DeKalb Times

City of Sycamore Planning and Zoning Commission met Dec. 13.

Here are the minutes provided by the commission:

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 

Chairperson Bill Davey called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. and City Clerk Mary Kalk called the roll. Those Commissioners present were Rachel Sauber, Nathan Schwartz, Chuck Stowe, Matt Woodstrup, Alan Zantout, Dave Finney, Nate Kitterman, Eli Hamingson, and Stephen Nelson. Commissioner Ted Strack was physically in attendance but did not participate as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Commissioner Sarah Gallagher-Chami was absent. Others present were Acting City Manager Maggie Peck, City Attorney Keith Foster, Director of Community Development John Sauter, and City Engineer Mark Bushnell.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA 

Acting City Manager Maggie Peck amended the agenda to correct Consideration A to “located NORTH of Mt. Hunger Road”.

Motion- Commissioner Schwartz moved to approve the agenda as amended and Commissioner Nelson seconded the motion. 

Voice Vote Chairperson Davey called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Commissioners present voted aye. Motion carried 10- 0.

CONSENT AGENDA 

A. Approval of Minutes from the July 12, 2021 Regular Meeting

Motion- Commissioner Kitterman moved to approve the Minutes of the July 12, 2021 meeting. Commissioner Finney seconded the motion.

Voice Vote Chairperson Davey called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Commissioners present voted aye. Motion carried 10- 0.

AUDIENCE TO VISITORS 

WORKSHOPS 

A. Consideration of a Development Proposal by Brian Grainger of Old Mill Park, LLC for Phase II of the Old Mill Park Active Adult 55+ Luxury Townhome Development. 

Acting City Manager Maggie Peck gave a brief background per the agenda and said the petitioner intends to develop a second phase of Old Mill Park north of Mt. Hunger Road and south of Maplewood Drive. The property is 18.65 acres and would be a continuation of the Old Mill Park subdivision. Mr. Grainger hopes to construct twenty-one, four-unit buildings (84 units total) arranged similar to the first phase, with a botanical garden, a clubhouse and indoor swimming pool that would serve both phases. In order to develop the property in this fashion it would need to be re-zoned from the current C-3, Highway Business District zoning to R-3, Multi-Family Residential. The proposed development is an active adult age 55+ luxury townhome development. She said that staff has suggested a plan to Mr. Grainger that depicted all residential for uniformity, traffic regulation, and safety concerns as this is a high traffic and pedestrian area. She said that some of the details and feedback can be incorporated into the final development plan but she wanted the commission to see the concept plan prior to the rezoning questions. When reviewing, she asked the commission to consider the continuation of the active adult development fits with the residential development in the Comprehensive Plan which states the goals to “Maintain a primarily single-family character of the community’s housing stock, but evaluate the potential to introduce more diversity in housing options in order to attract a variety of residents” and to “pursue the development of senior living neighborhoods or senior housing options near walkable centers, such as the downtown”.

Brian Grainger gave a PowerPoint background of the entire project from 2019 to present. He noted the public improvements that were completed which include Townsend Woods Phase 5 repaving with curb repair and ramps, bike path along Mt. Hunger Road, the traffic signal, expanded the Park District parking lot, added a drinking fountain, and ran power to the pavilion. For the sales side, the first phase south of Mt. Hunger Road is 48 homes. They have sold 23 of which 18 have closed and the average sales price this year was $433,200. For the concept, he said they envision doing the same building maintaining the same footprint as a 1,800 square foot ranch with a three-car garage. Overall, it’s 20% less dense than the south, better setbacks for green space, botanical garden, clubhouse with indoor pool, pickle ball court, fountain, benches throughout, gas lights, unique sign, and brick mailboxes.

Nate Kitterman asked if there are any plans for pedestrian control or foot traffic going from the south side to the north side since there is so much community activity proposed on the new section. Also, he said the indoor pool will have to be a large pool to accommodate 110 units per IDPH (Illinois Department of Public Health) rules.

Brian Grainger said that an option is a crosswalk. Staff suggested a sidewalk using the existing crosswalk. He will leave the pool up to the experts that are designing the clubhouse, but said that all the residents won’t be there on the same day. They look at the average occupancy.

Director Community Development John Sauter said that they have looked into this and there is no codified regulations for the size of the pool based on the number of residents, however, they can regulate per the International Code limiting the number of occupancy. They will look at it when it comes to that point.

David Finney said, going back to the sidewalk, that he would like to see the sidewalk extend into the next housing development.

Maggie Peck said that sidewalk would end at the subdivision. She said, from a staff standpoint, their concern was the safety of people coming from Phase I crossing over Mt. Hunger Road. They were thinking they would go down to the light, cross over, and come back as that seems like the most logical.

Nathan Schwartz asked if it is a bike path or sidewalk along the north side of Maplewood.

Brian Grainger said it is currently a bike path that is in pretty bad condition but said that would be replaced with a sidewalk tying into the sidewalk by the community to the east.

Matt Woodstrup added that these communities end up using golf carts and need to think about how that might end up happening.

Bill Davey asked if there will be any internal sidewalks.

Brian Grainger said yes, there will be sidewalks all around the inside of the inner circle ending at building 21. Alan Zantout asked about the emergency exits.

Brian Grainger said the Maplewood Drive intersection is a very congested intersection and having an entrance north of the community seems likely to him that the parents would start to pile into the entrance to wait for their children, therefore, becoming a loading zone. He said that keeping the entrances together (for both the north and south on Mt. Hunger Road) and having the emergency entrance (on Illinois Route 23) seemed like a good fit. He said that they envision doing a similar type thing setting up bollards to restrict cars but with enough space for a car to pull off the road.

Mark Bushnell said that there is an existing traffic issue at Maplewood for middle school pickup. They have been working with the school district on alleviating that. The school district has also explored access onto Route 23 via a right-out. Those are in the works but with no immediate plans however, it would alleviate it in the long term. Access onto Route 23, will ultimately be up to IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) and have to be approved by them.

Eli Hamingson asked if there is room for a left hand turn lane off of Mt. Hunger Road or if that strictly a two-lane road as a single lane of traffic waiting to turn left onto Route 23 could back up to the entrance of the proposed phase entrance.

Brian Grainger said there is a regulation how far the entrance intersection must be from an IDOT intersection but said he has not seen the traffic backed up to that far.

Mark Bushnell said the way the site sits now, it has three access points but it is also zoned commercial. With a switch to residential, if it was one access point, they would request some verification that there wouldn’t be traffic backing up. The UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) encourages two points of access but that will be part of the PUD (Planned Unit Development) process.

Brian Grainger said they did a traffic study at a different age-restricted community and in changing from a traditional single family zoning to an age-restricted zoning, reduced the traffic count as retirees make fewer trips per day, at non-peak hours, and not in bad weather. When asked when the 100% buildout would be, he said that their homes are so custom that they target doing 12-16 units (3-4 buildings) a year or less. They build them as people buy them.

Nathan Schwartz said it would make more sense to have a connection to the path or sidewalk along Maplewood. If that emergency access was moved to the north end, it would not be on the main road, and on the side road which is usually preferred when designing from scratch. With the bollards, there wouldn’t be the parents parking or cut through traffic but it would still allow the residents to access the public street. He recommends the petitioner extends that conversation with staff.

Chuck Stowe said whether you put in an emergency access or not, you might want to put in sidewalk or walk way connecting to the north as people just may cut making a path anyway.

John Sauter added that the UDO requires multiple routes and connections to move about the neighborhood. As it stands, this concept plan only has one public access into the subdivision. Phase I was limited and could only do one there where this does have the ability to have two points of access. He did say that the items laid out in the UDO are guides but wanted to note it so

the commission has the opportunity to think about it. This could work fine but it is a deviation from what is typically seen per the UDO.

Brian Grainger gave examples of age-restrictive or age-targeted communities including Krpan’s Croatian Court Subdivision, Krpan’s Foxpointe Drive, and Somerset Farm which all have one entrance which gives a sense of safety. He thinks it is a deviation to create two entrances as it would be the only time it would be done in the community for this type of product. He said it’s a good and thoughtful process in the UDO but for an age-restrictive or age-targeted community, it’s a unique benefit because the traffic flow is less and the single access creates a feeling of security.

Mark Bushnell said they did reach out to the Police Department who said their biggest complaint they get is just from congestion not cut-through traffic.

Bill Davey said there is some merit to what Mr. Grainger is saying as he remembers the exact argument at Krpan’s Foxpointe and said he doesn’t think it’s been a problem.

John Sauter said he doesn’t think there’s been a problem, it’s just an item that had come up in discussion when they talked to Fire and Police. They wanted to put it before the commission for consideration. He noted that the two Krpan’s subdivisions and Somerset Farms are very similar to the south side of Old Mill Park Phase I in that they were limited and only had one way in and one way out. There was no alternative. Unlike the north side of Phase II, there is an alternative. The staff is not lobbying for another entrance there but thought it warranted discussion.

Matt Woodstrup said in reference to retirees who may not have a car, asked where they catch a bus.

Brian Grainger said he sees some residents at Somerset Farm use TransVac but they don’t see a lot of people taking a bus as their family drives them.

NEW BUSINESS / ACTION ITEMS 

A. Consideration of a request by Brian Grainger of Old Mill Park, LLC for a change of zoning of the property located  south of Mt. Hunger Road and Route 23 (PIN numbers 0629427001, 0629427002, 0629427003 and 0629427004) constituting 18.65 acres from the current zoning of C-3, Highway Business District to R-3, Multi-Family Residential  District. 

Acting City Manager Maggie Peck said that a notice of a Public Hearing was published in the local newspaper, signs posted on the subject property and mailers sent to neighbors within 250 feet. The purpose of this action item is to consider the petition to rezone it from C-3 to R-3 so the petitioner can continue to work on details for Phase II. As with Phase I, Council approval of Phase II would be conditioned on the approval of a final plat, a planned development agreement, and plan for an age-restricted housing project substantially similar to the concept plan.

Motion 

Commissioner Zantout moved to forward a favorable recommendation to the City Council and Commissioner Kitterman seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote Chairperson Davey called for a roll call vote to approve the motion. Commissioners Sauber, Schwartz, Stowe, Woodstrup, Zantout, Finney, Kitterman, Hamingson, Nelson, and Chairperson Davey voted aye. Motion carried 10- 0.

Maggie Peck reported that there will be a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting in January.

ADJOURNMENT 

Motion 

Commissioner Kitterman moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:04 p.m. and Commissioner Zantout seconded the motion. Voice Vote Chairperson Davey called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Commissioners present voted aye. Motion carried 10- 0.

https://cityofsycamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/plan20211213.pdf