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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLAN COMMISSION - 07/16/2003 - COLLECTIONS ETC/TEXT AMENDMENT Elk Grove Village Plan Commission Minutes July 16, 2003 Present: J. Glass F. Geinosky P. Ayers E. Hauser J. Meyers D. Sokolowski T.Thompson Absent: C. Henrici D.Paliganoff Staff: P. Vadopalas,Assistant to the Village Manager S. Trudan,Assistant Director, Community Development N. Carlson, Economic Development Coordinator Petitioner: J.Nasca, Centerpoint Properties P. Klassman, Collections Etc. Chairman Glass called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m. Item 1: June 18, 2003 Meeting Minutes Commissioner Thompson moved to approve the June 18 meeting minutes as written. Commissioner Sokolowski seconded the motion. Upon voting(Glass,Ayers,Hauser,Meyers, Sokolowski,Thompson,AYES, Henrici, Paliganoff,Absent, Geinosky, Abstain)the motion carried. Item 2: Text Amendment: Retail Activity in Industrial Districts—Collections,Etc., 2525 Busse Road Chairman Glass read the petition into the record and asked the petitioner to introduce himself. J.Nasca explained that Centerpoint Properties plans to lease 100,000 square feet of the 1,000,000 square feet at the building at 2525 Busse Road to Collections, Etc. The zoning is I-2 industrial. Of the 100,000 square feet, 35,000 square feet is proposed for retail sales, which totals 35% of the total floor area. The current Zoning Ordinance restricts retail activity to 20%of the floor area,and the text amendment is proposed to increase that permitted percentage. Chairman Glass questioned why the limitation on retail activity should be increased from 20%to 35%. Nasca responded that Collections,Etc. will lease 100,000 s.f. and that 35,000 s.f. is proposed for retail sales and some storage of inventory. P. Klassman stated Collections, Etc. has marketed giftware and craftware since 1972. The company began distributing catalogs in 1997. The company opened their outlet store in Des Plaines two Novembers ago,and the store is now one of the highest rated outlet stores in the region. Klassman stated the majority of their business is marketing items for liquidators,but the retail component is an important part of the business. P. Klassman distributed a copy of the Collections catalog to the Commissioners for reference. P. Klassman noted that the store would be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only. - 1 - Chairman Glass questioned how many employees would work at the store. Klassman stated their current store in Des Plaines totals 3 full time and 6 part time employees in the 8,000 sq. ft. store. The number of employees would likely double for the Elk Grove store. Chairman Glass asked for information on traffic around the store. Klassman responded the store conducts an average of 4,000 transactions per weekend. Chairman Glass asked if the number of transactions would quadruple in Elk Grove because the store would be almost four-times larger. Klassman stated that traffic would not increase proportionately,but because Collections would have more room to display more inventory, the volume per order would increase. P. Klassman corrected himself by noting the 4,000 transactions include both liquidators and retail customers,and he did not have separate figures for each available. A warehouse in Melrose Park will serve the liquidator traffic. J.Nasca stated that Collections is planning to relocate their corporate headquarters to the Elk Grove location. A total of 35,000 square feet would be needed for the store and some office space, and the remaining 65,000 sq. ft, would be a separate office use. Nasca stated that other tenants in the building include the U.S.Post Office,U. S. Customs,and LaSalle Bank offices. Commissioner Hauser questioned if 35%for retail activity was permitted,would Collections return to petition for 50%if the business is successful in Elk Grove. Klassman responded no, that if additional space would be needed, Collections would look to an additional facility elsewhere since there is no available space for expansion at this location. Chairman Glass expressed concern about adopting the text amendment for the entire Business Park, and questioned if there was an alternative means of allowing this business to operate in an industrial district. S. Trudan stated the text amendment would permit retail activity as a permitted use up to 20%of the floor area,as a conditional use up to 35%of the floor area, and as a Special Use over 35%of the floor area. Chairman Glass noted that this specific proposal is acceptable, but that more control over retail activity in industrial areas is needed. The conditions listed for the Conditional Use are not very strict. Commissioner Hauser stated he would expect numerous variation petitions if the proposed text amendment were adopted. Commissioner Meyers noted the warehouse will be in Melrose Park, and the office and retail activities are planned for Elk Grove. He asked why Collections is interested in operating a store in an industrial park? Klassman responded that customers receive a`perceived value' by shopping in a warehousing district. In addition,the rents for warehousing space are lower than for retail space,which allows them to lower their retail costs. Commissioner Meyers stated that this location is primarily a marketing tool, and Klassman agreed. Commissioner Meyers asked for hours of operation. Klassman stated 9:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m. Commissioner Meyers questioned how truck traffic and customer traffic would be controlled. Nasca indicated that directional signage would direct all truck traffic,including that of other tenants,around the south of the building everyday. The retail parking lot is on the north side of the building,and can be accessed by two different driveways. Commissioner Meyers asked if employee and customer vehicles would fill the parking lot on Fridays. Nasca stated no. Currently,approximately 20 existing employee cars are parked in the 340 available spaces. Commissioner Meyers asked if Collections would ever host tent sales. Klassman responded no. Secretary Gemosky stated that this business proposal appears to be a good idea,and that the proposal is well planned. He further commented that retail activity in the Business Park is also a good idea if properly controlled. Secretary Gemosky questioned if any variations will be needed. Nasca stated only for 2 monument signs to identify the Collections business. The identification signs are needed due to the distance of the building from the roadway and the overall size of the building. -2 - Chairman Glass asked if staff had any comments. N.Carlson stated that the nature of the industrial park has changed sine the 1950's. Today,the businesses are more likely to be importers/exporters than traditional manufacturers, and the Village would benefit by encouraging more retail activity. Currently,there are approximately 60 other retail outlets in the industrial park, though the customer draw is smaller than the proposed Collections store. She noted the direct benefit of jobs and sales taxes. Secretary Geinosky noted that staff comments were not part of the materials for this hearing,and he assumes that staff assisted in writing the text amendment language. Trudan noted the text was a cooperative effort between the Village and petitioner. Secretary Geinosky asked if the text amendment were approved,could the existing retail outlets expand their retail operations accordingly. Trudan responded yes. Secretary Geinosky asked if the Village has planned to notify all the existing retail outlets of this zoning change. Carlson responded that had not been decided. N. Carlson stated this business is unique to Elk Grove with the exception of Enesco and San Filipo. The remaining outlets typically have one or two customers at a time. Secretary Geinosky asked if there were other retail businesses waiting for approval of this text amendment. Carlson responded not to her knowledge. Commissioner Thompson stated all his questions have been answered. Commissioner Ayers stated he agreed with Commissioner Hauser's concern about relaxing the restrictions on retail activities in the industrial park. While he understands the Village is attempting to be creative in attracting businesses,he is concerned about the impact of numerous such businesses in the industrial area. For example, because Collections business is limited to the weekends, traffic impact should be insignificant. He noted the proposed conditions do not address retail businesses that may want to operate Monday thru Friday, which would have a negative traffic impact. Commissioner Ayers agreed that the proposed standards are not comprehensive enough, and staff would need to establish additional restrictions before he would be comfortable in approving a Conditional Use for retail activity in the industrial park. Commissioner Ayers commented that the re-routing of truck traffic on this property is appropriate, and the petitioner has been proactive in addressing possible problems with the location of this business. Chairman Glass asked if the audience had any comments. No comments were made. At 9:00,Chairman Glass called for a recess. The meeting reconvened at 9:10 p.m. Chairman Glass stated his concern that the conditions drafted by staff are not very strict and his concern that the text amendment would lead to a proliferation of retail business in the industrial park. S.Trudan stated that the Conditional Use permit would require that the retail activity be accessory to the principal use, so an existing business would need to sell products that related to the principal business. Chairman Glass stated that in this case, the retail use is accessory to an office use,which is an accessory use itself. He stated he interprets this retail activity to be a non-accessory retail use, and questioned if a Special Use permit would be a more appropriate means of allowing Collections to operate in an industrial district. Commissioner Meyers stated that Collections will be storing inventory as part of the retail use, which can be interpreted as warehousing. Chairman Glass questioned if the proposed Conditional Use for 20%to 35% of floor area would be required to be accessory to the principal use,or any kind of retail use? - 3 - Chairman Glass stated that granting a Special Use to Collections would retain the control over retail activity in the industrial park,though it would delay other businesses in locating in Elk Grove by maintaining the need for public hearings before the Plan Commission and Village Board. While he understands the desire of the Village to streamline business attraction, he felt it inappropriate to abandon existing standards. Commissioner Meyers stated the Commission could recommend approval of a Special Use permit to Collections and then revisit the proposed Conditional Use at a later date. P. Klassman stated that Collections is neither a warehousing business nor an office use. Collections is a marketing firm that neither stores inventory nor manufacturers it. Collections is strictly a sales channel for these products. Chairman Glass agreed,but noted the Zoning Ordinance does not define"marketing or distribution",so an interpretation needs on the best existing definition to apply to this activity. Chairman Glass stated that Collections should be permitted to operate this business in Elk Grove Village, and suggested that the Plan Commission recommend adoption of the Special Use portion of the text amendment only, and later revisit the concept of creating a Conditional Use. The consensus of the Commission was to proceed as suggested by Chairman Glass. Chairman Glass asked for a motion on the text amendment petition. Commissioner Ayers moved to recommend that the Village Board amend Section 7-E:3B,Special Uses (Sections 1-5)of the Zoning Ordinance as proposed. Commissioner Hauser seconded the motion. Upon voting(Glass,Geinosky,Ayers,Hauser, Meyers, Sokolowski, Thompson,AYES,Henrici, Paliganoff,Absent)the motion carried. Chairman Glass asked for a motion on the petition of Collections,Etc. Secretary Geinosky moved to recommend that the Village Board grant a Special Use permit to Collections, Etc.to operate a retail use in an I-2 Industrial district at 2525 Busse Road. Commissioner Meyers seconded the motion. Upon voting(Glass,Geinosky, Ayers, Hauser,Meyers, Sokolowski,Thompson,AYES,Henrici,Paliganoff, Absent)the motion carried. Item 3: Adjournment Chairman Glass asked for a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Meyers moved to adjourn and Commissioner Sokolowski seconded the motion. Upon voting(Glass,Geinosky,Ayers,Hauser,Meyers, Sokolowski,Thompson, AYES,Henrici,Paliganoff,Absent)the motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peter J.Vadopa as Assistant to the Village Manager C: Chairman and Members of the Plan Commission,Mayor and Board of Trustees, Village Clerk, Village Manager, Assistant Village Manager,Assistant to the Village Manager,Administrative Intern,Director of Engineering/Community Development,Director of Public Works,Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief(2), Assistant Fire Chief, Village Attorney. - 4 -