City of Highland Park Plan and Design Commission Met April 6.
Here is the minutes provided by the commission:
I. CALL TO ORDER
At 7:30 PM Chair Reinstein called the meeting to order and asked Director Fontane to call the roll.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present: Hainsfurther, Hecht (7:40), Moore, Reinstein, Weil
Members Absent: Lidawer, Marcus
Director Fontane took the roll and declared a quorum present.
Staff Present: Cross (physically at City Hall), Fontane, Burhop
Student Rep.: None
Corporation Counsel: Schuster
Council Liaison: None
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
March 16, 2021 Regular Meeting
Chair Reinstein entertained a motion to approve the minutes of the March 16, 2021 meeting. Vice Chair Hainsfurther so motioned, seconded by Commissioner Weil.
Planner Cross called the roll:
Ayes: Weil, Moore, Hainsfurther, Reinstein
Nays: None
Motion passed 4-0.
IV. SCHEDULED BUSINESS
A. Design Review - 1120 Crofton Ave. N. - Bob-O-Link Golf Club with Variations B. 2789 Oak St. - Public Benefit Discussion
The above items A. and B. will be continued to the April 20, 2021 agenda without discussion.
Chair Reinstein entertained a motion to approve. Commissioner Weil so motioned, seconded by Commissioner Moore.
Director Fontane called the roll:
Ayes: Weil, Moore, Hainsfurther, Reinstein
Nays: None
Motion carried 4-0.
C. Plat of Subdivision - 1068 Saxony Dr. - Variation for a Through Lot
Planner Cross made a presentation for the above item including application summary, plat of subdivision, variations, through lots, neighborhood context, neighborhood notification, findings of fact and recommendation.
Chair Reinstein asked if the owner could to split the lots again in the future if they wanted to.
Planner Cross stated yes and the lot on Carlyle cannot have any structures and would have to be cleaned up and could be re-subdivided in the future.
Commissioner Weil asked if any neighbors had come forward with comments or concerns.
Planner Cross stated no.
Chair Reinstein asked for questions from the Commission.
Chair Reinstein stated they have findings with conditions in the packet and entertained a motion to approve the findings with conditions as provided by staff. Vice Chair Hainsfurther so motioned, seconded by Commissioner Hecht.
Director Fontane called the roll:
Ayes: Weil, Moore, Hecht, Hainsfurther, Reinstein
Nays: None
Motion passed 5-0.
D. Public Hearing #2021-ZTA-001 for Zoning Code Text Amendments to allow accessory structures and structures attached to principal structures to encroach within required yards and setbacks. Additions and modifications will also be considered for related definitions.
Planner Burhop made a presentation for the above item including recommendation, proposed amendments, “Sum Side Yard” requirements and proposal, multiple frontage lots - corner lots, through lots and peninsula lots, lots with multiple front yards - corner lots, multiple frontage lots - corner lots, lots with multiple front yards - corner lots, multiple frontage lots, lots with multiple front yards - examples, lots with multiple front yards - through lots and peninsula lots, multiple frontage lots - through lots and peninsula lots, lots with multiple front yards - examples, other front yard accessory structure encroachments, specific questions to the PDC, specific amendments to draft ordinance and recommendation.
Commissioner Moore stated they have sports courts and with the increasing popularity of inflatable pools will that be covered.
Planner Burhop stated this does not include pools for regular lots. If they are talking about temporary pools that do not need a permit, staff was looking to address temporary and seasonal structures for a later text amendment. He asked if this should be added.
Director Fontane stated this is the first phase of a multi-phased project where they are looking at various aspects of the zoning code. One of the areas they will look at later deal with temporary seasonal uses. That is not in this package.
Planner Burhop stated as this was drafted permanent pools were not included in the list but could be if that was the Commission’s desire. Staff chose to write this in a way that it would be constrained to specifically listed structures.
Chair Reinstein stated in ground pools come with a set of rules and regulations already.
Planner Burhop stated the current rule is if they are located in the buildable area behind the home they have to be the minimum side yard requirement and the total sum side yard requirement so they do not get any reduction.
Commissioner Hecht stated this arose out of the hockey rink case several years ago. There was a hole in the zoning code in talking about a sports court justifying allowing it by using the definition of a patio. He thought the case was appealed and did anything happen with it.
Director Fontane stated this is separate and apart from that. There are sports courts desired in many different forms. This is not precipitated by that and is part of a major project to streamline the zoning code and to provide additional flexibility to property owners. It is more expansive than that issue.
Commissioner Hecht stated it was quite a few years ago and wondered what had happened with that and if it influenced how this is written.
Chair Reinstein stated they could talk about this later.
Commissioner Hecht stated there was an issue and he hoped this covered it. Director Fontane stated it covers sports courts.
Chair Reinstein stated in doing the ZBA analysis if pools were an item that came up all the time they would have been included in the analysis.
Commissioner Moore asked about the dimensions for the little free libraries. Planner Burhop stated Planner Later researched the Arlington Heights free libraries.
Commissioner Moore mentioned the column setbacks and being set back 1’ avoid damage from plows. She asked if that was the City plow or the homeowner’s plowing service.
Planner Burhop stated none of the encroachments are allowed to go to the curb and only to the property line.
Commissioner Moore stated it would be the homeowner’s responsibility if they damaged their own column.
Vice Chair Hainsfurther stated the concern was the City plow and asked what is the narrowest parkway. In granting a building permit it was clear they are taking responsibility if they become damaged. He stated with a fence you do not have a foundation. With a masonry column you might have a foundation which encroaches into the parkway. He asked if they were clear the encroachment is measured to anything that protrudes above the grade.
Planner Burhop stated this was correct.
Director Fontane stated even if it was in the ground there is a special license that is an administrative standard. It is not an obligation for the City, but at their discretion. If they do put things out there they will need to sign a document that says if they have to do something and it is damaged, we pay nothing.
Vice Chair Hainsfurther stated the address column has to meet the fence code and can only be 4’ high.
Planner Burhop stated it can be 6’ which is premised on other North Shore communities and other ZBA variations.
Director Fontane stated the end caps can be a little higher.
Vice Chair Hainsfurther stated he wanted to make sure it was defined as to the maximum height.
Planner Burhop stated the way the ordinance is drafted now it allows address or ornament columns, pillars or piers up to 6’ in height except a light on top can be 1.5’. The light provision is not new to the code.
Vice Chair Hainsfurther stated he did not see a reason to define the little free libraries.
Director Fontane stated these will be coming back with revisions to the ordinance provided with clarifications. The library dimensions were researched by Planner Later. Little free libraries do not have no dimensional requirements. People have different views on little free libraries that might surprise some people and that is why they wanted to ask about it.
Chair Reinstein stated he would like someone to look at the ones that exist and measure them. There is one north of Abigail’s on St. Johns.
Director Fontane stated they are not trying to create something that will make existing ones non-conforming.
Chair Reinstein stated they wanted to know if the column has an address and hooked to a fence at the property is that alright.
Commissioner Weil agreed with Chair Reinstein and it makes sense to allow the address post in the fence to be together.
Chair Reinstein asked for additional feedback for Planner Burhop.
Commissioner Weil stated she noticed in the draft there was a word missing in Sec. A, 16, g., ii, pertaining to sports courts and it says “on corner lots sports court may into the front yard. She stated there was a word missing.
Director Fontane stated they will make revisions and clarifications so the ordinance is in final form.
Chair Reinstein asked for public comments.
Planner Cross stated there were none.
Chair Reinstein asked if they were continuing to April 20th.
Planner Cross stated yes.
Chair Reinstein entertained a motion to continue to April 20th. Commissioner Hecht so motioned, seconded by Commissioner Weil.
Ayes: Weil, Moore, Hecht, Hainsfurther, Reinstein
Nays: None
Motion passed 5-0.
Director Fontane stated there will be no additional notice.
E. Pre-App Meeting - 506 Park Ave. Multi-Family Development
Planner Cross made a presentation for the above item including project summary, site plan, building elevations - west facing St. Johns - north facing Park Ave. - east facing alley, zoning analysis, zoning relief identified, building design, renderings, design guidelines, inclusionary housing, approval process and recommendation.
Mr. Cal Bernstein, Attorney, introduced Al Klairmont, Applicant, and John Clark, Architect.
Mr. Al Klairmont, Applicant, thanked Planner Cross for his work and stated he had been a life-long resident of Highland Park, has 43 years of managing and leasing properties in Highland Park, downtown Highland Park has seen better and has to change to be relevant, they need feet on the street and vibrancy, nature of downtown has changed, retail is not what it was, need mixed use buildings with mid-rises to bring feet on the street, their block on St. Johns is somewhat dead with three banks in a row, other side of street is all parking, is proud of the project, it is a six-story building, it is 121,000 s.f., is advocating a sixth floor and they are adding a beautiful floor with spectacular views and the east faces Lake Michigan, is a first class condo building, 55 of the 60 units will be two-bedrooms, four will be one-bedrooms, and one three-bedroom, is a responsible development with much parking, 158 spaces, six charging stations for electric cars, want to have lots of parking, are proud of building, are interested in feedback.
Mr. John Clark, Cordogan Clark, Architect, thanked Planner Cross for his presentation. They are coming in a little below the height of the Chase Bank building about 73’-6”, want to relate to the materials of Chase Bank, cast stone product is the best way, want to relate to upscale residential developments, looked at Waldorf Astoria and others of a similar nature, cast stone would have a simulated bonded masonry pattern like the Waldorf, windows are grouped vertically with lintel elements, are creating upscale residential new front for the Chase Bank building, creates a new appearance and is a robust material for a building close to the train which can experience ground vibrations, granite accents at base, corner column at entrance, planter elements, at street level you do not see sixth story, can only see it from the side, most transit oriented development in Highland Park.
Mr. Bernstein stated they look forward to the Commission’s feedback and it is a work in progress.
Commissioner Hecht stated he liked it and it would be a nice addition. He asked about the target demographic and who is the audience. He thought a theater would bring some density into the central business district they need to support the businesses and restaurants. He was curious to see how the sixth story is received and was not sure it was something that would be well received. He thought this should have been done a long time ago and was glad it was here now.
Commissioner Weil stated she was impressed with the plan and thought it looked great. Her only concern was that there was not a lot of green. All over town there are planters in the sidewalk with flowers and it would be a plus. The sixth floor did not bother her and next to the bank building it did not seem hulking and fit in. The more people downtown the better including restaurants, businesses and theaters. It is sad to see how much they have lost and having people out and about would benefit all. Regarding the sixth story, it is not like they are adding density in terms in number of units.
Commissioner Moore liked the idea of new building downtown and they need to do more of it. Some of the other suburbs have these buildings that bringing people to downtown. Her concern was with the appearance and the sixth floor will be a problem in terms of acceptance from people in the community. There was a lot of neighborhood griping when the Albion went up. She compared it to downtown and the coloring is more grey and black which does not fit in. If you look at the community, there is a lot of red and orange brick and a lot of warm colors. She thought if they did something in that vein it would fit in better. It reminded her of the building across from Sunset Foods. If the façade was warmer and varied it would be more pedestrian friendly. It needs more activity and seems like a very modern building that does not fit into downtown Highland Park. It would be nice to see the building in context and how it will truly look next to the bank. They were trying to match the facades, but she did not feel the two are linked.
Vice Chair Hainsfurther stated it is too much for this property. He would like to see more attention paid to the context with the bank. Along St. Johns and Central is it two stories and he saw a big hulking structure looming over St. Johns. On the east side of the tracks there is nothing anywhere close to this much building. He did not like the sixth floor or the scaling of the massing. He wanted to see more attention paid to the materials and palette with more warm colors. He did not think the density is the only solution to issues in downtown Highland Park. It is a complex problem and he thought they were trying to over simplify a solution. He did not see a market for a one-bedroom condo and wanted to see a marketing plan. He wanted to know about the unsold condos in Highland Park and the demand for condos in Highland Park. He asked about the theater project and if they are sold out. Is there a demand for condos and if there is not what will happen to this building. If they cannot sell the condos, will they be rentals. He thought they were close to having a glut of apartments. He stressed the need to address the affordable housing component. He wanted to see more about the parking and was not convinced they have enough. He mentioned the bank parking and those people should not be asked to park in a garage. He wanted to know about guest parking. He liked the three-bedrooms, but was not sold on the two-bedrooms nor the one-bedroom. He wanted to see a traffic study on the alley to see whether it is capable of handling the traffic and it is not as wide as a street. It will have an impact and will the developer pay for the rehab of the alley as it gets used. There needs to be a discussion of public benefit and he thought it needs more refinement. It is a generic building in an area where there is character along St. Johns where you see more a Bavarian style. He was not convinced of the aesthetic with the drive through on the Chase building. Now there is a single street frontage that runs the entire block of St. Johns with no articulation. He wanted to see a careful study and more visual interest. Along Park Ave. West where the parking is on the first floor and there are some openings cut in the façade, are they glazed and what does it look like? These are pedestrian areas and these buildings seem unfriendly.
Mr. Clark stated it is translucent glazing facing Park Ave. adjacent to the parking structure until it ramps down. There is also some glazing for the entrance.
Vice Chair Hainsfurther mentioned along Park Ave. which is primarily parking and asked if that is open.
Mr. Clark stated it is translucent glazing.
Vice Chair Hainsfurther stated he wanted to see finish boards and material samples.
Chair Reinstein stated he was good on the height and setback. He wanted to see a replacement spot for the landscaping. On one of the massing renderings it looked like the building goes all the way to the street and he thought it was keeping the same setback as Chase Bank. He asked if the balconies encroached over the property line and, if so, he wanted an explanation. He was concerned about the office and bank lobby where people enter on the north side with the drive through. In the alley there are some utility pole situations and they need to be cleaned up. He was not sure he understood the parking and if it includes the bank parking requirement. They need to have something for bicycles. They should have an exhibit showing the height of the Chase Bank, the Optima building and the McGovern House building and have a comparison to other projects and maybe the Albion as well so people can compare it. He understood wanting to pick up the look of the bank building, but when he looked at the elevations he felt something was missing. He thought they were on the right track and should think about how to make St. Johns and Park Ave. better than what was presented tonight.
Mr. Bernstein thanked the Commission and stated they appreciated the feedback. They wanted to digest what had been said and come back with a project that addresses their concerns.
Mr. Klairmont stated they had heard from the Commission and their questions. Mr. Bernstein stated he had noted their comments.
Planner Cross stated they could decide if they were interested in another pre-app meeting or a public hearing.
V. OTHER BUSINESS
A. Discussion Items - None
B. Next Regular Meeting - April 20, 2021. There will be three continued items, the Bob-O Link Golf Course, the 2789 Oak and the Zoning Code Text Amendments item will come for ordinance and findings.
C. Case Briefing
Director Fontane stated documents for Albion II will be coming to Council at the end of April for approval dealing with the garage lease and some easements related to the development based on recent zoning approvals. The project will move to closing on the sale of the air rights and land involved. They expect building permit plans in June/July.
Albion I is coming along and they are doing final inspections on some of the units
VI. BUSINESS FROM THE PUBLIC - None
VII. ADJOURNMENT
Chair Reinstein entertained a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Hecht so motioned, seconded by Vice Chair Hainsfurther.
Planner Cross called the roll:
Ayes: Weil, Moore, Hecht, Hainsfurther, Reinstein
Nays: None
Motion passed 5-0.
The Plan and Design Commission adjourned at 9:35 PM.
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