Plan Commission

LEGAL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Skokie Plan Commission, Thursday, November 7, 2013, Village of Skokie, 5127 Oakton Street, Skokie, Illinois 60077, at 7:30 P.M., to consider the following: NEW ACTION TAKEN 2013-33P – Alley Vacation Bounded by Keeney St, Crawford Ave, Oakton St, and Keystone Ave Approved 7-0-2 Sergei Dementiev requests to vacate the southern 33’ of the north-south alley in an area bounded by Keeney St on the north, Crawford Ave on the east, Oakton St on the south, and Keystone Ave on the west. A map of the proposed alley segment to be vacated is available in the Planning Division office. 2013-34P – Alley Vacations bounded by CTA Yellow Line, Hamlin Ave, Dobson St, and Crawford Ave Approved 7-0-2 The Village of Skokie requests to vacate the following unimproved public alleys in an area bounded by the CTA Yellow Line on the north, Hamlin Ave on the east, Dobson St on the south, and Crawford Ave on the west: The east-west alley in the 7730 block between East Prairie Rd and Crawford Ave. The east-west alley in the 7700 block between East Prairie Rd and Crawford Ave. The east-west alley in the 7630 block between East Prairie Rd and Crawford Ave. The eastern 578’ of the east-west alley in the 7730 block between Hamlin Ave and East Prairie Rd. A map of the proposed alley segments to be vacated is available in the Planning Division office. FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Plans and related documents are available at the Village’s Community Development Department, Planning Division, (847) 933-8447 Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. SPECIAL AID: Available upon request for the disabled. Call (847) 673-0500 or TDD (847) 933-8455. Interested parties are invited to attend this meeting. This notice is for information purposes only. Published in the Skokie Review on October 10, 2013. Paul Luke, Chairman VOSDOCS-#437839-v1-Legal_Notice_of_Public_Hearing_for_Plan_Commission_Meeting_of_2013-11-7 STAFF REPORT 2013-33P: Alley Vacation Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, November 7, 2013 To: Paul Luke, Chairman, Skokie Plan Commission From: Mike Voitik, Planning Technician Re: Alley vacation bounded by Keeney Street, Crawford Avenue, Oakton Street, and Keystone Avenue General Information Location Unimproved alley, as follows: The southern 33 feet of the north-south alley in an area bounded by Keeney Street on the north, Crawford Avenue on the east, Oakton Street on the south, and Keystone Avenue on the west. Purpose To vacate an improved public alley. Petitioner Sergei Dementiev Size of Site The alley totals 33 feet in length and 16 feet in width. The total area of the alley is approximately 0.012 acres (528 S.F.) Existing Zoning & R2 Single-Family – improved public alley Land Use Adjacent Zoning & North R2 Single-Family – detached residences Land Use South R2 Single-Family – public park East R1 Single-Family – vacant lot, detached residences West R1 Single-Family – public park, detached residences Comprehensive Plan The alley is designated as single family detached residential. STAFF ANALYSIS The petitioner is requesting to vacate the southern 33 feet of the north-south improved public alley in an area bounded by Keeney Street on the north, Crawford Avenue on the east, Oakton Street on the south, and Keystone Avenue on the west in an R2 Single- Family district. The petitioner is proposing to construct a new residence on the vacant lot at 8048 Crawford Avenue and will utilize the additional square footage gained from the vacated alley in order to construct a larger residence. The alley is presently gravel paved and is accessible to vehicular traffic. The alley dead-ends at the south property line of 8048 Crawford. The area to the south and west of the subject site is occupied by Walter J. Lauth Park and the alley does not serve the park in any manner. The #438557 v1 Staff Report – 2013-33P: Alley Vacation Bounded by Keeney Street, Crawford Avenue, Oakton Street, and Keystone Avenue 1 of 3 northern 92.30 feet of the alley will remain public right-of-way because it is improved and provides rear access to 4 residential properties on this block. The new single- family home that will be constructed at 8048 Crawford will also utilize the alley to access a garage that will be built behind the house. One September 4, 2013, the Village sent a letter to the Skokie Park District, which owns the public park abutting the south and west sides of the subject site, informing them of the vacation. The park district responded that they had no objection to directing the entire width of the alley to the petitioner. The petitioner agreed to compensate the Village a total of $1,000 for notification, plat drafting, and recording costs associated with the vacation of the alley. Comments Staff Comment and Review sheets were sent to all pertinent departments. Staff comments on the subject case were received from the Engineering Division and the Forestry Division. All other departments returned the sheets with no comments regarding the subject case. Engineering Division The Engineering Division approves the granting of the requested alley vacation. There are no overhead or underground utilities present within the subject site, thus no utility easement is requested. Planning Division The Planning Division staff supports the proposed alley vacation. This section of the alley is at the southern end of a dead end alley and its vacation will not restrict rear vehicular access or garbage pick-up for the existing property at 8053 Keystone Avenue or the proposed residence at 8048 Crawford Avenue. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that the proposed alley vacation be GRANTED subject to the following conditions: 1. The property shall be vacated pursuant to the Plat of Vacation dated October 24, 2013 and as may be further revised with the approval of the Village Manager, or designee, and Corporation Counsel. 2. The vacation shall be effective upon the recording of a Plat of Vacation by the Village in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Cook County, Illinois. #438557 v1 Staff Report – 2013-33P: Alley Vacation Bounded by Keeney Street, Crawford Avenue, Oakton Street, and Keystone Avenue 2 of 3 ATTACHMENTS 1. Site Photos 2. Memorandum from the Engineering Division, dated October 22, 2013 3. Plat of Vacation, dated October 24, 2013 4. Land Use and Zoning Map #438557 v1 Staff Report – 2013-33P: Alley Vacation Bounded by Keeney Street, Crawford Avenue, Oakton Street, and Keystone Avenue 3 of 3 STAFF REPORT 2013-34P: Alley Vacations Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, November 7, 2013 To: Paul Luke, Chairman, Skokie Plan Commission From: Mike Voitik, Planning Technician Re: Alley vacations bounded by CTA Yellow Line, Hamlin Avenue, Dobson Street, and Crawford Avenue General Information Location Unimproved alleys, as follows: The east-west alley in the 7730 block between East Prairie Road and Crawford Avenue. The east-west alley in the 7700 block between East Prairie Road and Crawford Avenue. The east-west alley in the 7630 block between East Prairie Road and Crawford Avenue. The eastern 578.00 feet of the east-west alley in the 7730 block between Hamlin Avenue and East Prairie Road. Purpose To vacate approximately 937.33 linear feet of unimproved public alleys. Petitioner Village of Skokie Size of Site The alleys total approximately 937.33 feet in length and 16 feet in width. The total area of the alleys is approximately 0.344 acres (14,997 S.F.) Existing Zoning & R2 Single-Family – unimproved public alleys Land Use Adjacent Zoning & North R2 Single-Family – detached residences, ComEd Land Use property, CTA Yellow Line South R2 Single-Family – detached residences, school district administrative office East R2 Single Family – detached residences M1 Office Assembly Industry – public park West R2 Single-Family – detached residences Comprehensive Plan The alleys are designated as single family detached residential #438602 v1 Staff Report – 2013-34P: Alley Vacations Bounded by CTA Yellow Line, Hamlin Avenue, Dobson Street, and Crawford Avenue 1 of 4 STAFF ANALYSIS The Village of Skokie is requesting to vacate 4 separate alleys within an area bounded by the CTA Yellow Line, Hamlin Avenue, Dobson Street, and Crawford Avenue in an R2 Single-Family district. The first request involves the east-west alley in the 7730 block between East Prairie Road and Crawford Avenue. The second request involves the east-west alley in the 7700 block between East Prairie Road and Crawford Avenue. The third request involves the east-west alley in the 7630 block between East Prairie Road and Crawford Avenue. The fourth request involves the eastern 578.00 feet of the east- west alley in the 7730 block between Hamlin Avenue and East Prairie Road. Three of the 4 alleys presently contain grass, trees, fences, and utility poles and are inaccessible to vehicular traffic. The fourth alley (request number 2) contains grass, utility poles, and a small trailer that is being illegally stored behind the garage at 3916 Brummel Street. The alleys in requests 1 and 4 in this case will not be divided down the middle due to the fact that ComEd, who owns the property to the north, will receive no benefit from the alleys were they to be vacated. The alleys, and the residential properties to the south, are separated from the ComEd property by a chain link fence that runs from Crawford Avenue all the way east to the bridge over McCormick Boulevard. The Community Development Department is continuing to implement its alley vacation program which vacates unopened and unimproved residential alleys in the Village that are unnecessary for Village transportation and access needs. In the past, property owners were required to petition the Village to vacate an alley and pay all associated costs involved in the process. In some instances, where the land from the alley increased the street frontage of a lot or its development potential, residents were required to pay for the alleys. The alleys proposed to be vacated in this case do not fall under this category. It has been determined that the vacation of alleys will benefit both residents and the Village. Residents will receive minimally increased land area while the Village will reduce maintenance costs. Comments Staff Comment and Review sheets were sent to all pertinent departments. In addition to the Planning Division comments, staff comments were received from the Engineering Division and the Forestry Division. All other departments either had no comment or were in favor of the proposed vacations. Engineering Division The Engineering Division approves the granting of the requested alley vacations. An easement for the full width of the alleys will be required to accommodate existing overhead utilities. Public Works has determined that all residents adjacent to the alleys being vacated will continue to receive garbage pick-up from the existing #438602 v1 Staff Report – 2013-34P: Alley Vacations Bounded by CTA Yellow Line, Hamlin Avenue, Dobson Street, and Crawford Avenue 2 of 4  locations, with the exception of the properties at 3921 Harvard Terrace and 3920 Dobson Street. These 2 properties will be required to have curbside refuse collection since they have no direct access to a paved alley. Their refuse is presently picked up from either directly behind their property or from one of the nearby paved alleys. Planning Division The Planning Division staff supports the proposed alley vacations. There are many similar unopened and unused alleys within the Village. Although they are still Village property and contain utilities, the Village has no intent to open or pave the alleys. Thus, the Village requests to vacate these alleys and return the property to the adjacent property owners. A utility easement over the entire rights-of-way will remain so that utility companies can maintain their existing facilities. Once the alleys are vacated, the adjacent property owners will be sent a copy of the Plat of Vacation. When the property owners sell their property, their surveyor will prepare a new Plat of Survey indicating the additional land that has been added to the property. Residents may use the additional land as they would any other part of their property, with the exception that structures other than fences may not be constructed in the easement area, and this space must always be maintained for unobstructed drainage. Chapter 5 of the Comprehensive Plan supports the vacation of these alleys which represent a portion of group number 104, 105, 106, and 107 of the 140 alley groups identified for vacation in the Alley Plan. To date, 109 of the 140 alley groups identified have been vacated. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that the proposed alley vacations be GRANTED subject to the following conditions: 1. The property shall be vacated pursuant to the Plat of Vacation received October 24, 2013, revised October 28, 2013, and as may be further revised with the approval of the Village Manager, or designee, and Corporation Counsel. 2. Easements shall be reserved for all Village and Village franchised public utilities over the entire area to be vacated. A permanent public drainage easement shall be maintained in the vacated alleys. 3. Property owners shall not alter the grade or change the drainage pattern in the easement area without a permit from the Engineering Division. 4. Other than a fence, no structures or trees shall be constructed or planted within the easement area. #438602 v1 Staff Report – 2013-34P: Alley Vacations Bounded by CTA Yellow Line, Hamlin Avenue, Dobson Street, and Crawford Avenue 3 of 4 5. The vacations shall be effective upon the recording of a Plat of Vacation by the Village in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Cook County, Illinois. ATTACHMENTS 1. Site Photos 2. Memorandum from Engineering Division, dated October 29, 2013 3. Plat of Vacation, revised October 28, 2013 4. Land Use and Zoning Map #438602 v1 Staff Report – 2013-34P: Alley Vacations Bounded by CTA Yellow Line, Hamlin Avenue, Dobson Street, and Crawford Avenue 4 of 4