Plan Commission

MINUTES Plan Commission Regular Meeting Village Hall 1900 Hassell Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169 November 19, 2025 Council Chambers 6:30 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chairperson Chhatwani called the meeting to order at 06:30 PM. Commissioners Present: Kendra Alexander, Adam Bauske, Rajkumari Chhatwani, Lon Harner, Lenard Henderson, Daniel Lee, Minerva Milford, Nancy Trieb, John Wise Commissioners Absent: None. A quorum was present. Administrative Personnel Present: Jenny Horn, Director of Planning & Transportation; James Donahue, Senior Planner; Daisy Dose-Adamzadeh, Planner II 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Plan Commission 11-05-2025 Motion by Commissioner Harner, seconded by Commissioner Henderson, to approve the November 05, 2025, regular meeting minutes. Voice vote taken. Ayes - 9 I Nays - 0 I (Abstain: None). Motion Passed. 4. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT Chairperson Chhatwani stated the Variation from Section 9-5-5-D-5 of the Municipal Code to permit a combined side yard setback of 12 feet instead of the minimum required 15 feet for the property at 3992 N. Parkside Drive was approved by the Village Board on November 17, 2025. Chairperson Chhatwani wished the Commissioners and Staff a Happy Thanksgiving. Chairperson Chhatwani thanked the Commissioners and Staff for their support, guidance Page 1 November 19, 2025 Village of Hoffman Estates Plan Commission and the work they complete prior to each meeting to ensure a smooth process. 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Special Use for a Planned Development for Grand Reserve of Hoffman Estates located at 2300 W. Higgins Road Motion by .Commissioner Harner, seconded by Commissioner Henderson, to open the Public Hearing. Voice vote taken. Ayes - 9 I Nays - 0 I (Abstain: None). Motion Passed. Chairperson Chhatwani swore in the petitioner. Phil Domenico (Synergy Development) Phil Domenico presented an overview of the project. James Donahue presented an overview of the staff report. Commissioner Lee requested time to prepare his questions. Commissioner Milford asked if each building would have elevators. Mr. Domenico stated yes, the buildings will be fully ADA accessible with multiple elevators. Commissioner Milford asked if there would be enough perimeter lighting. Mr. Domenico stated the project submittal included a complete photometric study that met code requirements for safety and lighting. Commissioner Wise commented about the location of the pool, but had no further questions. Commissioner Alexander asked about the target demographic for the project. Mr. Domenico stated they do not see a lot of families with children in their developments; it is typically a younger demographic. Commissioner Alexander asked whether a heat map had been generated since the site is currently a parking lot and vacant lot, specifically the literal heat, and if there is a difference between what the temperature currently is versus the projected temperature caused by the development. Mr. Domenico stated there was not a heat study performed. Commissioner Alexander asked about the average rent for the development. Mr. Domenico stated rent would range from approximately $1,800 to $3,000; this is comparable to other luxury multi-family locations around the area. Commissioner Alexander asked if there would be ADA-accessible units available as well. Mr. Domenico stated it is a requirement; there would be several units, though he did not know the exact percentage that would be available for each unit type. Commissioner Trieb asked about weekly trash pickup. Mr. Domenico stated that there are Page 2 November 19, 2025 Village of Hoffman Estates Plan Commission dumpsters, compactors, and trash chutes within each building. If the need arises, the frequency of dumpster replacement could be increased. Commissioner Trieb asked about parking with relation to snow removal and how this will be managed. Mr. Domenico stated that they rely on parking islands. Snow removal is a monthly contract, not per trip, so this is professionally managed and maintained. Commissioner Harner asked staff if this would be the only time the developer would be presenting to the Commission, or would they be returning at a later date. Mr. Donahue stated this was the only time they would be presenting before the Commission. There are still some engineering items that need to be reviewed and completed, but do not require Commission review. Commissioner Harner asked staff if the Commission would no longer be reviewing materials as part of the presentation, as had been the standard in the past Planning & Zoning Commission meetings. Mr. Donahue stated samples could be provided if the Commission desired, but Plan Development submittal does not require this. Commissioner Harner asked how the Developer expects to participate in the community. Mr. Domenico stated, as an example, in Yorktown, where the community is further along in the development process, they are working closely with the Village to maintain a park/ green space, and are sponsoring community events. The community manager is engaged with residents and the local community. Commissioner Harner was glad to hear this as he is seeing a lot of commonality between this development and what is happening at the BellWorks development on the north side of Hoffman Estates. Commissioner Harner asked how recycling would be addressed. Mr. Domenico stated recycling is collected separately within the trash area on each floor, which the building engineer collects. He then separates the recycling in the trash room on the first floor. Since there is demand for this service, they will continue to provide it. Commissioner Harner asked how much contact the developer has had with the Park District with regard to outdoor space. Mr. Domenico stated they have not had direct engagement with the Park District, but rather did a cash-in-lieu at the request of the Park District review comments. Mr. Donahue stated that the amount of funding the developer is providing for the Park District by way of this fee offers a better option, since there are many amenities which are available for use by the residents. Commissioner Harner asked whether the developer has considered using rooftop space for gardens or solar panels? Mr. Domenico stated they have not programmed in any plans for tenant access to the roofs due to the expense of running elevators and stairwells to the spaces. While they have looked at solar, they have not seen a compelling economic incentive for this option; the current building envelope is very energy efficient. Commissioner Harner stated he had questions regarding the Findings of Fact and asked whether the Commissioners could return to this line of discussion after the questions to the developer have been completed. Mr. Donahue stated this would be okay. Commissioner Henderson stated he was happy about the elevators on the property. Page3 November 19, 2025 Village of Hoffman Estates Plan Commission Commissioner Henderson stated that within the past few years, the Village had finally made adjustments to address flooding concerns in the parking lot on this site; how well has the developer planned for the stormwater design so flooding does not occur after the site is developed? Chairperson Chhatwani swore in another petitioner for the development. Jenna Greenlees (V3 Companies) Ms. Greenlees responded to Commissioner Henderson's question about the stormwater design, stating the new development has volume control underground systems and the basin north of the mall as well as other existing underground water storage. Commissioner Henderson clarified in his inquiry that the developer was not anticipating flooding, to which Ms. Greenlees stated no, flooding was not anticipated. Commissioner Henderson further asked if the roof runoff system was part of the plan which Ms. Greenlees described, to which Ms. Greenlees stated yes. Commissioner Henderson asked if there was a plan to have Pace Bus transit services at the facility. Mr. Donahue stated there is a Pace route that runs nearby, but that he is unsure if Pace has the ability to create a new route to the site. Mr. Donahue stated it is something they can discuss with Pace. Commissioner Henderson asked about construction routing, and whether they would be disturbing anyone during the construction. Mr. Domenico stated Phase 1 would not likely affect access, but they would actively work for staging during Phase 2 to avoid disruptions. Commissioner Henderson stated that the Seasons development, which is located not far away, has a similar clientele; would this be a problem for the new development? Mr. Domenico stated no; the development he is representing is unique, offering different amenities than the Season development. Commissioner Lee asked if there would be security cameras on site. Mr. Domenico stated yes, and in addition to security cameras, the facility has access control key cards for entry into the building, parking garage, and various amenities on site. Commissioner Lee stated that he works with the Economic Development Commission and every meeting they discuss the issue of housing and how to meet the needs of the prospective businesses that want to come to our Village who are concerned about having enough availability of housing for workers needing to relocate to the area. This development appears to meet this need. Vice Chairperson Bauske asked the petitioner if they agreed with the conditions of approval in the staff report. Mr. Donahue highlighted the conditions for the petitioner. Mr. Domenico stated yes. Vice Chairperson Bauske asked if the developer would be maintaining the dog park shown on the plans. Mr. Domenico stated yes; for many of their projects, upward of 30 percent of residents have pets. The facjlity will have a dog wash station inside, as well as a separate area for dog walking. Page4 November 19, 2025 Village of Hoffman Estates Plan Commission Vice Chairperson Bauske asked whether garage access would be sold separately. Mr. Domenico stated yes. Vice Chairperson Bauske asked if there was a reason Phase 2's ratio was smaller than Phase 1. Mr. Domenico stated it was partly design and also keeping in mind the adjacent townhouse development. Vice Chairperson Bauske asked about parking and whether agreements were to be made with the adjacent property regarding overnight parking, guests, etc. Mr. Donahue stated there are private covenants that allow for cross parking and cross access. Vice Chairperson Bauske asked whether any of their other communities have pickleball courts. Mr. Domenico stated the Yorktown community has several. Vice Chairperson Bauske further inquired about noise and whether there would be time / usage restrictions. Mr. Domenico stated yes, including the pool, but also amenities are contained to the building. Chairperson Chhatwani commented that she liked that the community is in sync with the younger generations and for the residents. Chairperson Chhatwani asked if the developer had heard any feedback from the local residents. Mr. Domenico stated yes, that residents are afraid of losing their views, which may have been mitigated by the section detail renderings and the grade change to a similar height. Economic impact would be positive-for the Village, including the permit fees, Park District fees, sales tax and utility use fees etc. An additional comment/question was received from a neighbor on Langdon Place (Barrington Square Townhomes) who frequently walks through the site with his dog, whether there would be security or a fence on the property. Mr. Domenico!stated the site would be open and that they welcome local circulation through the site. In addition, they have received questions about parking on the site and whether it will impact neighboring parking, to which Mr. Domenico stated that all their residents and guests would be accommodated on site and would not be a strain o·n neighboring parking facilities. Chairperson Chhatwani asked how many people attended the association meeting on November 18, 2025? Mr. Domenico stated that 6 residents were in attendance in addition to the Association Board members. • Commissioner Harner stated he feels the grammar provided within the Findings of Fact is confusing, offering as an example Standard 1 and its corresponding finding, which, in his view, present the reader with a double negative. He then expressed that, as he tried to figure out the best way to have the finding reworded, he found what he believes to be a better Finding of Fact wording within the petitioner's responses to the Planned Development Objectives and Special Use Standards document (located on Page 22 of 86 of the • November 19, 2025, Commission packet). Commissioner Harner stated in the past, the Commissioners were not asked to vote on the Findings of Fact, but now that they are, he feels the responses that are provided on Pages 22 through 24 of the November 19, 2025, packet are more in line with what he would like to see as Findings of Fact in this situation and in the future. Commissioner Harner stated he wanted to bring this to the attention of the Commission and ask if anyone else had any concerns about this, and he wished to propose that the Findings of Fact that were presented be modified to reflect the responses the petitioner provided for all findings. Mr. Donahue stated the Findings as presented are a starting point, and it is within the Commissioners' rights to discuss the Findings at the ! Page5 November 19, 2025 Village of Hoffman Estates Plan Commission meeting and request amendments be made. Commissioner Harner stated this is what he was proposing. Chairperson Chhatwani asked if the staff had anything to add. Mr. Donahue stated he did not. Vice Chairperson Bauske stated he was okay with the findings as they are written today, but that, going forward, this is a piece of the packet that he would like to see clarified. After additional discussion, Commissioners Alexander, Harner, Henderson, Lee, Milford, and Trieb voted to request that the Findings of Fact be amended to reflect the longer responses provided on pages 22 through 24 of the November 19, 2025, Plan Commission packet. Commissioner Wise, Vice Chairperson Bauske, and Chairperson Chhatwani voted to keep the wording of the Findings of Fact as currently written. Based upon this discussion and vote, the Commissioners will propose to adopt the Findings as amended during the motion following the closing of the hearing. Chairperson Chhatwani asked if there were any members of the audience that would like to comment on the request. Chairperson Chhatwani swore in the first petitioner. Loreli Pena (1995 Franklin Place - Barrington Square Townhomes) Ms. Pena stated she was at the Barrington Square Improvement Association meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. It was a lively conversation and that, while most people at the association meeting were not in agreement with the plan as is, they were not against the development. There were only a few residents in attendance, due in part to receiving their invitation late on Friday for a Tuesday meeting. The main issues / concerns discussed during the association meeting were related to parking and traffic. Residents are worried about Governors and Higgins. It is tricky to navigate with curvy roads and with the new Fire Department and now 300+ people, it could present a surge of traffic in the morning and evening. She doesn't believe the data tells the whole story about getting in and out of the complex. Barrington Square grew and has run out of parking spaces. The allotted three minutes ran out before Ms. Pena could provide any further comments. Chairperson Chhatwani asked if they would be putting in any traffic lights at this location. Mr. Domenico stated the developer had no plans for installing traffic lights as this roadway (Higgins Road) is controlled by IDOT. Chairperson Chhatwani swore in the next petitioner. David Contreras (1913 Governors Lane - Barrington Square Townhomes) Mr. Contreras stated his main concerns were traffic, lighting, and pedestrians, so hopefully that the Village and IDOT can consider more lighting and signals. He commented that the developer should consider increasing the number of units for growing families since the schools are great here. Motion by Commissioner Harner, seconded by Commissioner Henderson, to close the Page 6 November 19, 2025 Village of Hoffman Estates Plan Commission Public Hearing. Voice vote taken. Ayes - 9 I Nays - 0 I (Abstain: None). Motion Passed. Vice Chairperson Bauske asked Staff about the process of voting on the rewording the Findings of Fact, in particular if each amendment needs to be approved individually. Mr. Donahue stated the Commissioners need to provide him with the recommended wording as they would like it to be approved and that the Commissioners can decide collectively if they would like to vote on each finding individually or as a whole after they come to a consensus on the amended wording. Commissioners decided to take one vote for all Findings following the reading of the amended wording. Motion by Vice Chairperson Bauske, seconded by Commissioner Harner, to adopt Finding of Fact #1 as amended to read "Neither the Development nor its tenants will impose a threat to or endanger the public health, safety, morals, comfort or general welfare of the Village, its citizens, business and rule of law."; to adopt Finding of Fact #2 as amended to read "The property values in the neighborhood will increase."; to adopt Finding of Fact #3 as amended to read "The special use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding property for uses permitted in the district."; to adopt Finding of Fact #4 as amended to read "The Developer has confirmed with the Seller and the village that such utilities, access roads, drainage, and/or necessary facilities are either at the Property or are available."; and to adopt Findings of Fact #5, #6, and #7 as written in the November 19, 2025, staff report. Roll call vote: Aye: Kendra Alexander, Adam Bauske, Rajkumari Chhatwani, Lon Harner, Lenard Henderson, Daniel Lee, Minerva Milford, Nancy Trieb, John Wise Nay: None Absent: None Motion Passed. Motion by Vice Chairperson Bauske, seconded by Commissioner Harner, to recommend to the Village Board approval of the request of a Special Use for a Planned Development to Grand Reserve HE LLC for Grand Reserve Apartments located at 2300 W. Higgins Road, subject to the conditions as noted in the November 19, 2025, staff report. Roll call vote: Aye: Kendra Alexander, Adam Bauske, Rajkumari Chhatwani, Lon Harner, Lenard Henderson, Daniel Lee, Minerva Milford, Nancy Trieb, John Wise Nay: None Absent: None Motion Passed. Chairperson Chhatwani stated this recommendation would be presented to the Village Board at the next regular meeting on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 7:00 PM. 6. STAFF DISCUSSION Daisy Dose-Adamzadeh stated there will not be a meeting on December 3, but that there may be an item for the December 17 meeting. 7. PUBLIC COMMENT Page 7 November 19, 2025 Village of Hoffman Estates Plan Commission None. 8. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Harner, seconded by Commissioner Henderson, to adjourn at 07:53 AM. Voice vote taken. Ayes - 9 I Nays - 0 (None) I Abstain - 0 (None). Motion Passed. Minutes prepared by Marque/le Cnota, Administrative Assistant. Chairperson's Approval Date Approved PageB