Plan Commission

VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 1 of 9 VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 2 of 9 VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 3 of 9 VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 4 of 9 VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 5 of 9 STAFF REPORT 2017-44P: Alley Vacation Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, November 16, 2017 To: Paul Luke, Chairman, Skokie Plan Commission From: Mike Voitik, Planning Technician Re: Alley vacation bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Arcadia Street, and Laramie Avenue General Information Location Unimproved alley, as follows: The north-south alley in an area bounded by Church Street on the north, Terminal Avenue on the east, Arcadia Street on the south, and Laramie Avenue on the west. Purpose To vacate approximately 119.75 linear feet of unimproved public alley. Petitioner Village of Skokie Size of Site The alley totals approximately 119.75 feet in length and 16 feet in width. The total area of the alley is approximately 0.043 acres (1,910.41 S.F.). Existing Zoning & R2 Single-Family and M2 Light Industry – unimproved public alley Land Use Adjacent Zoning & North B2 Commercial – accounting service Land Use South R2 Single-Family – detached residences M2 Light Industry – financial institution VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 6 of 9  East M2 Light Industry – automotive repair facility, gutter cleaning service, vacant industrial space West R2 Single-Family – detached residences Comprehensive Plan The alley is designated as single family detached residential and manufacturing/service employment. PETITIONER’S SUBMITTAL The Village is requesting the vacation of the north-south alley in an area bounded by Church Street on the north, Terminal Avenue on the east, Arcadia Street on the south, and Laramie Avenue on the west. At the present time, the alley is unimproved and contains trees, a portion of a gravel-paved driveway, overhead utility lines, and a 12- inch underground combined sewer main. An asphalt-paved apron is present to the south of the alley and provides access from Arcadia Street to the gravel driveway that leads to the parking lots behind 9140-9144 Terminal Avenue. The remaining east-west alley within this block is not proposed to be vacated at this time. The alley provides access to the parking lot at 9142-9144 Terminal Avenue and the property owner at 5142 Arcadia Street plans on paving the west end of the alley in order to provide access to a garage that he intends to construct at the north end of his lot. The Community Development Department is continuing to implement its alley vacation program which vacates unopened and unimproved residential alleys in the Village that are unnecessary for Village transportation and access needs. In the past, property owners were required to petition the Village to vacate an alley and pay all associated costs involved in the process. In some instances, where the land from the alley increased the street frontage of a lot or its development potential, residents were required to pay for the alleys. The alley proposed to be vacated in this case does not fall under this category. While this alley spans residentially- and industrially-zoned land, the Village Manager has determined that the alley qualifies under the existing program because the alley has little redevelopment value for the owners of the adjacent industrial properties (other than being able to expand the existing parking lot westward into the east half of the vacated alley) due to the presence of overhead and underground utilities. STAFF ANALYSIS Comments Staff Comment and Review sheets were sent to all pertinent departments. In addition to the Planning Division comments, staff comments were received from the Forestry and Water and Sewer divisions of the Public Words Department. All other departments either had no comment or were in favor of the proposed vacations. VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 7 of 9  Forestry Division The Forestry Division approves the granting of the requested alley vacation. Several trees will need to be removed or pruned by the Village prior to the recording of the plat of vacation. Water and Sewer Division An easement for the full width of the alley will be required to accommodate the existing 12-inch sewer main. Planning Division The Planning Division staff supports the proposed alley vacation. There are many similar unopened and unused alleys within the Village. Although they are still Village property and may contain utilities, the Village has no intent to open or pave the alleys. Thus, the Village requests to vacate these alleys and return the property to the adjacent property owners. A utility easement over the entire right-of-way will be required in order to allow access for utility companies to continue to maintain their existing overhead facilities. An easement for ingress and egress shall be established within the south 25 feet of the west half of the vacated alley in order to preserve vehicular access to the parking lot behind 9140 Terminal Avenue. The property owner of the residence at 5142 Arcadia Street understands the need for this easement and has agreed to allow it to be placed across a portion of his property. Once the alley is vacated, the adjacent property owners will be sent a copy of the Plat of Vacation. The adjacent property owners may use the additional land as they would any other part of their property, with the exception that structures other than fences may not be constructed in the easement area. The alley is listed as part of group number 94 in the Comprehensive Plan as a potential vacation site. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that the petitioner’s request to vacate the north-south alley in an area bounded by Church Street on the north, Terminal Avenue on the east, Arcadia Street on the south, and Laramie Avenue on the west be APPROVED subject to the conditions listed below: RECOMMENDED VACATION CONDITIONS 1. The property shall be vacated pursuant to the Plat of Vacation <insert date of final approved plat>, and as may be further revised with the approval of the Village Manager, or designee, and Corporation Counsel. VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 8 of 9 2. An easement shall be reserved for all Village and Village-franchised public utilities over the entire area to be vacated. 3. An easement for ingress and egress shall be established within the south 25 feet of the west half of the vacated alley in order to preserve vehicular access to the parking lot behind 9140 Terminal Avenue. 4. Property owners shall not alter the grade or change the drainage pattern in the easement area without a permit from the Engineering Division. 5. Other than a fence, no structures or trees shall be constructed or planted within the easement area. 6. The vacation shall be effective upon the recording of a Plat of Vacation by the Village in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Cook County, Illinois. ATTACHMENTS 1. Site Photos 2. Plat of Vacation, November 9, 2017 3. Land Use and Zoning Map VOSDOCS-#524277-v1-Staff_Report_-_2017-44P_- __Alley_Vacation_Bounded_by_Church_Street__Terminal_Avenue__Arcadia_Street__and_Laramie_Avenue 9 of 9