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Minutes - 05/17/1999 - Plan CommissionVILLAGE OF OAK BROOK PLAN COMMISSION MINUTES May 17, 1999 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 7.30 p m MEMBERS PRESENT. Chairman Stelios Aktipis Members Stephen Allen Arrived 7 35 Samuel Girgis Surendra Goel David Pequet Anthony Tappin MEMBERS ABSENT ALSO PRESENT Trustee Alfred Savino Village Manager Stephen Veitch Library Director Ruth Martin Director of Community Development Thomas Hawk A quorum was present ll. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Member Tappin moved, seconded by Member Goel, to waive the reading of the March 22, 1999, Plan Commission Meeting minutes and to approve them as written VOICE VOTE- All in favor Motion passed Ill. BOONLAYANGOOR — 3117 YORK ROAD — PRELIMINARY AND FINAL PLAT — THREE -LOT SUBDIVISION Michael Meissner, J Michael Meissner Architects, Hinsdale, Illinois, represented the petitioners, and described the property location, as south of Oak Brook Road, and east of York Road The subject property is two (2) individual parcels and they are seeking to subdivide the property into three (3) parcels He reviewed the size of each proposed parcel, noting that each meet the minimum lot area requirements as well as all other requirements of the Village Code The engineering design meets the requirement for the site and grading on the property will be done as required by the Village of Oak Brook The owners, will build a house on Lot 1 They are conscious of the trees on the area and will try to save as many as possible Member Tappin raised concerns over the width of the drive and whether or not there is sufficient access for emergency vehicles to access the flag lots Meissner said that it does allow access Hawk noted that flag lots have a long history in town Although the Fire Department does not find it to be the best design, they would be able to enter and back out of the 16 -foot wide PLAN COMMISSION Minutes May 17, 1999 1 'mac driveway. The Fire Department would encourage sprinkling the homes in the rear. Meissner said that he would encourage the homes to have suppression on the lower levels where the mechanical rooms are located. Member Allen questioned that parking should be prohibited on the driveway, so as to not block emergency vehicles, and asked if parking would be provided for each lot Meissner said that adequate parking will be provided for each home so that emergency vehicles can access the driveway. Member Goel questioned and was advised that the driveway will be private and maintenance will be the responsibility of the owners. Tom Hawk relayed the following comments on behalf of Dale Durfey, Village Engineer, 1. There is a 10 -foot public pedestrian /bike path located along the York Road end of the property. It has been the practice in recent years that in a subdivision of land, such as this, in addition to the dedication of the easement, either the path be built by the owner or sufficient funds should be escrowed to cover the building cost 2 The lowest portion of the property is at the southeast corner of the site (Lot 1) is a wooded area, and a neighbor has expressed some hope that not too many trees will be removed Grades being what they are they may not be able to save all of them, which will primarily be driven by the stormwater management requirement. Michael Meissner noted that they are very conscious of the trees in that area and the engineer has spoken with Dale Durfey in an effort to find the best balance between the requirement for detention and saving the trees No one in the audience spoke in favor or in opposition to the request, but one neighbor expressed some concerns Robert Beatty, residing at 321 Oak Brook Road, said that the west side of his property borders Lot 1 He wanted to point out that it looks like a marsh that drains south on that property into the next lot and then into the yard south of his property He is concerned that if it is built up the water will drain into his yard, because as of now it does not. Michael Meissner responded that the stormwater management ordinance requires that the lot must be able to hold and release at a specified rate the ground water that is accumulated on that property From his experience, this should lessen whatever problems there may have been Part of the ground will be basined to create a detention area where the water from the site will be collected Member Girgis questioned where the drainage is on the lot Hawk said that the release location for the water is on the southeast corner of the site Member Pequet moved, seconded by Member Allen, to recommend approval of the petitioner's proposal as requested, subject to the following conditions 1 Funds shall be escrowed for construction of a pedestrian /bicycle path along York Road 2 Waiver of the requirements for curb and gutter streets, sidewalks, streetlights and street trees 3 Final Engineering approval PLAN COMMISSION Minutes May 17, 1999 2 2L1 ROLL CALL VOTE Ayes. 6 - Allen, Girgis, Goel, Pequet,Tappin and Aktipis Nays: 0- Absent. 0 - Motion Carried V. VILLAGE OF OAK BROOK — LIBRARY — 600 OAK BROOK ROAD — SPECIAL USE Stephen Veitch, Village Manager, represented the Village in its petition. He described the selection of the site, the proposed project and addressed the standards relevant to Special Use petitions. The site was selected after a lengthy process and the voters authorized the location of the Library on the Sports Core property by referendum in November 1996 Subsequently, the sufficiency of the referendum process was litigated through the appellate level with the Village ultimately prevailing. The proposed building is positioned on the site to maximize view across the Sports Core open space and to avoid soils less suitable for building construction toward the western side of the site. The building essentially straddles the existing Polo Road as it turns north along the west side of the open fields. The entrance to Polo Road would be relocated approximately 900 feet west of its current location and meander north to rejoin existing Polo Road north of the site The property on which the proposed Library is to be located is zoned CR Conservation /Recreation Libraries are provided for as special uses in the CR District The Zoning Ordinance requires a 100 -foot setback from Oak Brook Road The site plan as drawn indicates a setback of 146 feet to the edge of the parking area south of the building The setback was determined based on the anticipated transfer of right -of -way to DuPage County by the Village in connection with the County project to improve Oak Brook Road between York Road and Jorie Blvd The Ordinance provides that no yard or density penalty would result from this conveyance of right -of -way for road widening, however, the Village desires that the setback that remains after the improvement be in substantial in conformity with the CR District requirements Approximately 42 feet of right -of -way will be conveyed in this particular location The elevation drawings indicate a structure height of approximately 36 feet and the Ordinance limits the structure height for special uses in the CR District to 40 feet • The site plan provides 94 parking spaces, nearly double the 48 required The relevant standards required for the granting of a Special Use were addressed by Village Manager Veitch on pages D -1 and D -2 of the petition file There will be no detrimental impacts on adjacent property and the Village believes the library will enhance the value of property in the Village The use of the Sports Core property for cultural pursuits is consistent with the wishes of the former owner of the property, community founder Paul Butler as expressed in his letter dated June 3, 1977 (see copy of letter on pages D -3 and D -4 of the petition file) 2. The library will be located more than 800 feet from the nearest residential homes 3 The building and site plan have been designed to provide a facility that takes advantage of the natural beauty of the Sports Core while remaining safe and accessible to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians It will conform to all applicable accessibility codes PLAN COMMISSION Mrnutes May 17, 1999 4 The Library will be extremely distant from neighboring property, but will be quite visible from Oak Brook Road, but not right on it Village Manager Veitch summarized that the Village of Oak Brook seeks approval of a special use permit to locate the Oak Brook Public Library on a portion of the Sports Core pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Zoning Ordinance. No variations are being sought and the project has been sited and designed so as to have no material impact on any adjacent property. Member Girgis noted that turning left off of Oak Brook Road is very difficult now, and questioned if a stoplight was being planned as a safety issue. Village Manager Veitch said that you need various statistical standards to warrant a stoplight. Although the traffic volume on Oak Brook Road is sufficient, the key variable would be how much traffic goes in and out of the library. The profile for Oak Brook Road, is two lanes in each direction, and left turn lanes at all necessary points Chairman Aktipis questioned when a determination could be made Village Manager Veitch said that a determination cannot be made until after the Library is built to see what the traffic load will be. He also noted that signal warrants are very marginally met at Spring Road, but the County did indicate that they would permit a signal to be installed there if the Village would be desirous to do that The Village does have an arrangement with the County that provides for signalization of Spring and 31s' at the Villages request. The agreement with the County at that intersection is to split the cost of a signal within a limited period of time after the completion of the road If the Village asked for a signal at the site for the Library, the County would probably not participate in the cost and it would probably be a Village expense. Member Tappin asked about the replacement and widening of the horse path Veitch said that it will be rebuilt at about the same width and it is part of the area in the pathway system that remains unsurfaced, it is intentionally in stone screenings The Pathway Committee recommended that the unpaved rings around the Sports Core remain unpaved, which is the preference of runners who prefer the softer surface There was no public testimony in support of the request Jerome Kochka, 3001 Grant Street referred to a letter that he sent to the Plan Commission, a copy of which was submitted for the official file. He believes the new Library will encroach upon the existing athletic field It is also his belief that moving the building further west would not be a problem and that a flat slab foundation can be built anywhere in that area He also noted that he is not against the Library, just the proposed site If there is so much land available, why can't the Library be moved further west Village Manager Veitch said that the placement of the building was due to soil conditions The construction is to be built using public dollars and he will not recommend using more than absolutely necessary The stables do not serve a useful purpose and have been gone for four years. It is the Village's position that the proposed site does not encroach onto the fields or in any way impede the current or future uses of the field They did not look further north because they do not want the building located too close to Oak Brook Road for safety reasons Member Allen asked if the Library site were moved further west would the cost increase much Village Manger Veitch said that it would have created extraordinary foundation work Originally, they wanted the building further west, but the proposed site is as far west as it can go without incurring extraordinary costs PLAN COMMISSION Minutes 4 May 17, 1999 �� Member Goel said that as an engineer, if the soil borings show that it cannot support the weight of the building, then it will be extremely costly to design the foundations Member Girgis noted that Oak Brook has some of the best soccer fields in DuPage County and anything that compromises that should be seriously reviewed The Village should be sure that the selected site is as far west as it can be located. He questioned what the additional cost would be to build a stronger foundation to be placed on the poorer soil. Village Manager Veitch said that they have not designed that foundation to know the potential cost. The building as last estimated, without extraordinary features in terms of the foundation, is about one million more than they wanted to pay They are working hard on trying to keep engineering cost down, even as it is designed now. It would not be his recommendation to the Village Board that the public incur even more cost to provide those foundations With respect to soccer, there is quite a bit of flexibility in the way the land can be used Part of the Village's agreement with the County with respect to the 31" right -of -way improvement provides for the flood plain compensatory storage that has to be provided The old show fields will be regraded and lowered a little It will be constructed by the County for the Village as two new soccer fields and the County will also reconstruct Bath and Tennis Drive when the road is widened. Member Pequet said that in light of the sensitivities to the open space issue that perhaps they should at least take the time to explore the cost of an alternate foundation system Additional engineering and spread footings might be $50,000- 100,000 or $500,000 We should look at the numbers and then make a better decision as to how much additional work would be necessary. We should develop preliminary cost estimates for the added foundation cost if the site is moved to the west. Member Girgis said that the Plan Commission's focus is to do what is best for the Village now and 10 -30 years from now Is it better to preserve a field as open as possible if the cost is not huge Village Manager Veitch noted that when you move the building, the parking area also moves that way As you get further into the woods, the quality of trees improves The amount of tree loss with the project would increase accordingly. Member Allen questioned if the soccer fields and play areas are reconfigured, how much is really being lost, especially if two additional soccer fields are added Member Goel said that he walked the site. There was activity going on and it seemed pretty far from the proposed site There is no doubt there is encroachment into the field, but the real activity was not effected Village Manger Veitch said that the building is 24,000 feet, slightly more than half of the building is east of the road. 15,000 feet of what is now the unused edge of the field, is involved in this There are no outdoor activities planned east of the Library It is the Village's intention to have people look at the Library, as a tribute to the community that built it Mr Kochka said that cutting the trees down is not a mayor factor If the building is going to be on a slab, the ground conditions are not that critical PLAN COMMISSION Minutes J 4 May 17, 1999 Ruth Martin, Library Director, said that visibility, accessibility, and proximity were the considerations of the Board of Trustees Proximity is to be near the road and near places that people congregate. Accessibility is building a road to it and having adequate parking and handicapped accessible. Visibility is having it fairly close to 31St Street without making it dangerous for any child who might run out into the parking lot Member Pequet said that he believes the Plan Commission is trying to make a judgment call, without having all the facts for the actual costs and he believes that is an issue. Chairman Aktipis said that Mr. Kochka's point of view is to move the Library to maintain the open field. The consideration is the soccer fields, versus the additional cost. Trustee Savino said that at the Antique Show he took tickets from people coming into the event at the Sports Core and while this was going on there were two soccer games being played. He does not see how the Library will impede on the fields at all Member Goel noted that besides the extra cost of the foundation, then the building will encroach on and destroy additional vegetation rather than using part of an open field Village Manager Veitch noted that as you go farther west the topography starts to slope off. He added that he did speak with the architect prior to the meeting and the specific location of the building was driven entirely by the soil sample. Member Tappin said that there is a trade off Two new soccer fields are gained up north and the Village is not giving up too much by placing the Library at this location The key issue is what is really the expense of placing it further west, and that cannot be answered at this meeting A conditional approval may be the way to go Village Manager Veitch said that the project is being estimated out at a substantially higher cost than the Village estimated He felt he had a responsibility to do whatever he could to minimize cost and still deliver the facility the community wants He advised the architect to stay on good soil Village Manager Veitch said that the impact would be significant if it meant redesigning the building The Village would incur substantial additional costs as well as time to go back and redesign the foundation system to move it seventy -five feet The project is estimated at 5 2 million, one million higher than anticipated Adding another 50 to 200 thousand dollars to the cost of the project is too much Trustee Savino said that the Board of Trustees is now 100% in support of this design and would not want to change it. However, if it could be moved back without any additional cost he would concur with Tom Hawk's suggestion to condition the approval on the Zoning Board of Appeals review of the costs Member Girgis said that the concept is fine When you build a building it is an irreversible change to the area that you have to live with There is a cost benefit balance and sometimes there is a little bit extra cost but you get a benefit long term and you get what you really want If the cost is little and it was never explored then we are not doing justice long term if we do not entertain that possibility Tom Hawk indicated that a motion to recommend approval could include a condition that increased foundation cost estimates be developed prior to the Zoning Board of Appeals public PLAN COMMISSION Minutes May 17, 9999 6 �� hearing. This will then allow this petition process to move forward without penalizing the planned time schedule. The Board of Trustees will then have the information they need to make an informed decision. Village Manager Veitch said that he should be able to get an estimate prior to the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Member Goel moved, seconded by Member Tappin, that the petitioner having satisfied the necessary standards for Special Use as stipulated in the Zoning Ordinance, to recommend approval of the Library Special Use as proposed including the following conditional elements: 4. Prior to the Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing, staff in conjunction with the design architect will develop cost estimates for construction in the original location with the poor soil bearing conditions Such information will then allow the best - informed decision regarding the building location. 5 Parking lot lighting will be turned off within thirty minutes after the library closes with the exception of lighting necessary to provide for effective security of the facilities 6 Exterior lighting will be so designed to avoid visibility of light sources and spillage onto adjacent properties ROLL CALL VOTE. Ayes. 6- Nays. 0 - Absent 0- Motion Carried V. ADJOURNMENT Allen, Girgis, Goel, Pequet,Tappin and Aktipis Member Tappin moved, seconded by Member Pequet to adjourn VOICE VOTE All in Favor Motion carried Meeting was adjourned at 8.58 p m PLAN COMMISSION Minutes 1. . Director of Community De ment Secretary Y, March 20, 2000 Date Approved PL - May 17, 1999