Building & Zoning Committee

“Where People Count” Community Development 1000 Civic Center Drive, Niles, Illinois 60714 Mayor Telephone (847) 588-8040 ● Fax (847) 588-8050 ● TDD (847) 588-8059 Robert M. Callero Trustees March 5, 2013 Chris Hanusiak James T. Hynes Joe LoVerde Rosemary R. Palicki Building and Zoning Committee Meeting Minutes Louella B. Preston Andrew Przybylo Acting Village Present: Andrew Przybylo - Chairman Manager Robert Callero - Mayor Steven C. Vinezeano Chuck Ostman - Community Development Director Rich Wlodarski - Community Development Assistant Director Village Clerk Bruce Sylvester - Senior Planner Marlene J. Victorine ______________ Joe Annunzio - Village Attorney Tom Kanelos - Chairman Planning and Zoning Board Community Mary Ann Starzynski - Recording Development Director Absent - Steve Vinezeano - Acting Village Manager Charles Ostman Minutes called to order by Andrew Przybylo at 8:05 a.m. Approval of minutes of the last meeting October 31, 2012 were postponed until the next meeting in order to give members the opportunity to review the typed copy handed out just prior to today's meeting. Annual election of the Committee Chairman: Mayor Callero nominated Andrew Przybylo, Tom Kanelos seconded the motion and all agreed. Andrew Przybylo accepted the nomination. Discussion on updating the zoning code: Bruce Sylvester stated that the Village adopted the Comprehensive Plan approximately one and a half years ago. One of the highest priorities in the plan is to update the Village's land use regulation which would primarily be the Village's zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance. Community Development put together a request for qualifications at the end of 2012. That RFQ was distributed at the start of 2013 to a very wide distribution list of planning consultant firms that is kept in the Community Development Department. It was also posted on the Village website, the American Planning Association national website and also the Illinois chapter of American Planning Association website. Very confident that any firm that would have an interest in responding to this request of qualification knew about the opportunity. The deadline was mid February. There were 10 proposals received which everyone has received a copy of all 10 proposals. Community Development staff reviewed the proposals and shortened to a list of what the department believes are the four firms that merit further www.vniles.com consideration. If the Building and Zoning Committee is comfortable with moving forward with these four firms we would then go forward to the Village Board to seek permission to distribute a request for proposal. This is a technical requirement that the Village requires before a final firm can be selected to contract with. Ideally we would like to get this item on the March Village Board agenda to distribute the RFP. Timeline would then be to go back to the Village Board in May after reviewing and selecting the preferred firm to recommend for a contract so that the work could begin no later than early June. Chuck Ostman stated that originally the department did not feel that a RFP was required because this was professional services but after speaking with Joe Annunzio professional services only counts for construction process not for something like this. With this timeline the department is expecting the RFP to be due March 7 and then do interviews the following week. Possibly get it on the March agenda without further delay in getting this process going. Mayor Callero questioned the dates. Chuck responded he meant April. Bruce Sylvester stated the RFP will be sent out March 27 to the four firms and that will give the four firms 10 days to submit their reply by April 7. Rich Wlodarski asked if the proposals will come back with pricing on them. Chuck responded yes. Mayor Callero asked who the four firms are. Bruce Sylvester stated the four firms that Community Development felt merit further consideration are Houseal Lavigne Associates, Camiros Ltd, Vandewalle & Associates Inc, and Duncan Associates. Houseal Lavigne having done the Comprehensive Plan for the Village. Camiros who has done work for the Village previously. Vandewalle who is a firm out of Wisconsin that Bruce is familiar with. Duncan is partnering with Lakota Group. Andrew Przybylo responded that Lakota is a reputable firm. Andrew Przybylo asked why these four firms why not the others. Bruce responded that some firms were eliminated due to the fact that they are out of state and felt it did not make sense to contract with a firm for example in North Carolina, Ohio. One was a law firm exclusively and did not have a lot of experience with planning. Andrew Przybylo stated these were good reasons to exclude other firms. Tom Kanelos asked if there was a reason that a firm from Wisconsin was chosen as a finalist. Bruce responded that Madison is not that far away and this firm had a strong proposal. Tom asked if the nature of rewriting the zoning was inhibited by being in another state. Bruce responded not necessarily but all proposals do involve some level of community outreach, public hearings, visiting the community and getting a better understanding of the unique features of Niles and all of that would be more difficult for a firm that is further away. Andrew asked for a brief description of each of the four firms chosen. Bruce started with Camiros. This firm has a very solid reputation with zoning code rewrites. They have the strongest team and most experience in the Chicago area. The Village has had some working experience with Camiros in the past. Chuck stated that Camiros did a Milwaukee Avenue transportation study in 2004 and that they are also right now working with Mundelein and Gurnee who are using Camiros and very pleased with the work this firm has done. Bruce stated that Vandewalle is a firm he is very familiar with in Madison and that this firm is experienced helping communities rewrite and update zoning codes. He has personally worked with the zoning code by Vandewalle in his previous community for 9 years and it worked very well. This would be the one firm that is not from the immediate Chicago area. Bruce then stated that Ross Klicker from the Community Development Department has personally worked with Dakota Group and has high praise for this firm. The proposal was strong and they have relevant experience. Bruce then stated lastly that Houseal Lavigne the firm that put together the Comprehensive Plan could certainly do the work. There was a concern that they are more focused on the planning level of work as opposed to the zoning code rewrite level of work. They are bringing a law firm to work with them. Joe Annunzio stated that he would like to know which attorney would be involved with Houseal Lavigne. 2 Andrew Przybylo asked how much Houseal Lavigne having worked on the Comprehensive Plan already would make them more suited to rewrite the zoning ordinance. The knowledge of the community. Bruce responded they would argue it would give them a much better position but he was not convinced of that. He felt that any firm that was knowledgeable with Illinois law and the Chicago area with experience writing zoning code would be equally qualified. Just because a firm has done work with the Village previously does not give them a leg up. Tom Kanelos asked if there was an advantage if they would be able to offer an advantage because they know the Comprehensive Plan. Intuitively that would make sense. Rich Wlodarski stated that if you take the time to read the Village Comprehensive Plan all these firms have worked on comprehensive plans and should be capable of interpreting these documents which would not give one firm an advantage over another. Chuck stated that the head person who worked on the Comprehensive Plan from Houseal Lavigne has left the firm and is no longer available. Andrew Przybylo then asked if rewriting the zoning ordinance would involve fixing the zoning map. He stated that knowing the Village Comprehensive Plan and where the village is going would better prepare someone for fixing the zoning map. Bruce responded yes that part of the zoning code rewrite would be reviewing the zoning map and if new zoning districts were created as part of the zoning ordinance update those changes would have to be reflected on the map. Bruce stated that it is the staff's responsibility no matter what firm is selected that the Comprehensive Plan is included in the process and that the rewrite is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. This should fall less on the shoulders of the consultant and more on staff. Andrew asked if all the firms represent a forward thinking philosophy versus a radical philosophy. Bruce responded yes, they are all very qualified and up to date on current law, current zoning, and current trends and doesn't feel any are radical. Mayor Callero stated that in the past Niles has been very business orientated. The consultant would have to talk to businesses directly, that this is very important to the Village. Businesses are important as income comes from sales tax. Rich Wlodarski stated that all the firms have stated that they want to reach out to the business and residential community for input. Andrew asked if the zoning ordinance is an instrument to encourage development as a partnership with a new business and the village helping out. Will the new zoning ordinance list commercial areas and perhaps bracket these areas as enterprise zones or zones to be combined, incentivized? Bruce responded yes the zoning codes can be written to clearly identify areas where redevelopment is promoted and the rules are very clear. The private sector knows that if they want to invest money into an area they know what the rules are and what the procedure is so that redevelopment can be facilitated by the ordinance rather than a more flexible process. A new zoning code would help tremendously. Mayor Callero asked how long of a process this would be. Chuck responded 12 - 18 months. Mayor Callero stated that there would be redevelopment taking place at the same time and that this would have to go under the old code plus whatever is put into the new code. Andrew Przybylo asked how the State of Illinois and this law would factor. We can't do anything that is contrary to State statute. Joe Annunzio stated that it has to be made clear to the developer what they need to know. Bruce stated that an item will be put on the Village Board agenda to move forward with the RFP. Chuck stated that the documents would be due April 10 -11th. The interviews could then be the next week in April. Mayor Callero asked how many of these would then be brought to the Village Board. Bruce responded that we would recommend one to the Village Board. Tom Kanelos asked if this goes to the Zoning Board first. Chuck responded for selecting a firm it does not. Chuck stated that the four firms will come before the Building and Zoning Committee to present their proposals. Mayor Callero agreed 3 with this, he stated this should be handled just as the Comprehensive Plan was. Andrew Przybylo felt that Ross Klicker should also be involved in the process. Bruce stated that each of the four firms would be invited to present to the Building and Zoning Committee. A discussion was had as to the length of time that should be permitted for each firm to present their proposals. It was decided that they need ample time to present and also include time for discussion and questions to be answered. Andrew Przybylo stated that this is a learning process and ample time to present is necessary. It was agreed that all presentations should be done on the same day as you would have all information presented and could compare what was said rather than splitting the process over several days. It was agreed a meeting to interview planning firms to rewrite the zoning code should be scheduled for Thursday, April 18, 2013. The presentations will begin at 8:00 a.m. and each firm will be allowed 1 - 1 1/2 hour’s time slot to include presentation, discussion, and questions and answer periods. The strongest firm will then be selected and should be recommended to the Village Board in May. Andrew Przybylo restated that the next meeting of the Building and Zoning Committee is set for April 18, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. Mayor Callero made a motion to adjourn. This was seconded by Tom Kanelos. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 a.m. 4