Architectural Control Commission

APPROVED MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMISSION VILLAGE OF NORTHBROOK COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS September 13, 2012 Commissioners Present (6) Alan Schwall, Chairman F. Dirk Heidbrink Lori Jordison Robert Katz Mike Rubenstein Cliff Town Commissioners Absent (1) David Menn Village Staff Present Nick Desario, Assistant Director/Building and Development, Development and Planning Services Michaela Kohlstedt, Senior Planner, Development and Planning Services Tom Poupard, Director, Development and Planning Services David Schoom, Assistant Director/Economic Development Coordinator, Development and Planning Services Stacy Seiden, Recorder Additional Attendees Anna Amen, Northbrook Public Library Bill Bauer, Marcello’s Sharon Bergstein, Northbrook Public Library Jennifer Betancourt, Dewberry Architects Paul Boyadjian, Paul Vazkin Hair Salon Larry Goodman, Marcello’s Kevin Kelleher, Kelleher Development Marc Lonoff, Northbrook Public Library Michael Mackey, Dewberry Architects Selwyn Marcus, Village Green Business Center Chad Raymond, Northbrook Public Library Bill Rekus, Doyle Signs Eric Robbins, Northbrook Public Library 1. Call to Order Chairman Schwall called the meeting to order in the Terrace Room of Village Hall, 1225 Cedar Lane, at 5:35 PM. 2. Public Comments There were no comments from the public.  2 3. Review of Minutes Commissioner Katz requested that Architectural Control Commission (ACC) meeting minutes include the names of those commissioners who made and seconded motions. Other commissioners concurred. Accordingly, Commissioner Rubenstein moved, seconded by Commissioner Heidbrink, to approve the minutes of the August 9, 2012 meeting of the ACC with the addition of the names of those commissioners who made and seconded motions at that meeting. On a voice vote, the motion carried. 4. Design Review Permit Applications a. 1354A Shermer Road – Paul Boyadjian on behalf of Paul Vazkin Hair Salon: Request for a Level II Design Review Permit for a replacement wall sign Senior Planner Kohlstedt presented the application. Paul Vazkin Hair Salon, a new tenant at 1354 Shermer, recently replaced a wall sign without a permit on the rear façade, above the entrance to the tenant space of the multi-tenant building. The applicant was unaware of the Design Review Permit process and now requests approval of a Level II Design Review Permit for a panel wall sign, which was modified to reflect a new business name. The property is located in the C-3 Central Business and Village Green Overlay (VGO) Districts and, therefore, a change in signage requires a Level II Design Review Permit. As such, the ACC reviews and approves, as appropriate, the relevant application before the Village may issue the necessary permit. The applicant requests the reinstallation of a wall sign on the north façade at the rear of the building. The proposed aluminum sign includes white letters with a grey background and would be situated above the rear door to the business. The sign measures 2.75’ x 4’and would sit approximately 8’ above grade. The applicant would retain the existing gooseneck light fixture to illuminate the sign from above. The proposed sign is 11-square feet in size, thereby complying with the total allowable square footage for a sign on the tenant space facade. The sign also would comply with the permitted height for a wall sign in this district. Upon determining that the proposed wall sign met relevant design guidelines, Commissioner Katz moved, seconded by Commissioner Rubenstein, to approve the application for a Level II Design Review Permit for 1354A Shermer Road. On a voice vote, the motion carried. b. 1348 Shermer Road – Douailly-Backman Holdings Corporation d/b/a Leonidas Chocolate Café: Request for a Level III Design Review Permit for a new wall sign Senior Planner Kohlstedt presented the application. Douailly-Backman Holdings Corporation d/b/a Leonidas Chocolate Café is the operator of a new business located at 1348 Shermer. The property is a two-story multi-tenant commercial building owned by Village Green Business Center LLC. The building is located in the C-3 Central Business and VGO Districts and, therefore, design review is necessary before any new sign may be installed. As a Level III Design Review Permit is required, the ACC reviews the relevant application and forwards its recommendation to the Board of Trustees for consideration and approval, as appropriate. The applicant requests the installation of a new wall sign on the west façade of the building. The proposed sign consists of channel letters mounted on a raceway, stating “Leonidas,” and a small box  3 sign mounted on the same raceway, stating “Chocolate Café.” The sign face would be acrylic with a vinyl overlay and internally illuminated by LED lights. The proposed color for the text is beige with a dark blue background. Senior Planner Kohlstedt shared relevant color samples with the commission. There are no other signs on the west façade where the proposed sign would be located and the applicant does not intend to install any additional exterior signs for this business. The sign location also is identical to that of the previous tenant, WineStyles. The proposed sign is 17” x 13’ and 18.417-square feet, thereby complying with the total allowable square footage for a sign on the tenant space façade within the shopping center. Additionally, the sign would comply with the permitted height for a wall sign in this district. Commissioner Katz inquired as to whether the proposed sign would fit appropriately in the allotted space, whereupon the applicant assured the ACC that the sign would clear both the top band and bottom awning on the west facade. The commission discussed with the applicant what would be considered appropriate spacing. Upon determining that the proposed wall sign met relevant design guidelines, Commissioner Katz moved, seconded by Commissioner Heidbrink, to recommend approval of the application for a Level III Design Review Permit for 1348 Shermer Road, contingent upon the sign clearing the top and bottom of the designated space by at least 2-inches. On a voice vote, the motion carried. c. 1310-1348 Shermer Road – Village Green Business Center LLC: Request for a Level III Design Review Permit for a recycling enclosure Senior Planner Kohlstedt presented the application. Village Green Business Center owns the shopping center located at 1310-1348 Shermer, which includes a two-story multi-tenant commercial building. The applicant requests a Design Review Permit for construction of a new fenced-in recycling area in the parking lot located in the rear of the property and adjacent to the existing trash enclosure. The shopping center is located in the C-3 Central Business and VGO Districts and, therefore, design review is necessary before any additional structures or signs may be installed. As a Level III Design Review Permit is required, the ACC reviews the relevant application and forwards its recommendation to the Board for consideration and approval, as appropriate. The applicant proposes building an enclosed area adjacent to the existing trash enclosure, where there is currently a raised median with shrubs and mulch. To match the existing trash enclosure, the applicant would use wood and posts. The proposed height--approximately 6-feet--is identical to the existing enclosure. The posts would be set in concrete 2-feet deep and the dumpsters would rest on a concrete pad. The proposal complies with the Zoning Code, which requires that new dumpsters be enclosed in a screened area. The location of the enclosure also meets the setbacks for the zoning district and property. Following commissioners questioning the applicant regarding the construction of the proposed recycling enclosure and upon determining that the enclosure met relevant design guidelines, Commissioner Rubenstein moved, seconded by Commissioner Katz, to recommend approval of the application for a Level III Design Review Permit for 1310-1448 Shermer Road. On a voice vote, the motion carried.  4 d. 1911 Cherry Lane – Doyle Signs, Inc. on behalf of Marcello’s: Request for a Level III Design Review Permit for a new wall sign Senior Planner Kohlstedt presented the application. Marcello’s has leased space at 1911 Cherry Lane in the Meadow Shopping Plaza for approximately five years. Two years ago, the restaurant acquired the adjacent tenant space in the east wing of the plaza and uses the additional space as a banquet facility. When Marcello’s expanded two years ago, the applicant requested and received approval for a second wall sign above the banquet space. Marcello’s now requests approval of a third wall sign to be installed on the north façade of the shopping center where Chase Bank is located and which would be visible from the street. The property is located in the C-2 Neighborhood Commercial and VGO Districts and, therefore, design review is necessary before the proposed sign may be installed. As a Level III Design Review Permit is required, the ACC reviews the relevant application and forwards its recommendation to the Board for consideration and approval, as appropriate. The proposed sign, a total of 81.17-square feet, would be located on the taller element on the east side of the façade. The sign would consist of an internally illuminated box and multiple lines of text, stating “marcello’s RESTAURANT & PARTY ROOMS,” as well as “Dine In,” “Delivery,” “Carry Out,” and “marcellos.com.” The majority of the text would be white and the Web address would be yellow, with a red background. Senior Planner Kohlstedt shared relevant color samples with the commission. The proposed sign would comply with Zoning Code height restrictions and, combined with the existing Chase Bank sign, with the allowable total sign area for the relevant façade. In a signed letter dated August 22, 2012, Jay Heitman of Heitman Reality and the owner of the Meadow Shopping Plaza, approved the proposed sign for Marcello’s. Commissioner Rubenstein acknowledged that the purpose of the proposed sign is to increase the visibility of the restaurant. He raised concerns regarding the sign’s large size, as well as with the text, “Dine In,” “Delivery,” “Carry Out” and “marcellos.com.” He perceived this text as being primarily advertising, as opposed to indicating a business location. Commissioner Rubenstein also noted the absence of other similar signs in the shopping center and emphasized the importance of the ACC treating the applicants who come before the commission equitably. Commissioners found the colors of the proposed sign to be acceptable. They discussed reducing the overall size of the sign by approximately three-quarters and the amount of text with the applicant, who wanted to maintain the 11” lettering to ensure visibility from Cherry Lane. To meet relevant design guidelines and address the request of the applicant, Commissioner Rubenstein moved, seconded by Commissioner Town, to recommend approval of the application for a Level III Design Review Permit for 1911 Cherry Lane, contingent upon:  The new wall sign being reduced by approximately one-third in sign face height  The wall sign being reduced in width to fit between the two darker bands on the façade where the sign is proposed to be located  Removing “Dine In,” “Delivery,” “Carry Out,” and “marcellos.com” from the design On a voice vote, the motion carried.  5 e. 1201 Cedar Lane – Northbrook Public Library: Request for a Level III Design Review Permit for a minor building addition and façade change (Docket No. 12-15) Senior Planner Kohlstedt presented the application. She explained that the ACC was reviewing for a second time the application submitted by the Northbrook Public Library at 1201 Cedar Lane. The property is located within the Village Hall Campus and owned by the Village. The applicant proposes constructing a few small building additions totaling approximately 2,000-square feet on the first floor of the existing library. Since the property is located within the VGO District, the proposed building addition requires ACC approval of a Level III Design Review Permit. The Plan Commission also reviewed the application and recommended approval of the request with a series of conditions. Following ACC review, the recommendations of both commissions will be forwarded to the Board for consideration and approval, as appropriate. The ACC initially considered this application at its July 12, 2012 meeting. At that time, commissioners agreed with the overall design concept. However, they requested to view a full-size mock-up of part of the proposed facade prior to approving the application. The applicant installed the requested mock-up on the library façade, which commissioners viewed individually later that month. Staff then shared commissioner comments with the applicant, who revised the façade design based on the comments received. The current proposed design no longer contains a striped pattern around the first floor. The applicant also reduced the number of proposed colors from four to two. Specifically, the applicant eliminated the lightest (white) and darkest (black) colors of the panels, using the two shades of grey from the initial design. The applicant shared relevant material and color samples with the commission. The proposed design still incorporates the varying panel sizes. However, the panels no longer alternate in color. Instead, the applicant proposes using larger expanses of one color at a time and breaking up these expanses with a secondary color and glass. Commissioners agreed that the revised design represented a marked improvement from the previous proposal. Accordingly, Commissioner Heidbrink moved, seconded by Commissioner Rubenstein, to recommend approval of the application for a Level III Design Review Permit for 1201 Cedar Lane. On a voice vote, the motion carried. 5. Requests for Building Permit Extensions a. 3240 Sunset Trail – Azim Salim Hemani: Permit extension request for a new single family home (Permit # 10-G-123) Assistant Director Desario presented the request. Mr. Hemani is the property owner of 3240 Sunset Trail. On August 11, 2010, a building permit was approved for completing the remaining construction associated with the new single family residence. To date, the development has not been completed and the permit expired on June 14, 2012, following a 90-day permit extension granted by staff. The present status of construction is as follows:  Final carpentry, tiling, flooring, and painting are in progress  Initial final inspection is pending  Water, storm, and sanitary utilities have been completed and approved by the Village  Final grading has predominantly been completed  6 Mr. Hemani requests that the ACC consider a permit extension through December 13, 2012 in order to complete the remaining work. Mr. Kelleher, the general contractor for the 27,000-square feet project, shared photos of the property with the commission. He stated that while completing construction within 90-days would be “tight,” all relevant parties were committed to finishing the project before the holidays. The ACC discussed with Mr. Kelleher the practicality of the proposed construction schedule. The Northbrook Zoning Board of Appeals recently approved a variance to allow the installation of a fence around the perimeter of the home. Mr. Kelleher now awaits the fence materials. Once these materials arrive, according to him, construction should proceed in a timely manner. Assistant Director Desario reported that, thus far, the Village had not received any complaints from neighbors regarding the site. Commissioner Rubenstein commented on the cleanness of the site. Commissioner Heidbrink inquired as to the likelihood of completing the exterior of the home before winter. To ensure the timely completion of the exterior and address the request of Mr. Hemani, Commissioner Heidbrink moved, seconded by Commissioner Town, to grant: 1) a permit extension through November 1, 2012 for the placement of sod and submitting an as-build and 2) a permit extension through January 15, 2013 for the interior, subject to the property owner satisfactorily meeting the above exterior deadline for the property at 3240 Sunset Trail. On a voice vote, the motion carried. b. 3310 Sunset Trail – Ken and Marcia Rapoport: Permit extension request for a new single family home (Permit # 10-G-202) Assistant Director Desario presented the request. He noted that no individual representing Mr. and Mrs. Rapoport, the property owners of 3310 Sunset Trail, was present at this meeting. On October 28, 2010, a building permit was approved for the construction of a new single family residence. To date, the development has not been completed and the permit expired on April 13, 2012. The present status of construction is as follows:  Final trimming is in progress  Initial final inspection is pending  Water, storm, and sanitary utilities have been completed and approved by the Village  The site is rough graded At this time, Mr. and Mrs. Rapoport request that the ACC consider a permit extension through December 13, 2012 in order to complete the remaining work. Assistant Director Desario clarified that the development included an underground swimming pool and reported that, thus far, the Village had not received any complaints from neighbors regarding the site. However, he had noticed a small amount of standing water on the exterior of the home during a recent site visit. Commissioners agreed that the proposed deadline of December 13, 2012 to complete construction seemed aggressive and cited the importance of cleaning up the exterior, particularly before winter. Since the ACC is scheduled to meet again on October 11, 2012, Commissioner Rubenstein moved, seconded by Commissioner Heidbrink, to: 1) grant a permit extension through October 10, 2012 for final grading and turf placement (seed blanket/sod) and 2) consider granting a permit extension for the interior, subject to the property owners satisfactorily meeting the above exterior deadline for the property at 3310 Sunset Trail. On a voice vote, the motion carried.  7 6. New Single Family Elevations The ACC considered four new single family home elevations. Commissioner Rubenstein moved, seconded, by Commissioner Heidbrink, to:  Allow staff to review and process the appropriate paperwork for each of the following elevations. a. 2321 Cherry Lane b. 8 Hickory Lane c. 2107 Center Avenue  Allow staff to review and process the appropriate paperwork for 1321 Pfingsten Road, subject to the property owners reporting the color choices for the exterior of their home to the ACC. On a voice vote, the motion carried. 7. Review of 2012 International Residential Code and Possible Local Amendments Director Poupard announced that this meeting kicked-off ACC review of 2012 building codes and related development regulations. He referenced the matrix that he prepared for commissioners to compare local amendments to the International Residential Code (IRC) across numerous surrounding communities. Director Poupard explained that the trend is to reduce the number of local amendments-- a reflection of an improved IRC. He encouraged the ACC to focus on a few key issues, such as window wells, attic space, and shoring during construction. Director Poupard then outlined the timeframe for ACC review, including the IRC in October, International Building Code in November, and other codes in January 2013. The goal is to complete ACC review of all of the codes by February 2013 and present relevant amendments to the Board in March 2013. He highlighted several noteworthy changes in the IRC from 2009 to 2012. One of the most significant changes in 2009, according to him, was the inclusion of new fire sprinkler requirements. Director Poupard commented that other communities were “catching up” to Northbrook on this issue. In general, 2009 codes focused on attics and fire sprinklers, while 2012 codes reflected emerging technologies. Commissioners requested scheduling a separate, additional ACC meeting to ensure sufficient time to review the necessary codes. Accordingly, the commission will meet on October 4 for this purpose. Chairman Schwall noted the importance of receiving input from Village inspectors in the field as part of the review process. 8. New Business There was no new business. 9. Old Business Director Poupard updated commissioners regarding several Northbrook single family homes, including those on Midway, Edgewood, and Pamela, which the ACC had previously considered. The Village has or will issue citations to these property owners for failing to meet relevant building permit deadlines. 10. Adjournment There being no further business, Commissioner Katz moved, seconded by Commissioner Heidbrink, to adjourn the meeting. Chairman Schwall adjourned the meeting at 7:35 PM.  8 Respectfully submitted, /s/ Stacy J. Seiden Recorder