Plan Commission

Draft Plan Commission Meeting Minutes Date: July 15, 2021 A motion was made by Commissioner Burman and seconded by Commissioner Mathee to approve the minutes of the June 3, 2021 Plan Commission meeting. This meeting marks the return to in-person meetings. The chairman introduced and welcomed 2 new members to the Plan Commission: Talia Gevaryahu and Mike Shah. Case Description: 2021-19P – Special Use Permit: 7309 Monticello Avenue Chicago Title Land Trust Company, Trust Number 42086, on behalf of Big Tuna Cremation Property, LLC/Caring Cremations, is requesting a special use permit for cremation services at 7309 Monticello Avenue in an M3 Industry zoning district, relief from Section 118-218 of the Skokie Village Code to provide 7 rather than 16 off-street parking spaces, and any other relief discovered during the review of this case. PIN: 10-26-311-049-0000 Discussion and Interested Parties Legal notice was advertised, posted, and delivered to all property owners within the area as prescribed by the Zoning Chapter. Corporation Counsel determined that notice was proper and correct. Joey Carr, consultant for the applicant, gave an overview of the case. Milos Djordjevic, Jakob Parduhn, and John Benoit also gave testimony. They are proposing to operate a crematory in an existing vacant 5,400 sq. ft. building that was previously occupied by K-B-K Tools in a M3 zoning district. It is an allowable use with a special use permit. They will be making interior improvements mostly, adding 2 retorts, and updating the parking lot. Milos Djordjevic, owner of Caring Cremations also is part owner of Theis-Gorski Funeral Home in Chicago. The funeral home does offer cremations, but not at that site any longer; they have been outsourcing them. They plan to utilize this facility for their clients who choose cremation. It is a new business; therefore, he anticipates only doing 1-2 cremations a month initially, increasing up to about 6 per day with 1-2 employees. A commissioner wanted confirmation that the facility is just a crematory. Mr. Djordjevic stated that visitations and services are handled at the funeral home. Another commissioner asked about the process of bringing remains into the facility. Mr. Djordjevic stated that a customized van fitted with a cot is used to retrieve the deceased, who is then rolled into the building from the loading space. The commissioner also inquired about the air quality, filtration, and exhaust from the burning. Jakob Parduhn, of Cremation Systems/Armil CFS, Inc., spoke of the cremation 590022 - Plan Commission meeting minutes for Case 2021-19P on 7-15-2021 equipment at the site. There is no visible smoke; just CO2 and trace amounts of particulate. There are no health or environmental concerns. Each machine is registered with and approved by the State of Illinois. He stated that with the small number cremations per month, the emissions are way under the state’s thresholds of 5 tons of particulate matter. The federal government considers them a minor source and does not regulate them. They have participated in and passed the numerous EPA visible smoke tests. There are no state regulations for maintenance; however, the manufacturer does recommend annual inspections. To follow up, another commissioner asked if Skokie will schedule an annual inspection as well. Staff stated that the Environment Health Department is following the State rules and recommends that the business owner take part in annual inspections to check the emission controls. Mr. Djordjevic has no problem with their recommendation. Another commissioner wanted more information on the business operations. Mr. Djordjevic stated that he receives clients through phone calls or online; usually families making final arrangements for a loved one. Sometimes families do come to the funeral home to make requests for cremation services. There will be no visitation or funeral service at the facility. However, some families choose to view the body and witness the cremation; in that case, they will accommodate 2-3 immediate family members. Staff requested the report be submitted into the record as presented. There are minor changes to the site plan needed prior to the presentation to the Trustees at a future Village Board meeting. Traffic Engineering recommends a maximum of 5 non-employees be permitted on-site based on the limited parking spaces leaving 2 spaces for employees. Tandem parking is allowed in the area for businesses with regular employees who can easily move their vehicle throughout the day if necessary but not for this use. The parking lot will need to be re-configured, restriped, and wheel stops put in. The chairman inquired where the transport vehicles will be stored when not in use. Another commissioner asked how many transport vehicles they have. Mr. Djordjevic stated they only have 1 vehicle and will be parked in the loading area or garage – not in any of the provided spaces. John Haben, 8051 Lincoln Avenue, voiced some concerns. He is a long time professional in the same industry. He testified to the commission about the timeline from taking custody of the remains and the steps taken until cremation. Decomposition takes place rapidly; not every body is embalmed. Nothing can be done until the death certificate is signed, filed, and registered, which brought up the storage issue. For public health reasons, he asked if the facility is climate controlled for unembalmed human remains. The Village has no storage requirements and goes by whatever the state regulates. Mr. Haben continued, stating that the professional preparation of remains requires funeral home licensing if there is to be a viewing. The proposed facility would be infringing on services that a funeral home would provide; families making arrangements, preparing remains for viewing, and providing last goodbyes. He also answered a previous question regarding inspections; Skokie does not have any rules and regulations or maintenance requirements, but the state and county can stop in anytime. A professional operation has an annual maintenance inspection. 590022 - Plan Commission meeting minutes for Case 2021-19P on 7-15-2021 The chairman questioned if the licenses for funeral homes and crematories are different. Mr. Haben answered that there are certain statutes for crematories and other statues for funeral homes. The licenses are different. There was discussion between the commissioners and staff regarding the definitions and licenses required for funeral homes and crematories. The chairman commented that it might be “in a gray area” and questioned whether the Village could be open to challenges by the state and county if the special use is approved. Staff clarified that the special use permit is based on the Village’s definition of funeral home as an establishment that prepares the remains, conducts services, sells caskets, and arranges cremations. There is no separate definition for crematory in the Village’s ordinance. Mr. Haben added that sometimes 50 people show up for a “last goodbye” and Monticello Avenue will be lined with cars. Mr. Djordjevic reiterated that he is a funeral director in Chicago. He does a high volume of cremations and instead of outsourcing, he wants to control everything for his clients by having his own crematory. A commissioner noted that refrigeration is a necessity but is not shown on the plans. The architect, John Benoit, stated that adequate refrigeration is located adjacent to the retort room. They have allowed space but do not have specific volumes yet to put it on the plan. Staff answered that the floor plan submitted is not the final site plan and was used only for calculating parking and relief for the special use permit. An amendment to Condition #1 can be added addressing the refrigeration/storage needs. Another commissioner asked what the approximate timeline was of the on-site storage of decedents. Mr. Djordjevic answered that it depends on how quickly the doctor signs the death certificate and he can get a cremation permit. It usually takes a few days until the doctor signs the death certificate, but from 48 hours to 1 week is the norm. They do have a fair amount of storage. If viewing is requested prior to cremation, storage will be at the funeral home. Another commissioner asked about industry standards for the retorts. Staff said that the Environmental Health Dept. provided copies of the state’s regulations. The chairman suggested that before presentation to the Village Board and on to the Building Division for permits, final floor plans be submitted. Recommendations and Voting A motion was made to approve a special use permit request, with 2 amendments added, for cremation services at 7309 Monticello Avenue in an M3 Industry zoning district. Amendment #1 – the applicant must show adequate and specified areas on plans for enough refrigeration based on their volume before presentation to the Village Board. Amendment #2 – the Special Use Permit requires annual inspections as to gas and particulate. 590022 - Plan Commission meeting minutes for Case 2021-19P on 7-15-2021 Motion: Burman Second: Mathee Absent: Lakhani, Mitchell, & Quane Ayes: 6 Nays: 0 590022 - Plan Commission meeting minutes for Case 2021-19P on 7-15-2021