances. Commissioner Geinosky asked for information about the construction schedule. M. Alesia stated that the Petitioner would like to begin construction as soon as possible, as early as Spring 2025. Commissioner Geinosky asked how long the construction period will be. M. Alesia stated that the construction of the building's shell will take approximately six to eight months, totaling a year once a tenant is acquired. Chairperson Weiner opened the hearing for questions and comments from the public. RECOMMENDATION Commissioner Carlson moved to recommend approval of the following: 1. Petition to rezone the property at 500 E. Higgins Road and 570 E. Higgins Road from B- 1 Business District to I-1 Restricted Industrial District. Commissioner Romanski seconded the motion. Upon voting (Weiner, Carlson, Geinosky, Rettberg, Morill, DeFrenza, Romanski AYES), the motion carried unanimously. Item 3: PC Docket #24-7: Petition for a Special Use Permit to allow an electronics recycling facility in an I-1 Zoned District on property located at 1550 Howard Street. Chairperson Weiner read the legal notice into the record and asked the Petitioner to explain their purpose before the Plan Commission. T. Ho explained that the Petitioner seeks to establish an electronics recycling facility at 1550 Howard Street. He stated the previous use was for a marketing company. He stated the Petitioner believes the building is appropriate for an electronics recycling firm based on its layout and its location. T. Ho stated the Petitioner is applying for a Special Use Permit because the term "recycling facility" can be vague, and the Petitioner wishes to be transparent on the processes and operations of their business and ensure the Village that their business is clean and safe for the building and area. T. Ho explained the Petitioner will handle ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) and E-scrap (end -of -life equipment) services for schools, hospitals, offices, and other businesses. He stated the Petitioner collects used electronics in small quantities, tests them and refurbishes them to keep them out of landfills. He explained that E-scrap is equipment that is deemed "end -of -life", meaning it cannot be reused nor refurbished. He stated the Petitioner will disassemble these products and send the parts to appropriate downstreams for recycling. T. Ho stated that the Petitioner intends to offer public drop-offs to allow the public to drop off used electronics such as TVs and monitors for proper disposal and recycling. He stated that the Petitioner addressed questions from the Community Development Department regarding parking and the flow of traffic for these drop-offs. T. Ho stated that the Petitioner received comments from the Fire Department regarding the need for fire alarms and a fire suppression system due to the nature of the proposed facility. He stated that the Petitioner is addressing the comments and has agreed to install the recommended fire suppression system. Commissioner Morrill asked about the process of recycling computer components. T. Ho explained the Petitioner is specifically focused on desktop, laptops, tablets, iPhones, smartphones, anything with data and a circuit board. He stated the Petitioner takes data privacy very seriously. Commissioner Morrill asked how data privacy will be handled with the recycled computers. T. Ho explained the Petitioner plans to set up a shredding line for a small shredding operation for hard drives, depending on noise levels and the neighboring businesses. He stated the Petitioner currently uses logical sanitization (securely overwriting and erasing data) according to standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Commissioner Morrill asked when the drop-offs for the public would be available. T. Ho stated the public drop-offs would be available on an appointment basis and possibly special recycling events in the springtime or in other high -demand seasons. Commissioner Geinosky asked for background information on the Petitioner. T. Ho stated that the Petitioner is a startup in the electronics recycling industry, with its investors having 10 to 15 years of experience in the industry. He stated he himself has 8 years of experience in the industry. He explained that many of the recycling companies do business with one another because each recycler specializes in a certain set of items and products. Commissioner Geinosky asked how many employees the Petitioner will have. T. Ho stated the Petitioner anticipates between one and ten employees. Commissioner Geinosky asked what the hours of operation will be. T. Ho stated the business will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Commissioner Geinosky asked what days of the week the business will be open. T. Ho stated the business will be open Monday through Friday. Commissioner Geinosky asked who the Petitioner's typical clientele will be. T. Ho explained that most of the Petitioner's business will be conducted with other businesses but will also offer electronics recycling to the general public by appointment. Commissioner Geinosky asked where the Petitioner is currently located. T. Ho stated the proposed location would be the Petitioner's first location. Commissioner Rettberg asked if there will be any charge to the public for bringing their used electronics for recycling. T. Ho stated there will not be a charge for common items like laptops and desktops, but they may be a small charge for items that are difficult to handle like printers and CRT televisions. Commissioner Rettberg asked if the Petitioner plans to sell the refurbished electronics at the proposed facility. T. Ho explained the Petitioner will not operate an in -person retail facility. He explained the sales will be conducted online and directly to other businesses after the hard drives are wiped clean. Commissioner Rettberg asked what the Petitioner will do with items that are not recyclable. T. Ho stated the Petitioner will not accept such items and will post a list of non -accepted items on their website. Commissioner DeFrenza asked if the majority of the Petitioner's revenue comes from the sale of refurbished products. T. Ho stated the Petitioner will generate revenue mainly from selling refurbished electronics and also from selling electronic scrap material. Commissioner DeFrenza asked why the Petitioner has selected Elk Grove Village to open their location. T. Ho stated the Petitioner believes Elk Grove Village has many opportunities due to the number of new developments and data centers in the community. He stated the Petitioner believes they can provide service to the community. B. Kozor stated that the current building owner submitted a letter of support for the Petitioner to staff. RECOMMENDATION Commissioner Carlson moved to recommend approval of the following: 1. Petition for a Special Use Permit to allow an electronics recycling facility in an I-1 Zoned District on property located at 1550 Howard Street. Commissioner DeFrenza seconded the motion. Upon voting (Weiner, Carlson, Geinosky, Rettberg, Morill, DeFrenza, Romanski AYES), the motion carried unanimously. Item 4: Adjournment The hearing concluded at 7:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ta* - Paola Garcia Senior Management Analyst C: Chairperson and Members of the Plan Commission, Mayor and Board of Trustees, Village Clerk.