Development Review Board

Development Review Board - Jul 30 2026 Agenda Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM Waukegan City Hall ~ City Council Chambers ~ 2nd Floor 100 N. Martin Luther King Jr, Ave Waukegan, Illinois 60085 Page 1. Opening Items A. Call to Order B. Roll Call C. Approval of Minutes of the June 25, 2026 DRB meeting. 2 Development Review Board - Jun 25 2026 - Minutes - Html 2. Audience Time 3. Old Business A. 2122 Grand Avenue - Site Plan Review for an additional driveway (curb cut) on 4 Berwick Avenue, north of the building (Calendar 26-DRB-03) In accordance with Section 10.06.A.2 of the Waukegan Unified Development Ordinance, the Development Review Board has the authority to grant or not grant approval for one additional driveway on properties featuring at least 150 linear feet of frontage on a particular block face. Alquimia operation plan.pdf 4. New Business 5. Reports and Communications 6. Adjournment Page 1 of 8  Development Review Board - Jun 25 2026 Minutes Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM Waukegan City Hall ~ City Council Chambers ~ 2nd Floor 100 N. Martin Luther King Jr, Ave Waukegan, Illinois 60085 1. Opening Items A. Call to Order Meeting called to order by Chair from Planning & Zoning at 2:04 PM. B. Roll Call Present: CDBG, Building, Public Works, Engineering, Planning & Zoning, Finance Absent: Police, Fire, Licensing C. Approval of Minutes of the April 30, 2026 meeting. The May meeting was canceled. April minutes to be presented at July Development Review Board meeting 2. Audience Time 3. Old Business 4. New Business A. 2122 Grand Avenue - Site Plan Review for an additional driveway (curb cut) on Berwick Avenue, north of the building (Calendar 26-DRB-03) In accordance with Section 10.06.A.2 of the Waukegan Unified Development Ordinance, the Development Review Board has the authority to grant or not grant approval for one additional driveway on properties featuring at least 150 linear feet of frontage on a particular block face. The representative from CDBG voiced concerns regarding the proposed operation's impact to traffic on Grand Avenue. In response, the applicant pointed out that the plan met the five vehicle stacking requirement minimum. Beyond this, they specified that workers could be stationed outside as needed. The representative from Building asked if the existing curb-cut on the western side Page 2 of 8  of the parcel would be closed in favor of the proposed curb cut further south on the same side. The applicant clarified that the existing curb cut would remain. The representative from Planning & Zoning brought attention to the fact that the addition to the existing structure would be close enough to the sidewalk that vehicles pulling up to collect food would encroach on pedestrian right-of-way. Both the representative from Finance and the representative from Building reiterated that the current layout posed a danger to public safety. The representative from Planning & Zoning inquired if the applicant would be amenable to having the agenda item held over to allow them more time to formulate an alternate configuraton. The applicant agreed with the suggestion. Motion by Public Works, Seconded by Building to hold over Site Plan Review for an additional driveway (curb cut) on Berwick Avenue, north of the building (Calendar 26-DRB-03) to the July Development Review Board. Roll call vote: Ayes: Building, Public Works, Engineering, Finance, Planning & Zoning Nays: CDBG Absent: Police, Fire, Licensing 5. Reports and Communications 6. Adjournment Motion to adjourn at 2:31 PM CAO Mayor Page 3 of 8 Operational Coordination, Traffic Management, and Mitigation Plan Project: Alquimia Healthy Food & Ancient Flavors 2122 Grand Avenue – Waukegan, Illinois Introduction Alquimia Healthy Food & Ancient Flavors respectfully submits this Operational Coordination, Traffic Management, and Mitigation Plan in support of the proposed development at 2122 Grand Avenue in Waukegan, Illinois. This plan outlines the operational measures that Alquimia and the adjacent Euforia Café will voluntarily implement to improve internal circulation, reduce parking demand, minimize traffic impacts, and enhance pedestrian safety. Both businesses have coordinated their daily operations to maximize site efficiency and support the City of Waukegan’s goals for safe access management and responsible traffic flow. Coordinated Business Operations To help distribute customer traffic and reduce peak-hour congestion, Alquimia and Euforia Café have aligned their operating schedules so the two businesses do not generate simultaneous peak demand. By staggering hours, each business supports balanced parking use and smoother internal circulation. This coordination is a voluntary operational strategy intended to improve overall site performance. Hours of Operation Euforia Café Monday–Sunday 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM Alquimia Healthy Food & Ancient Flavors Monday–Sunday 10:30 AM – 10:00 PM Euforia serves the breakfast and early afternoon market, while Alquimia’s activity increases during lunch, afternoon, and evening hours. This intentional separation reduces overlapping traffic and parking demand. Employee Parking Management Employees from both businesses will park in the designated employee parking area located next to Euforia Café along Grand Avenue. Concentrating employee parking in this location: • Preserves customer parking availability • Reduces unnecessary vehicle movement within the site Page 4 of 8  • Minimizes conflicts between employee and customer traffic • Improves visibility at entrances and exits • Supports efficient internal circulation • Reduces congestion in primary customer parking areas This measure is an additional voluntary step to maintain orderly site operations. Dual Drive-Thru Operational Strategy The drive-thru is designed with two independent pickup positions to maintain continuous vehicle movement and reduce internal queueing. Orders are separated based on preparation time to improve efficiency and prevent stacking. Pickup Position 1 – Holding Area Used for orders requiring additional preparation time, including: • Freshly prepared meals • Family-size or catering orders • Customized items • Orders requiring extended cooking time After payment, customers with longer-prep orders will be directed to the Holding Area near the parking lot. This allows vehicles with completed orders to continue moving without delay. Vehicles in this lane will exit via Grand Avenue. Pickup Position 2 – Express Pickup Dedicated to orders ready for immediate service, such as: • Coffee • Smoothies • Cold beverages • Bakery items • Mobile orders • Grab-and-Go products Page 5 of 8 Vehicles using this lane will exit toward North Berwick Boulevard, maintaining efficient flow and minimizing interaction with the Holding Area. Smart Order Pickup Locker System To further reduce drive-thru congestion, Alquimia will implement a Smart Order Pickup Locker System exclusively for third-party delivery services (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, etc.). Delivery drivers will park in designated spaces, retrieve orders from secure electronic lockers, and exit the property without entering the drive-thru lane. This system shortens pickup times and prevents interference with customer circulation. Benefits of the Pickup Locker System • Faster pickup for delivery drivers • Removes delivery vehicles from the drive-thru lane • Reduces parking lot congestion • Improves turnover of delivery spaces • Maintains continuous circulation during peak periods • Reduces idling, fuel use, and emissions • Enhances efficiency for customers, staff, and delivery partners • Minimizes potential vehicle conflicts Pedestrian Safety Improvements To enhance pedestrian visibility and driver awareness along North Berwick Boulevard, the project will install additional traffic control signage consistent with MUTCD principles and Illinois standards. Proposed improvements include: • Pedestrian Crossing warning signs • Watch for Pedestrians signage • Stop for Pedestrians Within Crosswalk signage (where applicable) • Directional exit signage • Internal directional arrows Page 6 of 8  • Maintenance of clear sight triangles • High-visibility pavement markings, if required These measures strengthen pedestrian safety and improve driver awareness at all exit points. Benefits to the City of Waukegan The voluntary operational measures implemented by Alquimia and Euforia Café provide meaningful public benefits: • Staggered hours that distribute customer traffic • Reduced simultaneous parking demand • Dedicated employee parking away from customer circulation • Separation of extended-prep and express pickup orders • Smart Locker System for delivery services • Removal of delivery vehicles from the drive-thru • Reduced internal congestion • Improved vehicle circulation • Lower likelihood of queues extending toward Grand Avenue • Enhanced pedestrian safety • Reduced idling and emissions • Shorter customer wait times • More organized and efficient site operations Commitment to the City of Waukegan Alquimia Healthy Food & Ancient Flavors and Euforia Café remain committed to operating safely, efficiently, and responsibly. The strategies outlined in this plan represent voluntary enhancements that exceed minimum requirements and demonstrate a proactive approach to traffic management, pedestrian safety, and coordinated site operations. Both businesses aim to contribute positively to the City, neighboring properties, residents, and the traveling public while supporting the long-term success of the Grand Avenue commercial corridor. Page 7 of 8 Page 8 of 8