Plan Commission

Village of Lombard Village Hall 255 East Wilson Ave. Lombard, IL 60148 villageoflombard.org Meeting Minutes Monday, March 16, 2026 7:00 PM Village Hall Board Room Plan Commission Leigh Giuliano, Chairperson Commissioners: Ruth Sweetser, Bill Johnston, Alissa Verson, Robert Spreenberg, Brendan Flanigan, Farrah Ali, Bill Ware, and Michelle Johnson Village Staff Liaison: Anna Papke Plan Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2026 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 8 - Ruth Sweetser, Leigh Giuliano, Bill Johnston, Robert Spreenberg, Alissa Verson, Brendan Flanigan, Farrah Ali, and Michelle Johnson Absent 1 - Bill Ware Also present: Anna Papke, AICP Planning and Zoning Manager, and Anne Skrodzki, Legal Counsel to the Plan Commission Chairperson Giuliano called the order of the agenda. Ms. Papke read the Rules and Procedures as written by the Plan Commission. Public Hearing(s) 260080 PC 26-05: 850 DuPage Avenue - learning center (athletic training facility) The petitioner requests the Village grant a conditional use, pursuant to Section 155.420(C)(17) of the Zoning Ordinance, to allow for a Learning Center (indoor athletic training facility) within the I Limited Industrial District. (DISTRICT #4) Sworn in to present the petition was Anna Papke, Planning and Zoning Manager, and Matthew Schmidt of Earned Run Training Academy, petitioner. 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. Mr. Schmidt addressed the Plan Commission. A resident of Lombard, he began Earned Run Training Academy during COVID. It now consists of five local Dads offering indoor sports lessons utilizing indoor turf, batting cages, pitching machines, strength training, training technology and private lessons. Training includes Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Wrestling, Cheerleading, Speed and Agility. The Village of Lombard Page 1 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2026 business offers priority access to Lombard based athletes. This is a teaching facility that offers small groups, private lessons, and skill development. There are no spectator events, no competitions, or outside disruption to the area. The proposed space would be a converted warehouse that consists primarily of turf for multi-use function, a meeting room for training and one-to-one meetings with trainers. There are 40 total parking spaces on site, and Earned Run is estimated to utilize 2-12 spaces at one time. Hours of operation are 3:00p.m. to 9:00p.m. Monday - Friday and 8:00a.m. to 9:00p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Most other businesses within this industrial park operate opposite of petitioner’s planned operation which would result in little or no overlap. Mr. Schmidt owns another business that is located within the same parcel. Mr. Schmidt opened the room up to questions. Chairperson Giuliano then asked if any person would like to cross examine. Hearing none, she asked if anyone would like to speak in favor or against this petition, or for public comment. Hearing none, she asked for the staff report. Ms. Papke presented the interdepartmental review committee report, which was entered into the public record in its entirety. The petitioner proposes to operate an athletic training center offering indoor baseball, softball, and lacrosse instruction on the subject property, which is a warehouse and office building located in the I District. The business will offer instruction to small groups and individual students. No tournaments will be held on site. Athletic training facilities are classified as learning centers, which are conditional uses in the Industrial District. Fire, Public Works, Building, and Engineering have reviewed the plans and have no comment on the petition. The Planning Division notes that athletic training facilities are typically low-impact with respect to traffic and noise. The Village has previously approved two athletic training facilities in the North Avenue industrial area and over five such uses in the Eisenhower Lane business park. Staff finds the petition meets the standards for conditional uses in the Village Code and recommends approval of the petition subject to the standards in the staff report. Chairperson Giuliano asked if there were any questions or comments on the staff report. Hearing none, she opened the meeting to comments from the Commissioners. Village of Lombard Page 2 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2026 Commissioner Johnston asked if the space would allow people to watch, like a spectator’s area. Mr. Schmidt said there is not a spectator’s area for a larger group, but there will be a place where a few parents could sit and watch smaller sessions through a small window. The space cannot accommodate a large group of spectators. Parents of students attending would be allowed to come back to the training areas to watch their child’s lesson. With no further questions, Chairperson Giuliano asked for a recommendation. On a motion made by Commissioner Verson, and a second by Commissioner Johnson, the Plan Commission voted 8-0 to recommend that the Village Board approve the petition associated with 26-05 subject to the three (3) conditions in the staff report: 1. That the petitioner shall satisfactorily address all comments noted within the Inter-Departmental Review Committee Report; 2. That the petitioner shall apply for and receive building permits for proposed improvements that requires a permit; and 3. That this approval shall be subject to the commencement time provisions as set forth within Section 155.103(F)(11). The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 8- Ruth Sweetser, Leigh Giuliano, Bill Johnston, Robert Spreenberg, Alissa Verson, Brendan Flanigan, Farrah Ali, and Michelle Johnson Absent: 1- Bill Ware 260081 PC 26-04: 408 S. Main Street - day care center The petitioner requests the Village grant a conditional use, pursuant to Section 155.415(C)(4) of the Zoning Ordinance, to allow for a day care center within the B3 Community Shopping District. (DISTRICT #1) Sworn in to present the petition was Anna Papke, Planning and Zoning Manager, Brittany Kubish, Carrie Settepani, and Frank Lazzara of Little Sprouts Learning Garden, the petitioners. 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. Kubish addressed the Plan Commission. Little Sprouts Learning Garden will be a boutique early child education center serving infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds. The program focuses on early literacy, sensory exploration, social/emotional development, and nature-based learning in a small, structured, and highly supervised environment. Village of Lombard Page 3 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2026 The program will offer limited enrollment to ensure quality care and minimal impact on the surrounding community. Operating hours will consist of standard weekday business hours to support working families. Childcare centers do not experience concentrated traffic surges. Families arrive and depart gradually with a few spurts. The petitioners will consolidate the two lots, the north and south lot which the building is on. The plan is to use the nine parking spaces located in the lot parallel to Main Street and directly north of the building. These spaces will be designated specifically for Little Sprouts’ parents. Staff will park in the southernmost lot. The parking plan takes into consideration the other businesses that operate out of this property, a dentist’s office and hair salon. There is also one apartment located within the building. Chairperson Giuliano then asked if any person would like to cross examine. Hearing none, she asked if anyone would like to speak in favor or against this petition, or for public comment. Hearing none, she asked for the staff report. Ms. Papke presented the interdepartmental review committee report, which was entered into the public record in its entirety. The petitioner proposes to operate a day care center on the subject property, which is a multi-tenant commercial building in the B3 District. The day care center will occupy the northeast corner of the building. Other tenants in the building include a salon and dental office. A playground will be constructed in the grass area north of the building and the petitioner will make interior modifications to the tenant space. Day care centers are conditional uses in the B3 District. The Fire Department and Building Division have reviewed the plans and provided comments on required interior modifications. The petitioner is aware of these requirements, which will be reviewed during permitting. The Planning Division finds the petition meets the standards for conditional uses in the Village Code. The petitioner has noted that they will manage pick up and drop off of students so that traffic does not block drive aisles and does not stack into Main Street; this is noted as a condition of approval in the staff recommendation. Finally, the subject property is two separate parcels. Should this petition be approved, the petitioner will consolidate the parcels into one lot of record. Staff recommends approval of the petition subject to the standards in the staff report. Chairperson Giuliano asked if there were any questions or comments on the staff report. Hearing none, she opened the meeting to comments from the Commissioners. Village of Lombard Page 4 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2026 Commissioner Johnston asked if there is a plan to prepare meals for children. Ms. Kubush said they will provide meals. Once the conditional use is approved, there is a plan to partner with catering companies. All food and meals will arrive fully prepared, cut and ready to eat according to DCFS standards. All items will be packaged in biodegradable single use containers. There will be no need for dish washing. Food items to be delivered daily. Commissioner Sweetser asked regarding the children’s welfare, what kinds of licensing or certifications will be required of staff. Additionally what kind of plans will you establish prior to opening for “what if” scenarios. Ms. Kubish said that regarding staff or a child catching an illness, it is a requirement of DCFS to follow up with IDPH. Any illness symptom will not be allowed, including a runny nose. All staff will complete allergen training for food allergies. They will also obtain required food handlers licensing for childcare centers, including the managers’ requirement to hold a certification through the Health Department. Commissioner Johnston asked what the size of the staff would be. Ms. Kubish said there will be five lead teachers and additional support staff. They plan to have additional people cleared with DCFS to work that they may never need to use but have as backup substitutes to avoid closures due to staff illness. Commissioner Johnston asked what the child capacity will be. Ms. Kubish said there will not be more than 24 children. Chairperson Giuliano noted that DCFS was mentioned often and asked if foster children would be a target population because it is difficult to find childcare for foster children in this neighborhood. Ms. Kubish stated that it could be. The petitioners plan to attend further DCFS meetings and hope to obtain more information. There are many options to target to be able to best serve the community. Chairperson Giuliano asked staff if there was any opportunity for an easement north of the parking lot to the east of the grass patch that goes to traffic signal at E. Hickory St. Ms. Papke said there is no formal cross access easement in place, but it could be discussed between the two property owners. If the path is Village of Lombard Page 5 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2026 not blocked in any way, it can be utilized informally. Chairperson Giuliano noted there is a row of parking on the property line along that border with a vehicle parked within the proposed easement in the ariel view in the staff report. Attorney Skorzki wanted to clarify the record from a previous question: DCFS is the regulatory authority for daycare centers. DCFS promulgates all the operational rules that this entity would need to follow. Commissioner Johnson asked about the overall layout of the facility, noting that the infant room appears to be significantly larger than the toddler and two-year old rooms. What is driving this size difference? Ms. Kubish said that all the room sizes are determined based on the square footage per child. For infants, the state requirement is 75 sq ft per child which includes a sleeping area for each child. For toddlers and two-year old children, the requirement is less at 55 sq ft per child. The two-year-old and toddler rooms include a bathroom, and the two-year-old room has access to the outdoor play area, so she wanted to provide a bit more room. Commissioner Verson stated that she lives within the public notification boundary of this petition and asked if she can still vote as a commissioner or will she need to abstain her vote. Attorney Skorzki stated that Commissioner Verson can vote if she feels that she can make an impartial judgment of this case and fulfill her role. Commissioner Verson confirmed she can make an impartial judgment of the petition. With no further questions or comments, Chairperson Giuliano asked for a recommendation. On a motion by Commissioner Spreenberg, and a second by Commissioner Flanigan, the Plan Commission voted 8-0 to recommend that the Village Board approve the petition associated with PC 26-04 subject to the six (6) conditions in the staff report: 1. That the petitioner shall satisfactorily address all comments noted within the Inter-Departmental Review Committee Report; 2. That the petitioner shall develop the site in accordance with the plans submitted as part of this petition and referenced in the Inter-Departmental Review Committee Report; 3. That customer loading and unloading activities shall not block drive aisles in the parking lot on the subject property, and shall not block traffic in the Main Street right-of-way; 4. That the petitioner shall apply for and receive building permits for the proposed improvements; Village of Lombard Page 6 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2026 5. That the submitted plat of consolidation shall be recorded upon approval of this petition and prior to issuance of a building permit for the playground; and 6. That this approval shall be subject to the commencement time provisions as set forth within Section 155.103(F)(11). The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 8- Ruth Sweetser, Leigh Giuliano, Bill Johnston, Robert Spreenberg, Alissa Verson, Brendan Flanigan, Farrah Ali, and Michelle Johnson Absent: 1- Bill Ware Public Participation There was no public participation Business Meeting Approval of Minutes On a motion by Commissioner Johnson, and a second by Commissioner Spreenberg, the Plan Commission approved the Minutes from the January 26, 2026 Meeting and the February 2, 2026 PC Training Meeting. The motion was carried by a unanimous vote. DuPage County Hearing(s) There were no DuPage County Hearings Chairperson's Report There was no Chairperson's report. Planner's Report There was no Planner's Report. Subdivision Report There was no Subdivision Report. Site Plan Approval There were no Site Plan Approvals. Unfinished Business Village of Lombard Page 7 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2026 There was no Unfinished Business. New Business There was no New Business. Workshop There were no Workshops. Adjournment On a motion by Commissioner Johnston, and a second by Commissioner Verson, the Plan Commission meeting for March 16, 2026 was adjourned at 7:35p.m. The motion to adjourn was carried by a unanimous vote. Village of Lombard Page 8