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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLAN COMMISSION - 04/01/2019 - CA Industrial 522-586 E. Devon, Resub 2710 United/2401 Pan AmElk Grove Village Plan Commission Minutes April 1, 2019 Present: J. Glass S. Carlson F. Geinosky K. Weiner J. Morrill P. Rettberg T. Thompson R. DeFrenza Absent: G. Schumm Staff: M. Jablonski, Assistant Manager J. Polony, Deputy Director of Community Development R. Raphael, Engineering Supervisor N. Radcliffe, Administrative Intern Petitioner: J. McGill, CA Industrial (Item 2) M. Lebar, CA Industrial (Item 2) R. Drueck, GPL Investment Group (Item 3) Chairman Glass called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Item 1: January 28, 2019 Meeting Minutes Commissioner Weiner moved to approve the meeting minutes of January 28, 2019. Commissioner Rettberg seconded the motion. Upon voting (DeFrenza, Geinosky, Rettberg, Thompson, Weiner, Morrill, Carlson AYES, Glass ABSTAIN), the motion carried. Item 2: PC Docket # 19-4: Petition for Resubdivision, Rezoning, and Associated Variations for 552-586 E. Devon Avenue Chairman Glass read the legal notice into the record and asked the Petitioner to explain his purpose before the Plan Commission. J. McGill stated he is the Executive Vice President of CA Ventures — Industrial, and introduced his colleague Michael Lebar, Senior Development Manager of CA Ventures — Industrial. J. McGill stated the existing retail development is currently 48% occupied and is in great need of upgrading and capital improvements. There has been an enormous amount of turnover since the 1 opening of the retail center back in 1966. They have noticed that food type users have been doing well, but not so much retail. J. McGill stated CA Industrial has a clear direction to keep some of the retail users, such as Fat Mustard, Tata's Pierogis, and Subway. The retail center will decrease from 31,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet, and will be 100% occupied. All tenants have agreed to long term contracts ranging from 7 to 10 years. J. McGill stated they are proposing a 146,000 square foot industrial building. In addition to the construction of that building, there will be improvements to the remaining retail site, including a complete recladding of the retail, a new roof, and resurfacing of the parking lot. J. McGill stated for the industrial building, they needed a variance for building fagade, and the height of the screen wall to screen the residential to the north. The screen wall will run contiguously with the Public Works screen wall. Along the rest of the north property line will be a black fence to keep those in the park from entering the industrial area. They also plan to work with ComEd to extend the walking path in the park north of the property. J. McGill stated bump outs on the northwest side provide additional screening and noise reduction from the trucks nor residents. T ypically a building this size would have 24-28 docks; uu� this building will be limited to 18 docks. They believe this will work out for a retail focus industrial user looking for visibility on Devon. J. McGill stated the property line of the proposed industrial use is 221 feet from residential. That will knock out a lot of noise issues. J. McGill stated the retail site will have a dramatic improvement with a fairly expensive recladding to improve retail. Retail tenants are also excited to see an industrial building come in, because it will bring 130-140 employees, which can result in lunchtime foot traffic. J. McGill stated the industrial building will have a lot of glass on the Devon Avenue side, which will look very aesthetically appealing. They originally requested a variance to permit a 60 foot building height to accommodate a data center, but a custom building for a data center user no longer seems likely. If a date center user comes in, they could be fitted into the spec building with a height of 42 feet. J. McGill noted that typical industrial properties are permitted to be 60' in height, but the height restriction of 35' exists due to the ComEd right-of-way being zoned residential. He noted this is also the reason for the request for a variation from the require 50' setback from residential property to permit a 43 foot setback. The property is adjacent to the Com-Ed power line, and this setback would be more consistent with zoning. Commissioner Rettberg asked if the property owner looked into alternatives to try and upgrade the shopping center to attract tenants to an area that is zoned for retail businesses. J. McGill stated the owner spent over $250,000 to revitalize the former bank building and it stayed vacant for over 18 months. The property owner deemed it not profitable and had it torn down. J. McGill noted that the depth and layout of the retail portion that will be demolished has had difficulty attracting high quality tenants. There is much greater demand from industrial users than retail tenants at this location. High Cook County taxes along with challenging lease depths have resulted in chronic and a poor rate of return on investment at this site. Commissioner Rettberg asked where the current businesses will be going. J. McGill stated that some of the businesses will be relocated into the vacant openings in the remaining portion of the retail building, and the rest will be leaving. Commissioner Rettberg asked what effect the industrial building will have on the remaining facilities in the retail center and what kind of customer would be interested in the industrial building. J. McGill stated that the remaining tenants see it as a positive for an increase of foot traffic due to employees at the new industrial building. The industrial building can attract many different types of customers, but the Petitioner believes it will be someone looking for the visibility of being on Devon Avenue. Commissioner Rettberg asked what kind of hours will the industrial building have and if it would be 24/7. Commissioner Rettberg also asked about the truck traffic and its noise levels. J. McGill stated that it is difficult to say as there is no confirmed tenant yet, but it is very unlikely that an industrial building would be 24/7. The truck traffic would be minimal, 10-20 trucks a day. The screening wall and bump outs will create potential noise levels. Commissioner Rettberg asked if the Petitioner could comply with the 50 foot setback required by code and not the 43 foot setback requested. J. McGill stated that the requested setback would give the building more space for operations and that since the property is actually located next to ComEd power lines that it was not unreasonable to reduce the required setback designed for distance from residential properties. Commissioner Rettberg asked where the truck traffic will be enter and exit. J. McGill stated the flow of truck traffic will come down Devon into the property. Some traffic will exit back out on Devon and some onto Tonne. Commissioner Rettberg asked where the 100-140 employee estimate came from. J. McGill stated that buildings this size typically bring in that amount of employees. Commissioner Rettberg asked if the Petitioner looked elsewhere in Elk Grove, such as the industrial park for this project. J. McGill stated they looked into areas in the industrial park but love the visibility that Devon has to offer. Commissioner Weiner asked who is paying for the businesses to move and if they are staying in Elk Grove. J. McGill stated they are paying for the moving costs. Commissioner Weiner asked if the Village has the electrical capabilities to handle a data center. J. McGill stated they have substations in Itasca and Elk Grove that can handle the electrical capacity needed. 3 Commissioner Weiner asked if there is a delineation for those parking in retail and industrial. J. McGill stated that there is a grade differential which would separate the parking lots. Commissioner Geinosky stated that many different retail entities could be successful in the industrial building and asked how it would be signed. J. McGill stated that he expects 2-3 could operate in the building and would have signage on the exterior above the doors. Commissioner Geinosky asked how the proposed industrial building compares to the style of the Public Works facility to the west and what kind of industry would be there. J. McGill stated that it is not the same style building as the Public Works Facility, but looks very nice. He stated the type of industry would be expected to be primarily logistics or storage. Commissioner Morrill asked where cars would park to use the park to the north of the retail center. He noted the park has soccer games on the weekend_ s and practice during the week in the evenings, and park users usually use the parking north of the retail center. J. McGill stated that there is only one parking stall that will be lost, and they don't see it being a big deal as most of the parking for retail will be used during the business hours as opposed to park use on the evenings. Commissioner Morrill noted that people used unmarked spaces to access the park. Chairman Glass stated that a formal shared parking arrangement could be put in place where the owner allows parking on the weekend and evenings during the week. J. McGill stated he would not mind working with the Village to make this work as a condition of approval. Commissioner Morrill stated that he did not like trucks driving through the parking used for the park. Chairman Glass noted that a property owner must be allowed reasonable use, but that a parking agreement would ensure the spaces remained for park users with future owners. Commissioner Morrill asked if there were any lighting plans done while creating the petition. J. McGill stated that it was not a part of the requirements for the petition, but there will be a zero foot candles at the property line, and that the light poles at the back of the building will not shine at residents. N. Brotten-Munson of 601 Walnut Lane expressed concerns that deals have been made before this petition was brought to the Commission. N. Broten-Munson expressed concerns over garbage trucks picking up trash very early and an increase in truck traffic. Chairman Glass stated that the Plan Commission hearing is the chance for residents to express concerns. He explains a petitioner cannot come to the public without a plan for what they want to build. Chairman Glass explained that residents are being notified at the appropriate time and will be able to attend the Village Board meeting as well, where the recommendation is considered. J. McGill stated that there will be an estimated 10-20 trucks a day that could possibly be arriving as early as 6:30. N. Broten-Munson inquired if there will be aesthetic improvements to the screen walls so that residents are not forced to look at a plain wall. She stated it would be nice to see landscaping improvements, and agreed that the park is being constantly used. N. Broten-Munson stated that the height of the building would be very large and unappealing to look at. J. McGill stated the building would be aesthetically pleasing with glass around the back and will not be the 60 foot tall 4 building, but only 42' in height. Chairman Glass asked if the petitioner would be willing to alter is request for a height variation from 60 feet to 42 feet. J. McGill agreed to request a height variation to allow a building of 42' in height. M. Kielczewski of 633 North Parkway stated he has concerns on the visual and sounds of truck traffic. There will be occasional truck noise in the morning and lights shining in windows from the north. M. Kielczewski stated the Petitioner should add evergreen trees on each side of the screen wall to suck in the noise and look visually appealing. If not, he suggested the Petitioner could place the trees on his property. M. Kielczewski stated it might also be an idea to get the Park District involved to talk on the future of the park and see if the Petitioner and the park can work together. Chairman Glass stated the Park District is well aware of what's going on here and were notified. He noted their property is not affected directly by this petition. He stated the Plan Commission is working on getting together a formalized parking agreement. There will be a 12 foot wall on the north side of the truck court. Chairman Glass stated most of the truck traffic will be going out to Devon, and a few will go out Tonne. Chairman Glass stated that the Petitioner can be asked to look into screening options, but that may not be possible. Chairman Glass noted that the Plan Commission cannot request the Petitioner to put improvements on to private residential. J. McGill stated they will look into what they can do to improve the property and look into possible screening in the right-of-way, but this could block drivers' views while turning. J. Vahey of 632 Center Street expressed concerns about drainage and the stormwater discharge. Chairman Glass stated that the discharge cannot release any faster than it is being discharged now. The drainage system is in place now, but will need to be modified with these plans. J. McGill stated they will meet stormwater retention requirements with a stormtrap. J. Snyder of 872 Cass Lane stated he was excited to see this plan happen. J. Snyder stated he would like to see some landscaping improvements along Tonne Road. Also, at some point there will need to be extra lanes placed on Devon Avenue to moderate traffic issues. J. Snyder also stated he is not a fan of the high walls, but the glass is a nice complement to the building and he believes 15- 20 trucks a day is an accurate number. J. Snyder expressed concerns about the projects carbon footprint and stated our youth are asking for sustainable improvements. He suggested additions of possible solar panels. J. Snyder stated a speed hump along the drive of the back of properties may be proactive for safety measures and to slow truck traffic. J. McGill stated there were a lot of good points and they would like to work with staff to make sure they do the best to minimize the effect on residents. The Petitioner agree that they will make the road along Tonne aesthetically appealing. Chairman Glass asked if the Petitioner plans on resurfacing the lot. J. McGill stated they plan on resurfacing the lot and repaving. Commissioner Rettberg expressed concerns about changing an area that is zoned for retail businesses to allow industrial uses. The building can be a little smaller to avoid the setback. Chairman Glass stated that there have been changes along Devon Avenue over the past two years and it is becoming more industrial. J. McGill stated he has seen big box retails dying. He noted that Schaumburg's vacancy rate is sitting at 25%. N. Broten-Munson stated the Plan Commission doesn't know the tenants going into that building and how that will affect truck traffic. The Public Works Facility is different than a for -profit business that does not care on how many trucks are coming in out due to wanting to make money. N. Broten-Munson stated she is surprised that the Village is not bringing more food businesses in. Chairman Glass stated the proposed use seems suitable for the area, and that there is industrial going in along Devon on both sides of the street. He noted that there aren't proper sewer lines, which is one of the reasons it has been so slow in developing. N. Broten-Munson stated that Tonne used to be the dividing line of residential and industrial. This project was not a part of the master plan. Chairman Glass stated that the master plan is constantly being revised. He noted that big box retail is on the decline. RECOMMENDATION Commissioner Geinosky moved to recommend approval of the petition for Resubdivision, Rezoning, and Associated Variations for 552-586 E. Devon Avenue • Petition to Resubdivide the properties at 552-586 E. Devon Avenue from one lot to two lots. • Petition to Rezone the new Lot 1 from B 1 to 1- 1. • Variation from Section 7E-9: A to increase the permitted height of the screen wall from six feet (6) to twelve feet (12'). • Variation from Section 8-12B-1-1-D of the Municipal Code to allow placement of the screen wall within the rear yard ten foot (10') public utility easement. • Variation from Section 7-1 Schedule of Bulk and Yard Requirements and Regulations and Section 7B-1-3: B to reduce the required rear -yard setback from fifty feet (50') to forty- three feet (43'). • Variation from Section 7-1 Schedule of Bulk and Yard Requirements and Regulations to increase the permitted building height from thirty five feet (35') to sixty feet (60'). • Variation from Section 7-1 Schedule of Bulk and Yard Requirements and Regulations and Section 7B-1-3:A to reduce the required lot area within a B-1 zoning district from 5 acres to 1.36 acres. With the following conditions: • The Petitioner shall be required to construct an extension of the existing pedestrianibicycle path located north of the property to connect to the proposed sidewalk in the northeast corner of Lot 1, subject to the cooperation of the Elk Grove Park District and ComEd. 11 The Petitioner shall be required to enter into a shared parking agreement with the Elk Grove Park District to allow users of Muir Park to utilize parking spaces in the retail center on evenings and weekends. Commissioner Weiner seconded the motion. Upon voting (Carlson, Geinosky, Glass, DeFrenza, Thompson, Morrill, Weiner, AYES, Rettberg NAY), the motion carried 7 to 1. Chairman Glass recessed the meeting at 8:23 p.m. Chairman Glass reconvened the meeting at 8:30 p.m. Item 3: Petition for Resubdivision - 2710 United Lane/2401 Pan Am Boulevard R. Drueck stated he is here on behalf of the owners to explain the background of this request for resubdivision. The corner lot of Pan Am has never been developed and is for sale. An existing trucking business has been next door to the lot for the past ten years and is interested in purchasing the lot to operate more effectively. The business operates many trucks and logistic operations and wants to combine the two lots to enhance operations. R. Drueck stated the lot the Petitioner is looking to develop is for sale so they began communicating with staff to work on resubdividing the lots into 2 lots of different size. The building they are proposing will be 28,000 square feet, have 14 docks, small office upstairs, 25-35 employees running 2 shifts. There will be more than enough parking for employees and trucks entering and leaving. Commissioner Geinosky stated that the Petitioner currently owns a building with docks and parking next to the proposed site. Commissioner Geinosky asked what the plan is with the operations. R. Drueck stated they plan on integrating all operations together to run more efficiently. Commissioner Weiner asked if the proposed parking is ADA compliant. M. Jablonski stated that the Petitioner is incompliance with the ADA requirements. RECOMMENDATION Commissioner Weiner moved to recommend approval of the petition for resubdivision of the property at 2710 United Lane and 2401 Pan Am Boulevard from two existing lots to two reconfigured lots. Commissioner Geinosky seconded the motion. Upon voting (Carlson, Geinosky, Glass, DeFrenza, Thompson, Morrill, Weiner, Rettberg, AYES) the motion carried unanimously. Item 4: Plan Commission Meeting Day M. Jablonski explained that traditionally the Plan Commission has met at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday evenings, with meetings scheduled as needed by the Chairman. Due to recent scheduling conflicts, the Plan Commission has temporarily been meeting on Monday evenings for the past few years. She stated that these scheduling conflicts no longer exist and the Chairman requested to have this item placed on the agenda for discussion. Chairman Glass asked the opinion of the Plan Commission on what day they should meet. The consensus of the Plan Commission was to change the official meeting day to Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. Item 5: Adjournment Commissioner Rettberg moved to adjourn the meeting, Commissioner Morrill seconded the motion. Upon voting (Carlson, Geinosky, DeFrenza, Rettberg, Morrill, Glass, Thompson, Weiner AYES), the motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Maggie Jablonski Assistant Village Manager C: Chairman and Members of the Plan Commission, Mayor and Board of Trustees, Village Clerk 8