Plan Commission

Village of Lombard Village Hall 255 East Wilson Ave. Lombard, IL 60148 villageoflombard.org Minutes Monday, May 19, 2025 7:00 PM Village Hall Plan Commission Leigh Giuliano, Chairperson Commissioners: Ruth Sweetser, Bill Johnston, Alissa Verson, Robert Spreenberg and Brendan Flanigan Staff Liaison: Anna Papke Plan Commission Minutes May 19, 2025 Call to Order Chairperson Giuliano called the meeting to order at 7:00pm. Pledge of Allegiance Chairperson Giuliano led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call of Members Present 5 - Ruth Sweetser, Leigh Giuliano, Bill Johnston, Alissa Verson, and Brendan Flanigan Absent 1 - Robert Spreenberg Also present: Anna Papke, AICP, Planning & Zoning Manager Community Development, and Trevor Dick, Director of Economic Development and Planning. Public Hearings 250179 PC 25-08: Text amendment - Cemeteries in the Conservation Recreation District The petitioner, the Village of Lombard, is requesting text amendments to Section 155.404(F) and Section 155.802 of the Lombard Village Code to amend the setbacks for cemeteries in the Conservation Recreation District. (DISTRICT ALL) After due notice and as required by law, the Plan Commission conducted a public hearing for this petition on May 19, 2025. Sworn in to present the petition was Anna Papke, Planning and Zoning Manager. Chairperson Giuliano read the Plan Commission procedures and asked if anyone other than the petitioner intended to cross examine and, hearing none, she proceeded with the petition. Ms. Papke presented the petition and staff report. The IDRC report for PC 25-08 was entered into the public record in its entirety. Staff is proposing a text amendment to amend the required setbacks for cemeteries in the Conservation Recreation District. Currently, the CR District bulk standards impose a 50-foot setback from all property lines for cemetery buildings and improvements. Village of Lombard Page 1 Plan Commission Minutes May 19, 2025 Recently, staff received an inquiry from the current and prospective owners of the Allerton Ridge Cemetery on Highland Avenue seeking clarification of the required setbacks for at-grade memorial structures or burial plots where no marker is present. This inquiry prompted a staff review of the setback requirements for cemeteries. In the review, staff finds that cemeteries typically include a variety of improvements, ranging from buildings to grave markers to parking lots and drive aisles. Staff notes that the different types of improvements vary with respect to their impact on adjacent properties, as some of the improvements promote active use of the property while others are passive in nature. Given these considerations, staff recommended amending the CR District standards to incorporate setbacks tailored to the different types of improvements in cemeteries. The proposed language was included in the staff report. Ms. Papke said that buildings and above-grade memorial structures would be subject to one set of setbacks, while at-grade memorial structures and burial plots with no marker would be subject to different setbacks. The proposed setbacks also account for the nature of adjacent uses, with a larger setback required where adjacent to Residential Districts. Ms. Papke said that the amendment included the addition of three new terms to the Definitions section of the Zoning Ordinance to provide additional clarity. Staff recommended approval of the text amendment as presented in the staff report. Chairperson Giuliano asked if there were any questions or comments on the petition and staff report. Commissioner Johnston asked if the proposed text amendments would free up additional areas for development outside the cemetery, or if the amendments would impact only improvements inside the cemetery property. Ms. Papke said the setback amendments would impact development on cemetery properties only. The amendments would not change the required setbacks for improvements on properties adjacent to the cemetery. Commissioner Johnston asked if the amendments would open up additional areas of the cemetery for development. Ms. Papke said that by shortening the required setbacks, the amendment would increase the amount of useable space within the cemetery. Commissioner Johnston asked if the proposed cemetery amendments were based on setback requirements used in other municipalities, or if they were based on some other criteria. Ms. Village of Lombard Page 2 Plan Commission Minutes May 19, 2025 Papke said staff had found that many municipalities did not have setback regulations for cemeteries, possibly because cemeteries are often publicly owned and may therefore be regulated differently. Staff had found the Oak Brook ordinance contained setback requirements for cemeteries. The proposed amendments for Lombard were slightly more restrictive than the setback requirements in Oak Brook. Ms. Papke said that in addition to considering setback requirements in other municipalities, staff had looked at the Lombard setback requirements for commercial buildings in other districts, and proposed setbacks for buildings and other structures in cemeteries that would be comparable to the setback requirements for other non-residential districts. For example, the setback requirements for a building in a cemetery would be the same as the setback requirements for a building in one of the Business Districts. Commissioner Johnston noted that the proposed setback for at-grade memorial structures was two feet from some rear and side property lines. He asked for clarification on that proposed setback. Ms. Papke noted that this setback was for an at-grade marker or a burial plot without a marker, which would not be visible from adjacent properties. Commissioner Sweetser asked how many cemeteries are in Lombard. Ms. Papke said there are two cemeteries: the Allerton Ridge Cemetery on Highland Avenue, and the Lombard Cemetery on Main Street. Allerton Ridge Cemetery is in the CR District, while the Lombard Cemetery is in the R2 District. Ms. Papke noted that the Lombard Cemetery is an abandoned cemetery, which is regulated in a particular way under state statutes. Commissioner Flanigan noted the proposed amendments addressed setbacks for pedestrian pathways and asked if this was common within the Zoning Ordinance. Ms. Papke said that pedestrian pathways were not regulated in other districts, because they are so passive in nature that it was not necessary to regulate them in Business, Office, or Industrial Districts. Pedestrian walkways were addressed in the proposed cemetery regulations for clarity since the proposed setbacks also reference drive aisles. Commissioner Flanigan asked if the setback for at-grade memorial structures would include the entire plot as well as the location of the marker. Ms. Papke said this was correct. Village of Lombard Page 3 Plan Commission Minutes May 19, 2025 Chairperson Giuliano asked if there were any questions or comments on the petition and staff report. Hearing none, she opened the meeting for comments among the Commissioners. Commissioner Flanigan said he was uncomfortable with the two-foot setback proposed for at-grade memorial structures and burial plots without memorial structures. He suggested this setback be amended to five feet. He said this would provide some separation and protection for burial sites if there were ever a need to install or repair a fence on the property line. Commissioner Johnston said he agreed five feet would be more reasonable. Commissioner Verson asked if there was a requirement to fence cemeteries. Ms. Papke said there is no requirement for a fence, though most cemeteries have fencing for security purposes. She noted that the original draft of the setbacks had proposed a one-foot setback for at-grade memorial structures, but this had been revised upward to two feet at the suggestion of the Building Division due to concerns about interference from fences. Commissioner Johnston said he would support a setback of five feet in those instances. On a motion by Commissioner Flanigan, and a second by Commissioner Johnston, the Plan Commission voted 5-0 to recommend that the Village Board approve the petition associated with PC 25-08, with the proposed setbacks in 155.404(F)(3)(b)(ii) and 155.404(F)(3)(b)(iv) amended from two feet to five feet. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 5- Flanigan, Giuliano, Johnston, Sweetser, Verson Absent: 1- Spreenberg Business Meeting Approval of Minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Sweetser, seconded by Commissioner Johnston, that the minutes of the March 17, 2025 meeting be approved. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 5- Flanigan, Giuliano, Johnston, Sweetser, Verson Absent: 1- Spreenberg Village of Lombard Page 4 Plan Commission Minutes May 19, 2025 Public Participation There was no Public Participation. DuPage County Hearings There were no DuPage County Hearings. Chairperson's Report There was no Chairperson's Report. Planner's Report Ms. Papke introduced Trevor Dick as the new Director of Economic Development and Planning. 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 Johnston, seconded by Commissioner Verson, to adjourn the meeting at 7:24pm. The motion passed by an unanimous vote. Village of Lombard Page 5 Plan Commission Minutes May 19, 2025 __________________________ Leigh Giuliano, Chairperson Lombard Plan Commission __________________________ Anna Papke, AICP, Planning Manager Community Development Village of Lombard Page 6