DeKalb Times

City of Sycamore Planning & Zoning Commission met May 13.

Here is the agenda provided by the commission:

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Chairperson Bill Davey called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and City Clerk Mary Kalk called the roll. The Commissioners present were Dave Finney, Eric Jones, Nate Kitterman, Ted Strack who arrived at 6:01 pm after roll call, Chuck Stowe, Matt Woodstrup, Alan Zantout, and Doug Breunlin. Commissioners Nancy Copple, Eli Hamingson, and Rachel Sauber were absent. Others present were City Manager Michael Hall, City Attorney Kevin Buick, Director of Community Development John Sauter, and City Engineer Mark Bushnell.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Motion- Commissioner Jones moved to approve the agenda 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 8-0.

CONSENT AGENDA

A. Approval of the Minutes for the Meeting of April 8, 2024.

Motion- Commissioner Finney moved to approve the Minutes of the April 8, 2024, meeting, and Commissioner Woodstrup seconded the motion.

Voice Vote Chairperson Davey called for a voice vote to approve the motion. All Commissioners present voted aye. Motion carried 9- 0.

AUDIENCE TO VISITORS

NEW BUSINESS / ACTION ITEMS

WORKSHOPS

A. Consideration of a Request by Brian Grainger of Old Mill Park, LLC for Review of an Amendment to a Special Use Permit for a Planned Unit Development for Approximately 18.65 Acres Located at Northwest Corner of IL Route 233 and Mt. Hunger Road in Sycamore, Illinois in Accordance with Article 4.3 of the City's Unified Development Ordinance (PIN Number 06-29-427-027).

Commissioner Ted Strack announced that he is a contract employee for Brian Grainger so will recuse himself from any vote or discussions that relate to this project unless somebody has specific question for him.

City Manager Michael Hall said that this is a workshop with no action being taken. He gave a recap from the agenda in that this project was originally approved with 21 four-unit buildings or 84 units. They are proposing a change for 16 of the 21 buildings to go from four- units to six-units taking the total number of units from 84 to 116 units. He said that Community Development Director John Sauter did a great job of laying out the details in the agenda of the proposed covering: Density, Lot Coverage, Lot Development Standards, Parking, Emergency Access, Traffic, Roadways, & Driveways, Paths & Connectivity, Landscaping & Buffers, Grading, Watermain, Sanitary Sewer & Storm Water Detention, and Utilities.

Chairperson Davey started by addressing the density saying that this is getting into high density and that this would vary all deficient lot and development standards if approved as per the agenda.

Community Development Director John Sauter said that a component of a Planned Unit Development is the ability to vary from those requirements to achieve the goal.

Commissioner Kitterman inquired about the status of the eastbound, left-hand turn lane on Mt. Hunger Road.

City Engineer Mark Bushnell said with the original development, there was discussion for need of a dedicated left-turn lane. The agreement that was reached was that the developer provided the right-of-way. The preliminary discussions about what is needed in the next phase will be dependent on revised traffic calculations.

In responding to questions or comments, Community Development Director John Sauter said the timeline depends on the commissions feedback on how to proceed. Regarding on-street parking, the road is not changing and is the same as the first proposal. The other departments have preliminarily been consulted but the fire department will be heavily involved with response time and turning radius.

City Engineer Mark Bushnell said that Public Works didn't have any issues with the layout with the exception the mains going from four-units to six-units.

Roy Smith, Grainger Properties, provided layout (included here within) and responded when asked the reason for the increase, saying that 2015 was a different time being pre-COVID, pre-inflation, and because it's getting tougher and tougher to build a home for a reasonable amount of money. They are trying to meet the needs of the 55-year-old plus community and go more toward the median price of a home in Sycamore which is roughly $350,000 per Realtor.com. They are looking to do more units, smaller, more energy efficient, and to keep Sycamore people. He said there will be two one-bedroom units in each of the six-unit buildings, taking out the three-car garages making them all two-car garages.

Community Development Director John Sauter mentioned that for the workshop 18.65 acres were used but will be verified. He confirmed that per the development agreement, these units will not be rentals. There was discussion about the setbacks which can be looked at as per the agenda.

Ken Nelson, 23737 County Line Road, Maple Park, commented that building #2 hadn't changed and said that "some of the IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) things have changed since this project has started".

Community Development Director John Sauter reviewed the Lot Development Standards from the agenda for the buildings.

Commissioner Zantout said that a couple of those buildings feel a bit close. If they removed four units, it would no longer be high density and they could move the units back giving more room.

Ken Nelson asked, "what is density? Usually, density is different with age" but said "how do you describe high density"?

Community Development Director John Sauter said the density comes from the Comprehensive Plan drafted for Sycamore and does not differentiate between 55-year-olds and 30-year-olds.

Commissioner Finney said this is a lot of people with one little entrance along with the density.

Commissioner Woodstrup said they are adding more traffic with the other residents going to the north phase to the clubhouse and even adding pedestrian traffic or golf carts.

Community Development Director John Sauter addressed questions regarding the club house, saying that there is no minimum size but would have a maximum capacity. He added that with potentially 32 additional residents, density from the city's perspective is looking at traffic, left turn lanes, and what those additional residents will do to the traffic and city emergency responses. He said the traffic study would probably be the next step and would tell a lot.

Kathy Nuss, 26 Briden Lane, said that the traffic is minimal and that a lot of people would love to live at Old Mill Park but can't afford it. This is opening the door to others and doesn't see any negative, only positive. When asked, she said that "quite a bit" of the units are single occupancy.

Commissioner Finney is concerned with the turn radius with all those buildings being closer.

Community Development Director John Sauter added that it's not just the traffic for Old Mill Park as it is all the traffic on Mt. Hunger Road and Townsend Woods to look at cumulatively. We don't want a backup at Route 23.

Commissioner Stowe said that the density still worries him and said they "are cramming too much into something they had already figured out". He said that they were even worried about the traffic and another exit before this and said with this many units, "this is putting a lot of stuff in there, it's too much".

Bonnie Rogers, 35 Briden Lane, said she is "going against the grain but thinks this is also saturation". She likes the idea of having the five basement units on the south end but said that the six units on the west end could be better utilized as the same type as on the south side by being less crowded with more green space. She suggested having buildings #9 through #18 be four-plex's but have 1,100, 1,440, and maybe two 1,700 square feet buildings having a decent size patio and two-car garage. She thinks the smaller footprint and more green space would make for a safer environment. She said there needs to be a second entrance but said the left-hand turn lane off Mt. Hunger Road is good. She thinks putting in all the six-plex's takes away from the luxury part of it. She is not for it.

John Blumberg, CES Engineer said that the storm water, storm sewer, water services, and entrance services will be redone and submitted to the city for approval. With the new layout, the storm sewer will be adjusted slightly, and the storm sewer retention will most likely have a small retaining wall.

Commissioner Eric Jones asked if the traffic study would also look at location entrance.

City Engineer Mark Bushnell said it will look at the existing traffic projected out 20 years that would impact the development, the level of service at the entrance, as well as looking at alternatives.

Community Development Director John Sauter asked the commission for direction for the petitioner.

Commissioner Woodstrup said he would be happier if buildings #2 and #9 were not in the plan and if the buildings were rearranged for more green space.

Commissioner Finney said that he likes Bonnie Rogers proposal providing more green space and lesser density.

Commissioner Kitterman agreed with Dave Finney and Chuck Stowe about the density and is vehemently opposed to the 6.2 or 6.6 units per acre. Every step needs to be taken to keep it down to medium density. He is open-minded to a compromise, but a 28% increase in what the commission debated over two and a half years ago is unacceptable.

Commissioner Stowe said what he remembers from the debate last time about density is that they were pressing very hard for a second entrance but were told it was not feasible and ended up allowing the extra building anyway. They were pushing for a less density than what it is now and said the only thing he is willing to suggest is that the first plan works pretty good. He said that one way to do it is by adjusting some of the newer buildings onto the old plan with the same density.

Commissioner Jones stated he wasn't part of the original debate but said density going from 5.99 to 6.2 units per acres is not a personal issue, however, he does have traffic concerns about Mt. Hunger Road.

Chairperson Davey said it's a big increase from the previous.

Commissioner Zantout is concerned with some of the buildings feeling close in the current proposal and said these in the new proposal feel closer.

Roy Smith said they will consider the comments.

Commissioner Doug Breunlin asked for them to consider the comments and see if adjustments are possible.

Chairperson Davey said they will schedule another workshop for proposal.

ADJOURNMENT

Motion

Commissioner Kitterman moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:06 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 9 -0.

https://www.cityofsycamore.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_05132024-290