City of Highland Park Plan and Design Commission met May 15.
Here is the minutes provided by the Commission:
I. Call To Order
At 7:30 pm Chair Hecht called the meeting to order and asked Director Fontane to call the roll.
II. Roll Call
Members Present: Glazer, Hecht, Kutscheid, Leaf, Pearlstein, Reinstein, Waxman
Members Absent: None
Director Fontane took the roll and declared a quorum present.
Staff Present: Cross
Student Rep.: None
Council Liaison: Blumberg
III. Approval Of Minutes
May 1, 2018
Chair Hecht entertained a motion to approve the minutes of the May 1, 2018 meeting. Commissioner Waxman so motioned, seconded by Commissioner Kutscheid. On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.
IV. Scheduled Business
A. Design Review - Parking Lot Lights at Sunset Valley Golf Course Located at 1390 Sunset Rd.
Planner Cross made a presentation for the above item including improvements to club house, lighting plan, lighting proposal, three poles proposed, back to back fixtures lighting plan conforms to zoning code, shut off times 11:00 PM, review policy, exterior design feature, design standards and recommendation.
Ms. Amalia Schwartz, Highland Park Dist., made a presenting including neighborhood meeting, people are concerned about light shining into windows, taken feedback, using fixture with zero up light, zero light on borders, no impact on neighbors, switched from 4,000 to 3,000 kelvin fixture, low level security lighting, lights will not be on all night and will turn off at close of operations, will be primary parking lot, if there is no event there will be no lights.
Commissioner Waxman asked when the lights will turn off.
Ms. Schwartz stated they have not identified hours of operation but it will not go past 11:00 PM. If there is no event there will be no lights.
Ms. Liza McIlroy, Exec. Dir. Park Dist., stated they have renovated Sunset Valley and it is a little unknown because the premises will be more desirable to the public. They will have a small bar and grill, but not 365 days a year. They will be open during the golf season and the kitchen not be open beyond 8:00 or 9:00. If they have outings they may have guests until 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM at the latest.
Commissioner Kutscheid asked about lights in the winter.
Ms. McIlroy stated they will market the facility for birthday parties or showers. People can rent it and they will have a caterer. It will not be a year round open kitchen.
Commissioner Glazer asked about the capacity.
Ms. McIlroy stated the clubhouse can hold 75 and this is not a banquet facility.
Vice Chair Reinstein asked if the events will take place weekends and weeknights.
Ms. McIlroy stated they will set up hours and it probably would be more of a weekend facility. They will respond to supply and demand.
Vice Chair Reinstein asked if the demand could be two a week.
Ms. McIlroy stated during the spring, summer and fall they will not be having events while the golf course is open. The primary use for the building is to serve the golfing public. When golf is not in season they may encourage rentals. They will have golf outings which are a part of the operations but they are limiting those to two a month.
Commissioner Glazer asked if the outings would be over at sunset.
Ms. McIlroy stated they may have a dinner or a raffle and then they are done. It is not a lingering type of place and they are not going to encourage it. The intent is not to be a bar and grill. The main support is for golf operations and a facility people can rent when golf is not in season. They had a neighbor meeting and one neighbor came. They have had no feedback other than two people.
Commissioner Glazer asked if they anticipated any lighting spilling over.
Ms. McIlroy stated no and the illustration depicts what the lights will look like.
Commissioner Leaf asked why BUG ratings do not apply.
Planner Cross stated it is because of how the performance standards were drafted originally. For outdoor recreational area they did not have the same cut off regulations. There is a wide range of outdoor recreational use lighting.
Commissioner Leaf asked if the BUG ratings were applied would the specs meet code.
Planner Cross stated they would be well under.
Vice Chair Reinstein asked about the rating for a residential district.
Planner Cross stated Council directed that no new dark sky regulations should apply in single family residential areas.
Councilman Blumberg stated it meant that it was not to apply to single family residential homes.
Planner Cross stated Sunset is in a single family zoning district and the lighting standards not applicable to recreational use.
Councilman Blumberg stated the parking lots are not new and they have not been lit until now.
Ms. Schwartz stated there was a light on the park maintenance building shining on the south parking lot and a light shining on the east lot and this has been removed.
Councilman Blumberg mentioned Wolter’s Field and the issues of timing and spill. That level of detail in scheduling is not being presented and they do not know the number of events. The neighbors not showing should not be taken as a sign of assent. Bucky’s had enormous impacts on the neighborhood and the neighbors expect them to look out for their interests. He wanted a particular period of time when the lights will go off during the weeknights and this will involve traffic and safety. There has to be a definitive off time during the week earlier than 11:00 PM.
Ms. Schwartz stated this would be for weekends.
Councilman Blumberg stated there may be winter events during the week and he would like to see the lights off no later than 10:00 PM.
Ms. McIlroy stated this was acceptable.
Councilman Blumberg asked about after golf games and the reason for the lights to be on until 11:00 pm.
Ms. Schwartz stated they do not know what an event might look like and 11:00 PM was what they were aiming for.
Ms. McIlroy stated they do not know if people will come in the winter and they want to make it available. They can figure this out but they do not have roadmap for what this will look like. They want to test the waters before they have a full program. Nov., Dec., Jan. and Feb. are the months they are hoping people will want to use the facility, but it is a residential area and they do not want to have the lights on all night.
Councilman Blumberg stated they do not know what the response will look like and he was concerned. Typically in the past when a special use permit is concerned and the applicant is not sure what the response will be cut off times days, dates and number of events are set. If the demand is greater there be an application to modify the special use permit. He preferred to error on side of caution since they are in the middle of a neighborhood and there will be night time traffic. A golf course operates May through mid-October. He wanted to make sure whatever is done is on the side of caution. If it needs to be expanded he thought the neighbors would understand. He wanted to see based on their knowledge operating this and Highland Park CC, what they anticipate the usage to be and try and craft something along those lines. If the usage is greater they could expand that but they would have to have a hearing.
Ms. McIlroy asked if they wanted a plan for what the use will be.
Councilman Blumberg stated yes and he was uncomfortable about what will go on at night.
Ms. McIlroy stated if they limited events to two week nights and two weekend nights.
Chair Hecht stated he would like to see how late this will be open.
Commissioner Leaf stated he was not sure if this was the right forum to be discussing this. This was a design review for the aesthetics on how the lighting works. He thought they were on territory they should not be touching.
Commissioner Waxman agreed.
Vice Chair Reinstein stated they have had the same conversation for every parking lot that came before them.
Commissioner Leaf stated not for design review and he did not think they should not be discussing this.
Councilman Blumberg stated the photometric plan is something they have to consider. To allow that plan they can request certain limitations on the usage and it is an appropriate consideration.
Commissioner Leaf stated the photometric plan is zero at lot line.
Councilman Blumberg stated whether it is or not it has no standards for recreational use. It is in the middle of a neighborhood and the appearance of the lighting it what they are dealing with. If it is appropriate at some times of the day and not others that makes it appropriate to discuss things.
Commissioner Leaf stated he was not sure he agreed.
Planner Cross stated if they were interested in a clear set of information from the Park Dist. they could bring it to a future meeting with Corporate Counsel and they could give direction on intensity of use.
Chair Hecht asked if they were waiting on a decision tonight.
Ms. McIlroy stated the lights were ready to be installed and the bids will be approved next week by the Park Board because they are opening in August and the schedule for the golf season is set. The kitchen would close at 9:00 PM weeknights and weekends at 10:00 PM. If business does not warrant this they will adjust back. They do not know the use in the off season. They would like approval for the golf season and can work on a plan for the winter.
Mr. Barney Ruttenberg, Park Board Commissioner, stated they need approval of the light design so they commit to the contractor and have them installed. The primary lot is the existing lot next to the clubhouse and has about 70 spaces. If they have room for 70 for a party they are not looking to use the secondary lot. These lights would be on a separate switch so they do not have them on when the primary use will be the interior lot.
Commissioner Kutscheid asked if they can close the lot during the winter.
Mr. Ruttenberg stated for the events they will use the close in parking. They need approval for the light design so they can go forward with the order so when the season starts everything is in place.
Chair Hecht stated it would be acceptable if they have an earlier shut down time for east lot and if the lights go off earlier.
Ms. Schwartz stated this was in response to the community meeting.
Chair Hecht asked stated the hours of operation are 9:00 PM during the week and 10:00 PM on the weekends.
Ms. Schwartz stated separate switches will ease the turning off of the lights.
Councilman Blumberg stated if they approve the design standards they will not hear the Park Dist. come back and there will be no further discussion about cutoff times or events or usage. This is the only opportunity to address these issues. Shut off times were made part of this consideration by the applicant. The second lot is less likely to be used during night events. He did not think it would be too onerous to put together a plan for usage so the neighbors have some sense of predictability as to what is going to be happening around them.
Commissioner Glazer stated the Park Dist. did not know about the winter and asking for a plan is pie in the sky.
Councilman Blumberg stated they could give their best estimate.
Chair Hecht stated if they had an event every weekend it had to end by a certain time. A decision needs to be made that this is as late as they are going to go.
Ms. McIlroy asked about having the lights off no later than 10:00 PM in the winter and not using the east lot in the winter
Commissioner Glazer stated they will still have to plow.
Commissioner Kutscheid asked about the 16’ light poles and if there will be a footing.
Ms. Schwartz stated the actual pole height is 13’ with a 3’ base and will not be higher than 16’.
Commissioner Kutscheid asked about the concrete base and if it could be finished rather than spiraled.
Ms. Schwartz stated she did not know if would be spiraled. They have them installed at other facilities and they looked finished.
Commissioner Kutscheid stated so the concrete is preformed.
Planner Cross asked if the conditions could be repeated.
Chair Hecht stated the hours of operation end at 9:00 PM on weekdays and 10:00 PM on weekends. The latest the lights would be on is 11:00 PM on the weekends.
Councilman Blumberg asked if they wanted to define the season by dates.
Ms. McIlroy stated the season is April 1st to October 31st.
Vice Chair Reinstein asked what time the lights will go out April through October.
Planner Cross stated 9:00 PM weekdays and 10:00 PM weekends and the lights will stay on for one hour after that, 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM, respectively.
Chair Hecht stated Sunday through Thursday they are open until 9:00 PM and the lights are on until 10:00 PM and Friday and Saturday they are open until 10:00 PM and the lights are on until 11:00 PM.
Commissioner Glazer stated the lights off in the east lot for the winter.
Vice Chair Reinstein motioned to approve the parking lot lights with conditions that during April through October golf season the weekdays lights go off at 10:00 PM and on weekends at 11:00 PM. In the off season the lights will go off at 10:00 PM in the winter in the south lot and the east lot never to go on during the off season. Each lot will have separate switches. The weekend is Friday and Saturday night and the rest of the days will be the weekdays, Sunday through Thursday. Commissioner Waxman seconded. On a voice vote the motion passed unanimously.
V. Other Business
A. Administrative Design Reviews - None for consideration.
B. Next Regular Meeting - June 5, 2018
C. Case Briefing
Capitol Senior Housing project was approved.
Oakwood Residences was approved.
Highland Park Theater – development agreement is being prepared.
Audi project was approved.
Councilman Blumberg stated for the Oakwood and Audi projects Council took notice of the work between the Commission and the applicants. They were extremely well crafted and compliant projects that met the concerns of the neighbors. The interactions with the developer resulted in an excellent project. They were few objections and the modifications made it that much better. For Audi there were a lot of modifications made and the project wound up being that much better as a result of the responsiveness of the applicant and the thoughtful discussion by the Commission.
Councilman Blumberg stated there was an incident last night concerning the application for a special use in the Ravinia POSO. This was the second time the Commission has made a recommendation for a conditional or special use that was denied. The reason is that the policy of the City may not have been clearly expressed to the Commission. The most important focus is standards 2 and 3 of conditional uses. They have the potential to affect surrounding uses. He wanted them to be aware Council is reluctant to grant special or conditional uses unless they meet the POSO aspirations. The fact the property is vacant is not all that convincing to Council if the use is not consistent with the POSO.
Commissioner Glazer asked Councilman Blumberg if he could elaborate on the thinking when Council rejected the recommendation that maintaining a vacant storefront that the detriment is outweighed by clinging to the purpose of the POSO when perhaps the purpose of the POSO is designed to give way to a conditional use and has potential to spill over to other businesses and contribute economically and aesthetically to a location.
Councilman Blumberg stated when the POSO was put in place most of property owners were opposed since they cannot ask for level of rent they could ask from banks and insurance agents and other non-tax generating businesses. It is important that the POSO restriction be upheld. There are empty storefronts as a result of changes in retail. To meet that issue they have changed zoning to allow increased density of residential use around the perimeter of the B4 and B5. Landlords in the POSO need to understand it is the guiding use for that area and a conditional use which can generate a similar amount of traffic in the area may be considered. Simply filling a storefront is not going to do it. Getting a use into a storefront is not consistent with what will generate further retail uses. It is important to have retail in an area where you want more retail. If you make exceptions it makes it easier to put in other non-retail businesses.
Commissioner Leaf stated the special use table is outdated and thought it should be looked at by Corporate Counsel and the planning staff. He thought it should be gone through to be updated to modern language.
Councilman Blumberg stated he agreed.
Chair Hecht asked if they should redo the entire zoning ordinance.
Councilman Blumberg stated they should look at the list of uses and conditional uses and determine which are outdated and which need to be more defined.
Chair Hecht stated this is a common issue in all municipalities who have not revised their zoning ordinances in the last 15 years.
Councilman Blumberg stated they have gone through the lists for various zones.
Planner Cross stated they had updated the design code. There are some parts that need to be looked and they received feedback on land uses. It is under consideration for a 2019 project. They are also looking at the sign code as a project in 2018. Also they will be looking at wireless telecommunications regulations. It is difficult to have a list of all allowed land uses.
VI. Business From The Public
None
VII. Staff Report
None
VIII. Adjournment
Chair Hecht entertained a motion to adjourn. So motioned by Vice Chair Reinstein, seconded by Commissioner Pearlstein. On a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously.
The Plan and Design Commission adjourned at 8:30 pm.
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