Plan and Design Commission

1 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING 2 PLAN AND DESIGN COMMISSION 3 OF THE CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS 4 5 6 MEETING DATE: Tuesday, January 20, 2026 7 8 MEETING LOCATION: Council Chambers, City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Avenue, Highland Park, IL 9 10 CALL TO ORDER 11 At 7:01 p.m., Chairperson Kerch called the meeting to order. Staff was asked to call the roll. 12 13 ROLL CALL 14 Commissioners Present: Chairperson Kerch; Commissioners Fettner, Ihnchak, Mantis, Moore, & Nanus 15 16 Commissioners Absent: Commissioner Henry 17 18 Councilmember Present: Ross 19 20 Student Council Absent: Fallas 21 22 Staff declared that a quorum was present. 23 24 Guests Present: Katie Jahnke Dale, Partner/DLA Piper 25 26 Staff Present: Fontane & Burhop 27 28 Others Present: Marcus Martinez, Corporation Counsel/Elrod Friedman LLP 29 Gale Cerabona/Recorder 30 31 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 32 Regular Meeting of the Plan and Design Commission – January 6, 2026 33 34 Commissioner Nanus moved to approve the January 6, 2026, PDC regular meeting minutes. Commissioner 35 Mantis seconded the motion. 36 37 Commissioner Moore amended, on Page 3, Line 11, that 80 square feet be replaced with 80,000 square feet. 38 39 Commissioners Nanus & Mantis accepted the amendment. 40 41 On a voice vote 42 Voting Yea Chairperson Kerch; Commissioners Ihnchak, Mantis, Moore, & Nanus 43 Voting Nay: None 44 Abstain: Commissioner Fettner 45 46 Chairperson Kerch declared that the motion passed 5-0. 47 48 SCHEDULED BUSINESS Plan and Design Review Commission Minutes January 20, 2026 - Page 1  1 1. Public Hearing #PUD-2025-00041 for the following: (1) a public hearing for a Special Use Permit for an 2 Off-Street Parking Lot, Freestanding; (2) a public meeting for a Special Use Permit in the Nature of a Final 3 Planned Development with modifications from City Code; (3) a public meeting for Final Plat of Re- 4 subdivision with variations and waivers; and (4) a public meeting for Design Review for a 227 residential-unit 5 townhome development (1660 and 1700 Old Deerfield Road) 6 7 Senior Planner Burhop reviewed the proposal: 8 • Recommendation 9 • Project Summary 10 o 227 residential-townhome units 11 o widening Old Deerfield Road 12 o landscaping 13 o additional Off-Street Parking 14 • Site Plan 15 • Aerial View was shown 16 • Commission & City Council Considerations 17 • Changes 18 o Off-Street Parking Lot 19 o engineering, storm water management 20 o traffic, sound mitigation 21 o landscaping detail 22 • Special Use Permit, Off-Street Parking Lot, Freestanding 23 o RM1 zoning district (Conditional Use) 24 o 2.5’ landscaping strip 25 o sidewalk along Old Deerfield Road 26 • Final Engineering Plans & Final Plat (changes from January 9, 2026) 27 • Landscaping 28 • Exterior Lighting 29 • Devonshire Court – Ridge Road & Old Deerfield Road – RR Intersection Updates 30 o crosswalk now on south side 31 • Other New Items 32 o acoustics 33 o remediation schedule 34 o construction-site logistics plan 35 • City or Agency Comments 36 • Modifications – Subdivision with Changes 37 • Modifications – Zoning 38 • Modifications – Zoning with Changes 39 • Modifications – Zoning & Fence (Additional Relief) 40 • Conditions 41 • Recommendation 42 • Public Benefit 43 • Specific Conditions 44 • Variations 45 46 Chairperson Kerch swore in Ms. Katie Jahnke Dale, Partner with DLA Piper, who stated her team would 47 respond to questions. Plan and Design Review Commission Minutes January 20, 2026 - Page 2  1 2 Some PDC comments are: 3 • Commissioner Nanus asked if the parking lot would still be their property. Ms. Jahnke Dale said yes. 4 • Commissioner Fettner asked, regarding the construction-traffic exhibit, if all access is through the 5 access road. Senior Planner Burhop said yes. 6 • Commissioner Ihnchak asked about wetland easement and maintenance. Senior Planner Burhop 7 said there was a Condition related to open space. He displayed, read, and explained same. He stated 8 the Applicant is responsible for maintenance. Ms. Jahnke Dale concurred, as they privately own it. 9 10 Chairperson Kerch asked if anyone in the audience wished to speak. The following came forward and was 11 sworn in: 12 • Laurie Broutman asked, regarding the environmental site, if other Applicants have done this. She 13 asked if remediation or clean-up was done by Solo Cup. Ms. Broutman asked if a plastics clean-up 14 was done, if water in storage will affect nearby homes, light pollution, environmental impact on 15 water quality of nearby homes, harm to wetlands, follows the Master Plan, etc. 16 17 Corporation Counsel Martinez stated what’s before the PDC (i.e. changes). 18 19 Chairperson Kerch stated many questions have been answered – remediation, etc. 20 21 Corporation Counsel said a no further remediation letter will come from the Illinois Environmental 22 Protection Agency/IEPA. He noted the IEPA hasn’t looked into it. Senior Planner Burhop said, 23 regarding environmental concerns, a letter of no remediation would be provided by the IEPA. 24 25 Commissioner Moore said this has been reviewed by storm water management, City Engineers. 26 Senior Planner Burhop said he verified that Lake County Storm Water Commission is reviewing this. 27 28 Chairperson Kerch said all of these things will be reviewed throughout this process. Senior Planner 29 Burhop reminded Ms. Broutman’s email is in the packet. He said anyone can contact him, and he 30 would review Ms. Broutman’s email with her. 31 32 • Martin Karp asked where the responsibility lies in the future if the traffic impact is underestimated. 33 Chairperson Kerch said the Petitioner will have to fund future traffic studies if necessary. Senior 34 Planner Burhop reminded this is a Condition and read same. 35 • Sandy Lurie said nearby residents believe the crosswalk is unnecessary. She wonders why the 36 location of the crosswalk changed. Ms. Lurie noted KLOA is making a measurement. The crosswalk 37 at Devonshire & Ridge is dangerous. Neighbors don’t want trees cut down. With the crosswalk on 38 the other side, one has less time. A sidewalk could be placed from the last house to Woodland Trail. 39 This sets up the community for danger. She stated this is not a public benefit. 40 41 Commissioner Fettner asked if it is a standard crosswalk or one with a light. Senior Planner Burhop 42 replied it’s a crosswalk with markings on the pavement. 43 44 • Ms. Lurie returned and asked if a stop sign could be placed; addresses safety issue. 45 46 Commissioner Nanus advised there is a Traffic Commission. Director Fontane said this issue was 47 already reviewed. Plan and Design Review Commission Minutes January 20, 2026 - Page 3  1 2 Commissioner Moore moved to adopt Findings of Fact for the Final PUD, the SUP for the off-street parking 3 lot, freestanding, and the Final Plat, with 9 updates and modifications/Conditions 4 presented by Staff. Commissioner Mantis seconded the motion. 5 6 On a voice vote 7 Voting Yea Commissioners Fettner, Ihnchak, Mantis, Moore, & Nanus 8 Voting Nay: Chairperson Kerch 9 10 Director Fontane declared that the motion passed 5-1. 11 12 Commissioner Moore moved to approve Design Review. Commissioner Fettner seconded the motion. 13 14 On a voice vote 15 Voting Yea Commissioners Fettner, Ihnchak, Mantis, Moore, & Nanus 16 Voting Nay: Chairperson Kerch 17 18 Director Fontane declared that the motion passed 5-1. 19 20 OTHER BUSINESS 21 1. Information Item: Administrative Design Review Update 22 There were no updates. 23 24 2. Next Regular Meeting – February 3, 2026 25 The next regular meeting will be February 3, 2026, in City Hall at 7 p.m. 26 27 3. Case Briefing 28 Director Fontane advised City Council approved 734 Central Avenue. 29 30 BUSINESS FROM THE PUBLIC 31 There was no Business from the Public. 32 33 ADJOURNMENT 34 Commissioner Nanus moved to adjourn at 8:15 p.m. Commissioner Mantis seconded the motion. 35 36 On a voice vote 37 Voting Yea Chairperson Kerch; Commissioners Henry, Ihnchak, Mantis, Moore, & Nanus 38 Voting Nay: None 39 40 Chairperson Kerch declared that the motion passed unanimously. 41 42 Respectfully Submitted, 43 44 Gale Cerabona 45 Recorder 46 47 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING ON JANUARY 6, 2026, WERE APPROVED WITH CORRECTIONS. Plan and Design Review Commission Minutes January 20, 2026 - Page 4