Lake County Gazette

Village of Deerfield Appearance Review Commission met Oct. 23.

Here are the minutes provided by the commission:

A meeting of the Appearance Review Commission was held on Monday, October 23, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. Chairperson Sherry Flores called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

Present were:

Amy Charlson

Sherry Flores, Chairperson

Dustin Goffron

Troy Mock

Absent was:

Beth Chaitman

Jason Golub

Daniel Moons

Also Present:

Liz Delevitt, Planning & Design Specialist

Jeri Cotton, Secretary

Document Approval

Mr. Goffron moved to approve the minutes from the September 18, 2023 Appearance Review Commission meeting. Ms. Charlson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote.

Public Comment:

There was no Public Comment on non-agenda items.

Business:

1. Marshall Mall, 833-845 Waukegan Road - exterior improvements and signage

Ronnie and John Rayyan, Owners of Marshall Mall, Jerry Rayyan, Owner of Dear Franks, and Syed Hussain, Owner of Magic Sign Design were present. Mr. Ronnie Rayyan explained they would like to improve the exterior of Marshall Mall. The improvements include paint, light fixtures, signage and other cosmetic changes. He noted the west side of the mall was painted and power washed. The Commissioners believe the lighter color paint brightened up the exterior. The wood trim was painted a bronze color. Ch. Flores asked about the lighting. Mr. Rayyan explained there will be recessed lighting at each entrance. The brightness of the front five (5) fixtures are adjustable between 1700 to 2400 lumens, and the rear seven (7) fixtures are adjustable up to 6600 lumens. Mr. Mock asked about the lighting restrictions in the Deerfield Appearance Code. Ms. Delevitt explained the Code requires a minimum of 0.6-foot candles at commercial walkways and close to zero light spillage at the property line.

Mr. Rayyan explained the proposed signage will be uniform and similar to the shopping center across the street. The signs will each have black letters mounted to a ½” thick painted, aluminum backer panel and illuminated with gooseneck lighting. There will be 2-3 gooseneck fixtures on each sign. Mr. Hussain noted the signs will be 2’x10’ and have the same font style. Ch. Flores suggested not using a script font for readability; rather, the petitioner should use an easier to read serif font. The petitioners agreed. Ms. Charlson suggested using a more condensed font.

Ms. Delevitt explained in 2004, Dear Franks had a separate business that sold ice cream. Later in 2014, there were two (2) businesses with two (2) owners, and the Village granted them a 2nd sign. Mr. Jerry Rayyan explained they now have an ice cream and boba shop with a pass-thru between the businesses. They have a single owner and business, but two (2) menus, similar to Jimmy Thai having a Ramen Time menu. Ms. Delevitt explained the legal name is Dear Franks of Deerfield. Mr. Mock noted the Commission usually does not approve signs with a list of goods sold rather than the name of a business. Mr. Jerry Rayyan believes having “Dear Franks Hot Dogs” and “Ice Cream & Boba” read like one (1) sign. Ms. Charlson does not believe it looks like one (1) sign. Mr. Jerry Rayyan suggested having “Dear Franks” on the first sign and “Dear Ice Cream” on a second sign. Ch. Flores believes the separation makes it appear as multiple businesses. She noted Jimmy Thai wanted two (2) signs but the Commission requested “Jimmy Thai” and “Ramen Time” on two (2) lines of the same sign. Mr. Hussain suggested putting them together on the sign. Mr. Goffron believes “Dear Franks Ice Cream & Boba” would be too crowded on the sign. He is okay how it is proposed. Mr. Jerry Rayyan suggested having two (2) signs: “Dear Franks” and “Dear Ice Cream & Boba”. Mr. Mock is not in favor of listing products, but would be okay with “Dear Franks Ice Cream” or “Dear Franks Boba”. Mr. Goffron agrees with “Dear Franks Ice Cream” for the 2nd sign. The Commissioners are okay with the second sign. Ch. Flores noted they already have a window sign that says everything.

Mr. Goffron moved to approve the exterior improvements for Marshall Mall as presented. The signage will include white backer panels with black lettering as presented with gooseneck fixtures. The font will be a serif font that will be clear and legible from the street. Dear Franks will have two (2) signs. The first will have “Dear Franks Hot Dogs” and the second will have either “Dear Franks Ice Cream” or “Dear Franks Boba”. The revised sign drawings are to be reviewed by Staff and Chairperson Flores for compliance with the approval. Ms. Charlson seconded the motion. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Charlson, Goffron, Mock, Flores (4)

NAYS: None (0)

2. The Wild Roaster, 601 Lake Cook Road - Pylon Sign Panels 

Kaye Kharasch, Owner of The Wild Roaster, explained she has been at her location for six (6) years. She rents from Metra but does not currently have panels on the pylon sign at the Lake Cook Road entrance. She hopes a sign will attract business. The proposed signage has “The Wild Roaster” on the top line and “Coffee Roaster and Cafe” on the bottom line. The business logo is to the right of the lettering. Ms. Delevitt noted the legal business name is The Wild Roaster. Ms. Kharasch explained they are a roaster as well as a cafe and many people do not realize that. Ch. Flores believes they have a hardship, because they are located within the Metra station. She does not think the logo is visible enough from Lake Cook Road and suggests removing it. Ms. Kharasch believes the logo is imperative to her branding. She noted the logo establishes their identity as an artisanal coffee roaster. 50% of her business is bean sales and geared toward people that are passionate about their coffee. Mr. Goffron is okay with the logo but suggested reversing the colors. Ms. Charlson suggested thickening the lines of the logo to make the signage more readable. Ms. Delevitt showed the original submission that had the logo, additional words and phone number. She noted the proposed panel is an improvement.

Ms. Charlson moved to approve The Wild Roaster sign panels with the text as submitted, but increasing the thickness of the line art of the logo to be more readable. The Owner will resubmit the artwork to Staff and Ch. Flores for review. Mr. Mock seconded the motion. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Charlson, Goffron, Mock, Flores (4)

NAYS: None (0)

Items from Staff:

Ms. Delevitt noted the Board of Trustees approved Floor & Decor’s appeal of the ARC’s decision to deny their Customer Pick-Up Unit (CPU). She noted Floor & Decor made additional safety changes based on the ARC’s review. The Mayor praised the ARC’s hard work at the Board meeting.

Items from the Commission:

Mr. Mock noted Bobby’s Deerfield had some white plastic wrapped around the bottom of their outdoor patio enclosure. Ms. Charlson does not believe it looks clean. Ms. Delevitt explained there have been ongoing issues with tents and furniture storage in that location. She will reach out to the restaurant and have it removed. Ch. Flores noted Aloha Poke restaurant has window signage over 20 percent.

Adjournment

There being no further business or discussion, Mr. Mock moved to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Goffron seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:43 pm.

The next Appearance Review Commission meeting will be November 27, 2023 at 7:30 pm.

https://www.deerfield.il.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10232023-1038