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HomeMy WebLinkAboutICRC - 06/05/1997 - INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION COMMISSION MEETING Thursday, June 5, 1997 Commissioners present: Sam Lissner, Co-Chairman Jim Petri, Co-Chairman Tom Farrell John Gullo Bob Kleckauskas Jeff Snyder Jack Connelly Ron Behm George Johnson Scott Gorbeck Frank Ciangi Commissioners absent: Pat Paulson Tom Porte Staff present: Nancy Carlson Consultants present: Pete Pointner, Planning Resources Keven Graham, Planning Resources Kathy Meyerkord, Civiltech Engr. Larry Lund, Real Estate Planning Group Don Eslick, Public Finance Assoc. Karl Heitman, Heitman Architects Also present: Chris Prochno Alex Prochno Michele Munz, Elk Grove Times Kelly Womer, Chicago Tribune Meeting was called to order at 6:20 p.m. continued. . . . . . . Revitalization Commission Meeting June 5, 1997 page two See attached minutes prepared by Pete Pointner. Meeting was adjourned at 8:.20 p.m. CC: Commercial/Industrial .Revitalization Commission President and Board of Trustees Village Clerk Village Manager Director, Engineering & Community Development Finance Director Purchasing Agent Economic Development Officer 'PIannin LResourCesPLANNERS • ECOLOGISTS • LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Memorandum P9728-00 To: Industrial/Commercial Revitalization Commission Members From: N.J. "Pete" Pointner It, AIA, AdC Planning Resources Inc. Date: June 17, 1997 Subject: Minutes of June 5, 1997 Meeting Present See attached. Purpose of the Meeting See attached. Review Materials Distributed 1. Prior to the meeting: agenda; consultant's proposal; and, consultant's contract. 2. During the meeting: list of work products, by task, showing Commission review schedule; and, graphic of scheduled Commission meetings and progress review. Items Discussed The following are comments and questions raised by Commission members for consideration by the consulting team. They are organized by subject matter as they relate to the major areas of focus in the Work Program. Market Forces 1. How can properties within the study area compete with properties outside of Cook County which have lower tax rates? 2. There is a need for additional motellhotel facilities. 3. What is the turnover rate for various types of businesses or properties? 4. What is the breakdown of employment within the study area? Planning Res rtes lna • 615 West Front Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187 Ph 630,668 3788 • Fax:630.668.4125 Page 2 June 5, 1997, Meeting Minutes, Continued June 17, 1997 5. What businesses and types of uses should be recruited? Will they be new types? Will they be smaller scaled versions of the existing mix who are moving up and out of older more constrained space in Chicago? How does the study area relate to the evolution and movement of industrial uses within the region? 6. What developments and areas are competitors for businesses which now operate within the study area? For businesses which are a future market for the study area? 7. Do not destroy what has made this a suca;ssful business center. The actions of individual business and property owners and managers,has helped to develop a complex fabric of interrelated businesses through adaptive reuse of existing properties and infill development. How do we project into the future which types of economically viable business activities can be recruited to the study area in the face of competitive locations? What are the market strengths of the study area? These include location with reference to major transportation facilities(air,highway and rail),as well as, the identity and character of the older(affordable)and smaller scale buildings within the study area. 8. Within the study area,the vacancy rate is estimated at three(3)to five (5)percent. 9. The cost of public services is a small component in determining the bottom line for business operations. The Cook County tax rate is the key cost variable. 10. There are numerous ways that older structures,which are becoming functionally obsolete for their = original uses,may be reused successfully. One business moved their offices to another location outside of Elk Grove Village and expanded production and warehousing at their site within the study area. 11. Within the study area,can businesses be dlefrned by category and size of operation, which are suited to the study area,and which would feed off of the diverse base of businesses which exist today? What fits the relatively small and shallow lots and existing building inventory? 12. What information is available from the Village or the Chamber of Commerce to businesses interested in locating within the Village? Having a"one stop shop"within the Village through which a business or property owner could obtain information and help in purchasing, developing or improving a property can be an incentive for investing in the Village. Transportation and Infrastructure 1. Transportation plans should include consideration of both public and private systems, as well as, freight, vehicular and pedestrian needs. For instance, improved bus service and shelters coyld help to induce ridership and reduce auto congestion. Additional sidewalk and pathway linkages could facilitate and encourage walking. 2. Geometric improvements to streets and intersections and the reconfiguration of loading areas are needed to reduce traffic jams caused by truck maneuvers and loading. The shallow setback of building/loading areas from the street rights-of-way are a constraint to solving the problem. Page 3 June 5, 1997, Meeting Minutes, Continued June 17, 1997 3. An improvement in the connection to O'Hare could strengthen the ties to air freight business and possibly link into the public transportation network serving O'Hare. A western entrance to O'Hare should be investigated. 4. Road maintenance and repair for streets under the jurisdiction of governmental units other than Elk Grove Village is a problem. How do you improve coordination and cooperation? Are programs available for funding transportation improvements which might be available through intergovernmental cooperation? 5. The Union Pacific controls the rail system within the study area. They do not adequately maintain the spur lines and street crossings. How can a cooperative agreement be made to upgrade the spur lines and attract and serve new rail users? Currently, paper, wood and food industries,particularly candy, use the rail service. 6. Reevaluate the crossovers under the Commonwealth Edison power lines along Tonne Road. Urban Design and Land Use 1. Businesses are becoming more oriented to larger market areas, continental and global. This results in a need for more motel/hotel facilities. 2. Street signage should be designed to better guide drivers to various destinations within the study area. Ideas for improvement included: larger lettering; colors or designs to orient you to a sub-area within the district and to impart a unique identity; and, numbers to indicate the range of addresses within the block. 3. The adjacent unincorporated parcels contain many incompatible land uses, particularly along Higgins Road. There are also some examples of under-utilized or incompatible properties within the Village. Consider municipal acquisition and assemblage of"marginal"properties with currently have disruptive uses or poor maintenance. 4. A cause of traffic problems is the lack of affordable housing for the work force. The Village was originally planned to include multi-family and modest single family ranch houses. The increase in the value of the land over years, and limited amount of vacant land,constrain the opportunities to construct new housing to serve the work force which now travels to the study area. A portion of the seventy-five(75) acres of the Busse farm may offer an opportunity to respond to this market. 5. The study area seems fragmented and lacks visual and functional continuity and linkages. The street"system"and its identity elements(street signage,parkway landscaping, entry treatments, lighting, etc.)afford an opportunity to tie the sub-areas together. 6. Proximity to a mixture of residential housing opportunities is an asset for Elk Grove Village. Page 4 June 5, 1997,Meeting Minutes, Continued June 17, 1997 7. There is a need to upgrade the standards for landscaping, off-street parking and loading and to improve code enforcement, but this is a Iwo edged sword. Higher standards may deter certain businesses which seek minimum restrictions or lower restrictions. 8. Landscaping is a key element in projecting a positive and attractive image. Such an image is important to the retention and recruitment of businesses and stimulation of reinvestment. Amenities are important to employees and therefore, a factor in location and expansion decisions. These amenities can include picnic areas, walking/jogging and bicycle paths. Attractive landscaping can be appreciated by all who work in, and travel to or through, the study area. 9. What opportunities exist for extension courses and training, including manual training relevant to existing and future businesses,which might be located in the study area? Could a facility for this function be integrated into park district plans and facilities and/or the market for incubator and start up businesses? Examples of past or present programs by Harper College, College of DuPage and Elk Grove High School were discussed. The Mount Prospect and Elk Grove Park District boundary was estimated to occur along Busse Road. The reuse of the Sanitary District landfill will fall under the Mount Prospect Park District jurisdiction. 10. Day care-centers are an attraction for the work force. 11. How do you compete with the"ponds and swans" of new developments? Focus on: the z benefits of location; competitive rents;an enhanced environment appropriate to the smaller and more humanely scaled buildings; and the exceptional security record of the study area. 12. What provisions should be made for communications such as fiber optics? Will future technology warrant sites or corridors for communication facilities. Suggest contacting "Metropolitan Fiber Systems". 13. What about creating"gateway"treatments and continuity of parkway treatments? Potential locations were suggested on Greenleaf,Touhy and Busse. Particular attention should be paid to streetscape improvements for those roadways which have continuity through all or most of the study area. Streetscape improvements include lighting, signage, landscaping and paving treatments in pedestrian areas. The original entry monument is at Touhy and Higgins. Building and Site Design 1. The majority of the buildings are masonry,compared to metal structures. These lend themselves to facade improvements. 2. What impact do building codes have on the ability of businesses to expand their operations or constrain uses for which there might otherwise be a market? It was noted that the breaking through of a wall to expand a business,requires a significant expenditure because of the Fire Protection District requirements. Is it possible to make changes which will facilitate expansion into an adjacent space while meeting safety performance criteria? Page 5 June 5, 1997, Meeting Minutes, Continued June 17, 1997 Financing 1. What incentives can or should be available to retain and upgrade existing businesses or recruit new ones to overcome obsolescence and competition? 2. What is the history and potential for use of: the class 6B tax abatement; the new 6C abatement program (for brownfield, ie contaminated sites); transportation funds; state programs; and leveraging mechanisms for Village funds? 3. Incentives attractive to property and/or business owners may be different from those that appeal to lessors or business operators. 4. The school districts want to maintain their position as beneficiaries of the enormous industrial tax base which supports them, and produces revenues which are high for the school population being served. These minutes represent the understanding of the author. Please bring any corrections or additions to my attention at the next meeting or phone them to me at Planning Resources. Changes to these minute's, agreed to by the Commission,will be noted in minutes of the next meeting. Follow-up Commission meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and the Village will furnish sandwiches and beverages. The one exception will be next month when the meeting will be held July 9, 1997, due to the July 4 holiday. \\Nj p\njpfi lesW OBS\ELKG ROV E\M E MOSU une#1.wpd r6/19/97