Appearance Commission

Meeting Minutes for Appearance Commission May 14th, 2025 | 7:30 PM Skokie Village Hall | 5127 Oakton Street, Skokie IL 60077 | Council Chambers Members Present: Michael Lynk, Chair Thomas DaMario, Vice Chair Joe Maschek Julie Naumiak Archana Shah Maryjane Klein Jay Pathak Members Absent: Presiding Officer: Brian Augustine, Zoning Administrator Staff Present: Jose Acosta, Planning Coordinator Others Present: 1) Time Meeting was Called to Order/Declaration of Quorum A quorum being present, Chairman Lynk called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. 2) Approval of Meeting Minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Klein to approve the minutes of the April 9th, 2025 Appearance Commission meeting. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Pathak. All members voted aye. 3) New Business 2025-014A – 3524 Greenleaf Street (Residential) Applicant: Residential Innovations Inc. – Rusian Petrov Owner: Robert and Bonita Markman Request: 1st floor addition Discussion & Interested Parties Staff comments were read into the record. The applicant explained that they proposed to extend the garage and add an enclosed room. They informed the Commission that the materials used would match the existing conditions. 626623  Commissioner Maschek asked for clarification on whether the existing garage would be torn down and extended. The applicant responded that the owners required a larger garage and a covered ramp to improve accessibility. Recommendation & Voting A motion was made to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness as presented. The vote was unanimous. Motion: Thomas DaMario Second: Julie Naumiak Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 2025-015A – 7428 Lowell Avenue (Residential) Applicant: John Berta, Architect Owner: Zachary Martin Request: 1st and 2nd floor addition Discussion & Interested Parties Staff comments were read into the record. Chairman Lynk asked for clarification on whether the addition was located at the rear of the house. Commissioner DaMario inquired whether the petitioners had reviewed the 51% masonry requirement and if they were in compliance. The petitioners stated that they were currently under the 51% masonry threshold and proposed using cement board siding. The Commissioners informed the petitioners that cement board would not qualify toward meeting the 51% masonry requirement. Chairman Lynk then asked the petitioners what material was currently proposed for the addition. The petitioners responded that they were proposing vinyl siding. The existing residence featured stucco on the upper portion and brick on the lower portion. Chairman Lynk noted that if the petitioners were to revise the proposed material to cement board, the Village would be more likely to consider granting a waiver. Recommendation & Voting A motion was made to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness as presented granting the waiver from the 51% masonry requirement for providing cement board siding in lieu of vinyl siding for the proposed addition. The vote was unanimous. Motion: Joe Maschek Second: Julie Naumiak Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 626623  2025-016A – 9221 Tripp Avenue (Residential) Applicant & Owner: Rajeev Kapur Request: 1st floor addition Discussion & Interested Parties Staff comments were read into the record. Commissioner asked to confirm if the petitioner was proposing to use brick and stone for all sides of the addition, the petitioner confirmed this to be true and added that they will be matching existing materials. No other Commissioners had comments for this proposal. Recommendation & Voting A motion was made to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness as presented. The vote was unanimous. Motion: Julie Naumiak Second: Jay Pathak Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 2025-017A – 3907 Enfield Avenue (Residential) Applicant: Wenro LLC Owner: Jared and Gabriella Scher Request: 1st floor addition Discussion & Interested Parties Staff comments were read into the record. The petitioner stated that they will be matching the existing materials with a very similar colors and material. The Commission has no additional comments for the proposal. Recommendation & Voting A motion was made to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness as presented. The vote was unanimous. Motion: Archana Shah Second: Julie Naumiak Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 626623  2025-018A – 9216 Karlov Avenue (Residential) Applicant: Jonathan Dress Owner: Rabbi Shaanan Gelman Request: 1st floor addition Discussion & Interested Parties Staff comments were read into the record. Commissioner Maschek noted that on the west elevation of the addition, he suggests adding a window or a door as it appears that the current proposal appears to be cutting off access to the back yard. Recommendation & Voting A motion was made to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness as presented. The vote was unanimous. Motion: Maryjane Klein Second: Jay Pathak Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 2025-019A – 5206 Touhy Avenue (Non-Residential) Applicant & Owner: Rob Bond for Bond Touhy LLC Request: Signage Discussion & Interested Parties Staff comments were read into the record. Chairman Lynk asked how tall the originally proposed monument sign was. The presiding officer, Brian Augustine, clarified that the monument sign had been proposed at 10 feet in height. Chairman Lynk noted that the monument sign included teal elements and asked where else those colors appeared on the property. The petitioner explained that the building itself featured teal elements, specifically the awnings, which were teal in color. Commissioner Maschek noted that the newly proposed sign would be 8 feet taller than the original monument sign; however, the overall square footage would remain the same, if not slightly reduced. Commissioner DaMario asked for the reasoning behind the change in signage. The petitioner explained that the revisions were intended to improve visibility from Touhy Avenue and to help drive revenue. 626623  Recommendation & Voting A motion was made to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness as presented. The vote was unanimous. Motion: Julie Naumiak Second: Thomas DaMario Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 2025-006A – 9323 Skokie Boulevard (Non-Residential) Applicant: Tony Zanlungo / Light Rx Med Spa Owner: SK Investments Skokie Chicago LLC Request: Signage requiring a variation Discussion & Interested Parties Staff comments were read into the record. Presiding Officer Brian Augustine informed the Commission that the maximum window coverage permitted per pane was 25%. He explained that the petitioner had the option to either comply with the code requirement or proceed with the current proposal and subsequently seek relief from the Zoning Board of Appeals, following review by the Appearance Commission. The petitioner stated that the proposed signage was intended to enhance privacy and security for the business. He noted that the business used expensive equipment that required protection and referenced prior tenants at the location who had window signage exceeding the 25% maximum coverage allowed by code. Commissioner Maschek compared the proposed signage to the previously referenced T- Mobile signage. He explained that the T-Mobile signage consisted of a graphic image, whereas the petitioner’s proposed signage included images and text that were not easily visible to motorists traveling at 30 mph along Skokie Boulevard. For this reason, the Commission did not believe the T-Mobile and Light Rx Med Spa signage warranted similar consideration or approval. Presiding Officer Brian Augustine recommended that the petitioner resubmit revised signage proposals that consider staff and Commissioner feedback. The case was continued to a later date; no vote was taken. 626623  2025-020A – 7952 Lincoln Avenue (Non-Res. Addition and New Mixed-Use) Applicant: Tyler Manic Owner: 7952 Lincoln LLC Request: Non-residential addition and new Mixed-Use building Discussion & Interested Parties Staff comments were read into the record. The project architect, Katie Lambert, presented the proposed development, highlighting key design elements, materials, and color selections. Wayne Mell and Wendy Kaplan, owners of the Skokie Theater, provided public comments expressing concerns about the proposal. They stated that the height of the proposed residential building would dwarf their theater, as it was significantly taller than the existing structures on-site. They also raised concerns about the parking layout and its potential impact on their business. The theater had been utilizing the adjacent vacant parking lot, and the proposed development would eliminate that option, creating parking challenges for theater patrons. Mr. Mell noted that in previous conversations with Community Development Director Johanna Nyden, she had suggested the Village consider constructing a covered walkway between the theater and the proposed development to improve access to the municipal parking lot located behind the theater. Tyler Manic, representing the development team, proposed a potential solution involving valet parking services, which would also be available to neighboring businesses along Lincoln Avenue. However, Mr. Mell expressed skepticism, stating that valet parking would not be an efficient solution for the theater, which often accommodates over 100 patrons arriving and departing at the same time. Commissioner Maschek agreed that a walkway between the buildings would be a good idea, provided certain design standards were met. He clarified, however, that the Appearance Commission would not have the authority to approve such an element and that it would require separate discussions between the petitioners and the Village. The property owner, Paul Leongas, stated that they were open to collaborating with adjacent businesses and expressed a willingness to support the theater by allowing its patrons to use their parking lot. In response to the concerns regarding height, Chairman Lynk suggested that adding vertical design elements to the proposed residential building could help mitigate the visual impact of the height difference between it and the Skokie Theater. 626623  Commissioner Maschek also noted that the 10-foot corridor between the theater and the proposed building could serve as a public walkway, given its location in the downtown area. He encouraged the petitioner to discuss the possibility of activating the space through a public easement or other creative solutions. Additionally, he recommended that the theater owners work with the Village to explore more formal use of the municipal lot located behind the theater. Recommendation & Voting A motion was made to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness with the condition that the right side south of elevation 6 and the left side of north elevation 1 submitted elevations, and that provisions be made for the 10-foot access strip between the theater and the proposed residential building to provide pedestrian access. The vote was unanimous. Motion: Joe Maschek Second: Maryjane Klein Ayes: 7 Nays: 0 4) Old Business 5) Communication from Staff 6) Public Comment Skokie Theater Staff Wendy Kaplan and Wayne Mell spoke at the meeting for Case 2025-020A. They shared concerns over the 7952 Lincoln development creating issues for their business, specifically with parking. They shared that they had conversations with Community Development Director, Johanna Nyden, in which they discussed a potential pedestrian walkway being built between the Skokie Theater and the newly proposed residential building. 7) Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 8:39 PM Respectfully Submitted Jose Acosta, Planning Coordinator 626623