Plan Commission

STAFF REPORT 2018-09P: Special Use Permit Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, May 3, 2018 To: Paul Luke, Chairman, Skokie Plan Commission From: Mike Voitik, Planning Technician Re: 2018-09P: Special Use Permit 7520 Skokie Boulevard Agape Life Outreach Ministries General Information Location 7520 Skokie Boulevard Purpose To request a special use permit to expand a religious assembly use at 7520 Skokie Boulevard in a B2 Commercial zoning district and any relief that may be discovered during the review of this case. Petitioner SA Skokie, LLC, on behalf of Agape Life Outreach Center Ministries Size of Site 24,421 square feet (0.56 acres) with frontage on Skokie Boulevard and Jerome Street. Existing Zoning & B2 Commercial – attached 1- and 2-story, multi-tenant office Land Use buildings containing religious assembly, a dental lab, consulting services, a law office, a clinic, and vacant office space Adjacent Zoning & North B2 Commercial – veterinary service, dry-cleaning and Land Use laundry establishment, hair salon, medical supply store South B2 Commercial – child day care not in a residence, civic organization East B2 Commercial – bank with drive-through West R2 Single-Family – detached residences Comprehensive Plan The site is designated as Retail/Service Employment. SITE INFORMATION • Overhead utilities are present on the east side of the alley to the west of the subject site. • The northern parking lot is accessible from one-way driveways at Skokie Boulevard (entrance) and Jerome Street (exit). VOSDOCS-#536656-v1-Staff_Report_-_2018-09P_-_Special_Use_Permit__7520_Skokie_Boulevard 1 of 8 • The southern parking lot is accessible from a driveway at Skokie Boulevard and from the alley running to the west of the subject site. • An attached parking garage containing 2 indoor parking spaces is accessible from Jerome Street. Complete Streets  Public sidewalks are present along Skokie Boulevard and Jerome Street. The site is within walking distance of a residential neighborhood and commercial properties.  Bike lanes are present on Howard Street, a half block to the north of the subject site. Bike lanes are planned to be installed in the future along Lincoln Avenue and access to the Skokie Valley Trail exists approximately a block-and-a-half to the northeast of the subject site.  The site is directly served by the CTA 54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd. bus. The Pace 210 Lincoln Avenue bus stops within a block of the subject site. PETITIONER’S SUBMITTAL The petitioner is requesting a special use permit to expand a religious assembly use at 7520 Skokie Boulevard in a B2 Commercial zoning district and any relief that may be discovered during the review of this case. Agape Life Outreach Center Ministries, which has been operating at this building since 2015 (case 2015-20P), intends to convert a hallway and several vacant offices adjacent to its existing 85-seat sanctuary into a social hall for its congregation. The social hall will be divided from the worship area by a permanent wall. The front entrance to the remaining office space within the building will be relocated and a new hallway leading from the relocated entrance will be built to the south of the social hall. STAFF ANALYSIS Comments Staff Comment and Review sheets were sent to all pertinent departments and were received from the Forestry Division, Fire Department, Environmental Health Division, and the Traffic Engineering Division. All other departments returned the sheets with no comments regarding the subject case. Forestry Division The Forestry Division requests that the 2 overgrown shrubs in the Jerome Street parkway be removed, the stumps ground out, and the areas restored with sod. VOSDOCS-#536656-v1-Staff_Report_-_2018-09P_-_Special_Use_Permit__7520_Skokie_Boulevard 2 of 8  Both shrubs create visual obstructions for vehicles exiting from the driveway and the garage. Fire Department The Fire Prevention Bureau requests that the petitioner confirm that the combined 7514-7520 Skokie Boulevard building: 1. Is fully sprinklered, including the basement. 2. Is fully fire alarmed, including the basement. 3. Has an addressable announciator panel at the main entrance. If the fire alarm in the building is upgraded or reworked as a result of the proposed expansion, monitoring must be done through a wireless program with the Village Dispatch Center. The building is required to have: 1. A Knox-Box with functioning keys in it at the main entrance. 2. Proper emergency lighting and lighted exits per code. 3. Proper mounted portable extinguishers. 4. Strobes in bathrooms. 5. Panic hardware installed on all egress door within the main congregation area. 6. Fire department connection must be within 100' of a village fire hydrant (a fire engineer will have to calculate the demand to see if the building will need a fire pump). 7. If a full kitchen is provided, a hood and duct suppression system must be installed. Environmental Health If kitchen space is used for any food preparation for the patrons or food operations, the kitchen must be built out to commercial food code standards and separate plans must be submitted for permitting. Traffic Engineering Division The maximum seating capacity for the worship area is limited to 85 seats, per the existing special use permit ordinance. There is no increase in the parking need as a result of the new social hall because a maximum of 85 seats will be allowed for each use and both uses have the same parking requirement. The subject site will actually be brought into closer compliance with its parking requirement because the social hall will be replacing office space which would otherwise have a 1/300 requirement. Planning Division The Planning Division recommends approval of the special use permit request for the expansion of the religious assembly use. In 1992, Zoning Board of Appeals case VOSDOCS-#536656-v1-Staff_Report_-_2018-09P_-_Special_Use_Permit__7520_Skokie_Boulevard 3 of 8  92-46Z granted an allowance for 48 required parking spaces at the subject site, which only provided 33 spaces at that time, because the site was changing from an art gallery (a 1/800 use) to an office building (a 1/300 use). Case 2015-20P determined that no parking relief was required for the site due to the variance. A total of 31 spaces are currently provided due to a reconfiguration of the parking lot per the 2015 case; therefore, no new relief or variance would be needed for up to 46 required parking spaces. The maximum seating capacity in the worship and social hall areas shall be limited to 85 seats each. Any increase in the seating capacity or the overall area that the church occupies in the building shall require an amendment to the special use permit through the full public hearing process. Concurrent occupancy of the worship and social hall areas shall not be permitted. The social hall shall be separated from the worship area by a solid, non-movable wall. Any change in user to another religious group shall require an application for a new special use permit, including public hearings. APPEARANCE COMMISSION Appearance Commission review is not required. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that the petitioner’s request to expand a religious assembly use at 7520 Skokie Boulevard in a B2 Commercial zoning district be APPROVED, based upon the Proposed Positive Findings of Fact and subject to the recommended and standard special use permit conditions, and that the current special use permit V.O. #15-7-Z- 4161 be repealed. RECOMMENDED SPECIAL USE CONDITIONS 1. The petitioner must operate the proposed use in substantial conformance with the final Village approved 7514-7520 Skokie Boulevard Site and Landscape Plan, dated <insert date of final approved plan>, and 7520 Skokie Boulevard Floor Plan, dated March 14, 2018. 2. Prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit, the petitioner shall remove the 2 overgrown shrubs in the Jerome Street parkway, grind out the stumps, and restore the area with sod. 3. The maximum seating capacity in the worship and social hall areas shall be limited to 85 seats each. Any increase in the seating capacity or the overall area that the church occupies in the building shall require an amendment to the special use permit through the full public hearing process. 4. The social hall shall be separated from the worship area by a solid, non-movable wall. VOSDOCS-#536656-v1-Staff_Report_-_2018-09P_-_Special_Use_Permit__7520_Skokie_Boulevard 4 of 8 5. Any change in user to another religious group shall require an application for a new special use permit, including public hearings. STANDARD SPECIAL USE CONDITIONS 6. All fencing, walls, sidewalks, driveways, curbs, wheel stops, parking areas, signage, landscaping, structures, and any other facilities or infrastructure on the Subject Property must be maintained in a good state of repair, and when needed, be repaired or replaced in a timely manner. 7. New parking lot and exterior lighting must meet IES standards, be full cut-off design and be directed away from adjacent properties, subject to the approval of the Engineering Division. 8. All off-street parking spaces must be legibly striped and maintained. 9. All modifications to building elevations, signage, and landscaping shall be subject to the review and approval of the Skokie Appearance Commission. 10. All signage must conform to the Skokie Village Code. Any sign on the Subject Property that is in violation of that Code must be removed or modified to conform with the Village Code prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit. 11. Vehicles must always be parked between, and not overlap, the striped lines of designated parking spaces and must not block driveways, sidewalks, aisles, or other points of access. 12. All private and public sidewalks must be maintained free of snow, ice, sleet, or other objects that may impede travel. 13. All buildings must meet current International Building and NFPA Life Safety Codes as amended. 14. Prior to the issuance of building permits, the petitioners must submit to the Planning Division of the Community Development Department the name, address, and telephone number of the company and contact person responsible for site maintenance in compliance with the special use permit. 15. If work is to be performed on public property or if public property is utilized or impacted during construction and/or development, the owner shall provide, or shall cause the developer and/or contractor to provide, the Village of Skokie with a certificate of insurance naming the Village of Skokie as additionally insured for any and all claims related to any and all work. The owner shall hold, and shall cause the developer and/or contractor to hold, the Village of Skokie harmless and indemnify the Village for any and all claims for property damage or personal injury related to work on or use of public property. 16. The petitioners shall comply with all Federal and State statutes, laws, rules and regulations and all Village codes, ordinances, rules, and regulations. 17. Failure to abide by any and all terms of this Ordinance shall be cause for the Village to initiate hearings to determine whether the subject Ordinance, as well as any VOSDOCS-#536656-v1-Staff_Report_-_2018-09P_-_Special_Use_Permit__7520_Skokie_Boulevard 5 of 8  applicable business licenses, should be revised or revoked. 18. The petitioners shall pay all costs related to any hearings conducted as a result of non-compliance with any of the provisions of the enabling ordinance. The costs shall include but not be limited to court reporter fees, attorney fees, and staff time required researching and conducting said hearing. ATTACHMENTS 1. Proposed Positive Findings of Fact 2. 7514-7520 Skokie Boulevard Site and Landscape Plan, dated August 18, 2015 3. 7520 Skokie Boulevard Floor Plan, dated March 14, 2018 4. Plat of Survey, dated August 8, 1986 5. Land Use and Zoning Map VOSDOCS-#536656-v1-Staff_Report_-_2018-09P_-_Special_Use_Permit__7520_Skokie_Boulevard 6 of 8 Proposed Positive Findings of Fact 2018-09P: Special Use Permit Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, May 3, 2018 Consideration Finding The request is consistent with the intent of The request for the expansion of the the Comprehensive Plan. existing religious assembly use is consistent with the intent of the retail/service employment use identified in the Comprehensive Plan. The request will not adversely affect There should be no adverse effects of the adjacent properties. proposed use upon the properties that are adjacent to the subject site. There will be little to no traffic, parking, or noise impact upon other businesses in the building or within the area since most of these businesses will be closed in the evenings and on the weekends, when the majority of church activities will be taking place. The request is compatible with the existing The request for the expansion of the or allowable uses of adjacent properties. religious assembly use is compatible with the existing or allowable uses of adjacent properties. The request demonstrates that adequate Adequate public facilities will exist to public facilities, including roads, drainage, serve the requested use. utilities, and police and fire protection exist or will exist to serve the requested use at the time such facilities are needed. The request demonstrates adequate Adequate provision for maintenance and provision for maintenance and use of the use of the associated structure is associated structures. demonstrated by the request. The request has considered and, to the No adverse effects on the environment degree possible, addressed the adverse will be created by the proposed use. effects on the natural environment. VOSDOCS-#536656-v1-Staff_Report_-_2018-09P_-_Special_Use_Permit__7520_Skokie_Boulevard 7 of 8 The request will not create undue traffic Undue traffic congestion will not be congestion. created by the expansion of the religious assembly use. The maximum seating capacity in the worship and social hall areas shall be limited to 85 seats each and concurrent occupancy of the worship and social hall areas shall not be permitted. Most of the traffic generated by the use will occur during evenings and weekends, when most other businesses within the area are closed. The request will not adversely affect public There should be no adverse effect upon health, safety, and welfare. public health, safety, and welfare. The request conforms to all applicable The request conforms to all applicable provisions of this code, except where relief provisions of this code. is granted with the request. VOSDOCS-#536656-v1-Staff_Report_-_2018-09P_-_Special_Use_Permit__7520_Skokie_Boulevard 8 of 8