Appearance Commission

VILLAGE OF HOMEWOOD MEETING MINUTES DATE OF MEETING: May 4, 2023 APPEARANCE COMMISSION Village Hall Board Room 6:00 pm 2020 Chestnut Street Homewood, IL 60430 CALL TO ORDER: Chair Hrymak called the meeting to order at 6:05 pm. OPENING REMARKS: Chair Hrymak welcomed new member Dan Kluck and made the following statement of gratitude and remembrance for long-time commission member and former chair, Jim Wright. Before we begin, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the accomplishments of our previous Appearance Commission Chairman, Jim Wright. As we all know, Jim passed recently, but not without leaving a very long legacy of contributions not only to this Commission but to the Village of Homewood. Jim was a life- long resident of Homewood having had many public service roles including as a Homewood firefighter, a Village Trustee, as well as Chair of this Appearance Commission. But perhaps his biggest and most beloved position was as our Village Historian; publishing several books about the history of Homewood and dedicating his extra time to the Homewood Historical Society and Dorband-Howe Museum. It is my sincere honor to step into the position of Chairman of this small, yet august body. And while nobody can fill the shoes of Jim Wright, I will do my best to honor his legacy and his commitment to this Commission. I find it pleasantly ironic that our business tonight pertains to the Homewood Historical Society and the Dorband-Howe Museum. In that light, let's move on to our agenda. ROLL CALL: Members, Preston, Kidd, Kluck, and Chair Hrymak were present. Members Scheffke and Quirke were absent. In attendance from the Village was Village Planner Valerie Berstene. One person was in the audience, and two people were on Zoom. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES: Chair Hrymak asked for changes or corrections to the meeting minutes from January 5, 2023. There were none. Chair Hrymak called for a vote of unanimous consent. Members Preston and Kluck abstained. The meeting minutes were approved. REGULAR BUSINESS: CASE 23-16 – Sign Variance for Dorband-Howe House at 2035 183rd Street Chair Hrymak introduced the case and asked Village Planner Berstene to present the case. Meeting Minutes | May 4, 2023 C:\Users\MeetingsOfficeUser5\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp9FF7.tmp Last Revised: 07/10/2023  Appearance Commission Village of Homewood Village Planner Berstene presented the case and identified the request for a variance to mount a sign on the fence. She stated that the proposed signage is within the allowed sign area. Chair Hrymak invited the applicant, Mrs. Rose Olsar, President of the Homewood Historical Society to present her thoughts. Mrs. Olsar shared that the size of the sign may increase slightly to have greater visibility for the hours of operation and that she has been investigating materials and price points and looking into options, including an aluminum sign which could come in different colors and be durable, highly visible, and cost-effective. Member Kluck suggested hanging a sign from the existing sign so that it is visible from both directions of traffic along 183rd Street, particularly when traffic is backed up. Mrs. Olsar noted that it is harder to see. Member Kluck suggested that hanging a secondary sign from the existing one would also allow for easy adjustment, should the open hours change. Mrs. Olsar explained that the Historical Society wishes to have a larger sign saying “museum” so that anyone driving by might see and be intrigued to look it up and learn more. She added that the Historical Society does like the look of the existing sign that goes with the house. Member Kidd agreed with the need to capture the attention of passing drivers. She suggested putting a sign on not only the fence along 183rd Street but also on the corner at Martin Avenue where it would be highly visible to drivers heading east. Village Planner Berstene asked clarifying questions, with Mrs. Olsar confirming that the intention is to no longer use the temporary “open” sign and to replace that with this permanent sign saying “museum” and the open hours. Members and the applicant agreed that the museum could benefit from more obvious signage and locating it such that they capitalize on the traffic that stops along 183rd Street, heading east. Member Kidd asked what color the sign would be. Mrs. Olsar showed some of the different options available from one sign manufacturer and shared one idea to have the “museum” text in black letters on a white background and the hours in inverted colors. Member Preston suggested working with a local sign company that might be able to offer assistance to the Homewood Historical Society. Chair Hrymak stated his preference to keep a wooden sign to continue the historical motif of the house. He said he is in favor of granting a variance for a sign on both street-fronting fences to increase visibility and capitalize on traffic back-ups, especially with the pending implementation of the road diet starting at Dixie Highway. A motion was made by Member Kidd to approve a sign variance for 2035 183rd Street, Dorband-Howe House Museum to allow a sign mounted on the picket fence and on the west side corner fence, at the discretion of the historical society with a recommendation for wooden signs, but not required. A separate removable open hours’ sign may also be acceptable. The colors of the sign will be left to the discretion of the Homewood Historical Society. Seconded by Member Preston. AYES: Members Preston, Kidd, Kluck, and Chair Hrymak NAYS: - None ABSTENTIONS: - None ABSENT: Members Scheffke, Quirke Meeting Minutes | May 4, 2023 C:\Users\MeetingsOfficeUser5\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp9FF7.tmp Last Revised: 07/10/2023  Appearance Commission Village of Homewood OLD BUSINESS: Chair Hrymak inquired about ongoing projects in the Village. Village Planner Berstene provided updates. ADJOURN: Chair Hrymak called for a vote of unanimous consent to adjourn the meeting at 6:40 pm; motion passed. Respectfully submitted, Angela Mesaros Director of Economic and Community Development Meeting Minutes | May 4, 2023 C:\Users\MeetingsOfficeUser5\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp9FF7.tmp Last Revised: 07/10/2023