Plan Commission

Village Hall Village of Lombard 255 East Wilson Ave. Lombard, IL 60148 villageoflombard.org Minutes Plan Commission Donald F. Ryan, Chairperson Commissioners: Ronald Olbrysh, Martin Burke,Ruth Sweetser, Stephen Flint and John Mrofcza Staff Liaison: Jennifer Ganser Monday, February 6, 2017 7:00 PM Village Hall - Board Room SPECIAL MEETING Call to Order Chairperson Ryan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance Chairperson Ryan led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call of Members Present 6 - Donald F. Ryan, Ronald Olbrysh, Martin Burke, Ruth Sweetser, John Mrofcza, and Stephen Flint Also present: William Heniff, AICP, Director of Community Development; Anna Papke, AICP, Sr. Planner, and Jason Guisinger, legal counsel to the Plan Commission. Chairperson Ryan called the order of the agenda. Mr. Heniff read the Rules of Procedures as written in the Plan Commission By-Laws. Public Hearings 170035 PC 17-03: Park District Recreation Center (543 E. Taylor, former Fairwood School) Requests that the Village take the following actions on the subject property located within the CR Conservation Recreation District: 1. Approve a conditional use pursuant to Section 155.404(C)(7) of Village of Lombard Page 1 Plan Commission Minutes February 6, 2017 the Lombard Zoning Ordinance for a public recreational facility; 2. Approve a variation from Section 155.404(G) to allow a building height of thirty-six feet (36’) where a maximum of thirty feet (30’) is permitted; and 3. Approve a variation from Section 155.404(H) of the Lombard Zoning Ordinance to allow a development with less than 75% open space. (DISTRICT #6) Sworn in to present the petition were: William Heniff, Director of Community Development; Anna Papke, Senior Planner; Paul Friedrichs, Lombard Park District; and John Dzarnowski, FGM Architects, representing the petitioner. Commissioner Flint recused himself from discussion and voting on this petition as he is on the board of Elementary District #44, which currently owns the subject property. Chairperson Ryan read the Plan Commission procedures and asked if anyone other than the petitioner intended to cross examine and, hearing none, he proceeded with the petition. Paul Friedrichs spoke on behalf of the Park District. He said the Park District intends to build a recreation center on the subject property to serve the community. The rec center will provide space for indoor basketball and other group sports, a gym, fitness studios for group classes, and an indoor walking track. The Park District engaged in comprehensive planning and needs assessment surveys in 2011 and 2013 in order to determine resident wants and needs. The vision for the recreation center came out of that process. Mr. Friedrichs explained that the Park District will execute a land swap with School District #44 in order to acquire the subject property, which was formerly the site of Fairwood School. The Park District held two open houses on January 16, 2017, to present the recreation center plans to the public and answer questions. He also noted that the facility had been designed to both respect the adjacent neighborhoods and to provide space for future amenities. John Dzarnowski, with FGM Architects, presented the site plan and architectural plan. He explained that the school building is currently under demolition. The proposed rec center will range between approximately 34,000 and 38,100 square feet; the Park District will determine which option to build after receiving bids from contractors. Mr. Dzarnowski pointed out that the new building will be set back significantly from the west and south property lines. The new parking lot will also be set back nearly 40 feet from the west property line Village of Lombard Page 2 Plan Commission Minutes February 6, 2017 compared to the 10-foot setback of the current parking lot. This adjustment in parking lot location will provide room for a landscaped berm along the west property line, which will provide better screening for adjacent property owners. Mr. Dzarnowski pointed out that there is currently no stormwater control on the subject property. At this time, stormwater runs off the property onto Wilson Avenue. The redevelopment of the property as a recreation center will include a stormwater detention facility on the south side of the site that will meet the Village’s current stormwater standards. This should improve stormwater conditions in the immediate area. Mr. Dzarnowski explained that the site will be heavily landscaped with a variety of trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and plants. He also presented the building elevations, and noted that the building will be constructed of precast concrete panels, with brick and metal accents. He passed around paint and materials sample for the Commissioners to examine. Mr. Dzarnowski said the requested height variance will enable construction of a building that meets the needs of the Park District, particularly as it relates to providing adequate basketball facilities. With regard to the requested open space variance, he stated that the recreation center will be adjacent to Madison Meadow Park, which provides a significant amount of open space. Chairperson Ryan asked if any person would like to speak in favor or against this petition, or for public comment. Hearing none, he asked for the staff report. Ms. Papke presented the staff report, which was submitted to the public record in its entirety. The petitioner, the Lombard Park District, is proposing to build a recreation center at 543 E. Taylor Road. The recreation center will be between 33,292 square feet and 38,100 square feet, depending on available funding, and will provide space for basketball and fitness amenities. An on-site parking lot will be provided. In order to develop the site as proposed, the petitioner requests approval of a conditional use for a recreation center in the CR District, and variations related to height and open space. Ms. Papke said that the site was formerly occupied by the Fairwood School, and had also been used as a temporary recreation center for the Park District and as a daycare. The Park District is under contract to acquire the property from Elementary District #44. The petition was reviewed by the Village’s interdepartmental review Village of Lombard Page 3 Plan Commission Minutes February 6, 2017 committee. Comments from Building, Fire, Public Works and Engineering have been passed on to the petitioner, and will be addressed in the final review and permitting process. The Planning Division reviewed the proposed development and finds it is generally compatible with the surrounding single-family neighborhood and the adjacent Madison Meadow Park. Staff notes that the previous development on the site did not include any stormwater facilities. However, the site will be brought into compliance with the Village’s stormwater regulations when it is redeveloped. A recreation center is a conditional use in the CR District. Staff analyzed the petition and finds it meets the standards for a conditional use. The petitioner also requests a height variation to allow a 36’-tall building where the code otherwise allows a 30’-tall building. The added height will optimize the building for the activities the Park District plans to offer. Since the building will have fairly deep setbacks from all property lines, staff finds that the added height will not negatively impact the surrounding neighborhood, and supports the variance. The petitioner also requests a variance for the amount of open space on the site in order to accommodate the building and required parking. The property is adjacent to Madison Meadow Park, and the two properties will effectively operate as one development in terms of providing open space. Staff supports this request. Finally, the Village engaged KLOA, Inc., to conduct a traffic analysis on the proposed development. The KLOA study took into account previous use of the site as a school, rec center and daycare, and concluded that traffic flow in the neighborhood post-redevelopment will be functionally similar to the traffic flow in the area when other uses occupied the subject property. KLOA finds that the development would have minimal impact on traffic circulation in the area. In summary, staff finds the petition meets the standards of the Lombard Zoning Ordinance and recommends approval of the petition subject to the conditions listed in the staff report. Chairperson Ryan asked for public comment, and, hearing none, opened the meeting for comments among the Commissioners. Commissioner Olbrysh asked about the square footage of the former school building. Mr. Dzarnowski said it was between 33,000 and 34,000 square feet. Commissioner Olbrysh asked about plans for lighting in the parking lot and the outside of the building, security cameras in the parking lot, and the location of the air conditioner units. Mr. Dzarnowski and Mr. Village of Lombard Page 4 Plan Commission Minutes February 6, 2017 Friedrichs said there will be lighting in the parking lot and on the building, but no security cameras. The AC units will be on the rooftop and will not be visible to passersby. Commissioner Burke said that moving the driveway on Wilson to the east from its current location, as shown on the plans, will be a positive change. He asked whether the traffic study accounted for the difference in traffic in winter as opposed to summer months, and how overflow parking will be handled. Mr. Dzarnowski and Mr. Friedrichs said that the facility will be programmed to avoid overlapping seasons of multiple sports (e.g. basketball and baseball), which should eliminate those issues. Mr. Dzarnowski noted that the parking lot can be expanded in the future if the need arises. Commissioner Sweetser asked if there will be an outdoor play area near the building, which could be a benefit for parents who want somewhere for their children to play while other family members are involved in activities inside the building. Mr. Friedrichs said there is no plan to have a playground at this location, as the site is intended to be an athletic and fitness facility. There will, however, be babysitting services provided in the building. Commissioner Sweetser pointed out that the architectural elevation showed the building with a sign that reads “LRC” on the front façade. She said this acronym is commonly understood to mean “Learning Resource Center,” which might be confusing to the public. Mr. Friedrichs said that the sign content had not been finalized, and will likely change. Commissioner Olbrysh noted that during baseball season, it appeared park users often used Edgewood for overflow parking. He said that the building is an attractive facility, and one that is long overdue in the community. A motion was made by Commissioner Olbrysh, seconded by Commissioner Burke, to recommend to the Corporate Authorities approval of this petition subject to the following seven (7) conditions. 1. That the approvals for a conditional use permit for a recreation center, a variation to allow a building height of 36 feet, and a variation to allow a development with 64% of the lot area maintained as open space, are valid only for the subject property at 543 E. Taylor Road; 2. That the petitioner shall develop the site in accordance with the following plans submitted as part of this petition and referenced in the Inter-Departmental Review Committee Report, except as they may be changed to conform to Village Code: a. Paving and layout plan, prepared by FGM Architects, dated December 9, Village of Lombard Page 5 Plan Commission Minutes February 6, 2017 2016; b. Water main loop and proposed utility easement site plan, prepared by FGM Architects, dated February 6, 2017; c. Floor plans, prepared by FGM Architects, dated December 9, 2016; d. Landscape plans, prepared by FGM Architects, dated December 9, 2016, to be amended to address foundation landscaping as noted in this report; and e. Exterior rendering, prepared by FGM Architects, dated December 9, 2016; 3. That the petitioner shall submit a lighting plan during permit review; 4. That the petitioner shall provide 145 parking spaces on the site if the larger alternative is constructed; 5. That the petitioner shall provide a public utility easement for the water main to be constructed on the site, subject to the approval of the Public Works Department and the Village Board; 6. That the petitioner shall satisfactorily address all comments noted within the Inter-Departmental Review Committee Report; and 7. Pursuant to the Zoning Ordinance, the project construction shall commence within one (1) year from the date of approval of the ordinance, or this approval for a conditional use and building height and open space variations shall be come null and void unless a time extension has been granted by the Village Board. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 4- Ronald Olbrysh, Martin Burke, Ruth Sweetser, and John Mrofcza Abstain: 1- Stephen Flint Business Meeting The business meeting convened at 7:34 p.m. Approval of Minutes On a motion by Commissioner Olbrysh, and seconded by Commissioner Sweetser, the minutes of the January 23, 2017 meeting were approved. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 5- Ronald Olbrysh, Martin Burke, Ruth Sweetser, John Mrofcza, and Stephen Flint Public Participation There was no public participation. DuPage County Hearings Village of Lombard Page 6 Plan Commission Minutes February 6, 2017 There were no DuPage County hearings. Chairperson's Report The Chairperson deferred to the Director of Community Development. Planner's Report The Director of Community Development had no report. Unfinished Business There was no unfinished business. New Business There was no new business. Subdivision Reports There were no subdivision reports. Site Plan Approvals There were no site plan approvals. Workshops There were no workshops. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner Sweetser, seconded by Commissioner Burke, to adjourn the meeting at 7:36 p.m. The motion passed by a unanimous vote. Village of Lombard Page 7 Plan Commission Minutes February 6, 2017 __________________________ Donald F. Ryan, Chairperson Lombard Plan Commission __________________________ Jennifer Ganser, Secretary Lombard Plan Commission Village of Lombard Page 8