Planning and Zoning Commission

Public participation is invited on each agenda item prior to the Board's deliberation. When called upon, please approach the microphone and state your name. Kindly limit your remarks to three (3) minutes. VILLAGE OF VILLA PARK Village Hall, Board Room Chambers 20 S. Ardmore Avenue Villa Park, IL 60181 Planning And Zoning Commission May 8, 2025 7:30 PM Chairman Jason Jarrett Commissioners: Larry Calvert, Alan Hasler, Edward Hofstra, Kenneth Jackson, Louis LeMieux, Eric Luedtke, Dominick Romano, Justin Shlensky 1. Call to Order - Roll Call 2. Public Comments 3. Approval of Minutes a. Minutes of March 13, 2025 Meeting 4. Discussion Items a. Planning and Zoning Commissioner Training 5. Adjournment The Villa Park Village Hall is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. An elevator is operational at the north side entrance to the Village Hall during normal work hours and also during evenings. lndividuals with special needs are requested to contact the Village's Compliance Officer at (630) 834-8500 so that reasonable accommodations can be made for those persons. Page 1 of 7  Village of Villa Park Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes of March 13, 2025 Meeting I. CALL TO ORDER BY THE CHAIRMAN Chairman Jarrett called the meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission to order at 7:30 p.m. II. ROLL CALL AND DECLARATION OF A QUORUM Commissioners Present: LeMieux, Luedtke, Romano, Hofstra, Calvert, Jackson, Chairman Jarrett Commissioners Absent: Shlensky Staff/Liaison Present: Community & Economic Development Director Marc McLaughlin, Planner Rachel Leedom, Village President Nick Cuzzone. A Quorum was present. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Ludke moved to approve the minutes from February 13, 2025, as presented. The Motion was seconded by Commissioner Hofstra. On roll call: AYES: Commissioners LeMieux, Luedtke, Romano, Hofstra, Calvert, Jackson, Chairman Jarrett (7) NAYS: None (0) The motion carried. IV. New Business a. PZ-25-03 749 N. Harvard – Variation Petitioner: Dan Leonard. Rachel Leedom presented that the Petitioner proposes to build an addition on to the rear of the existing building. The proposed addition would encroach into the required 10.0-foot interior side setback by 6.9 feet on the south side. Pursuant to the relevant provisions of Article 11 of the Zoning Ordinance, the Petitioner is seeking a Variation to allow the reduction of the minimum required interior side (south) setback from 10.0 feet to 3.0 feet. The Petitioner is also seeking a Variation for the street side setback. The proposed addition would encroach into the required 35.0-foot street side setback by 28.12 feet on the north side of the property. The Petitioner is seeking a Variation to allow the reduction of the minimum required street side setback from 35.0 feet to 6.0 feet. Dan Leonard stated that he is the second-generation owner, and they have new growth and have run out of space. Page 2 of 7 Matthew Yatski asked if this would allow fire emergency equipment to have access to the fire? Director McLaughlin responded no, the public alley on the north side of the building would allow access. Commissioner Hofstra said the plan shows three parking lots in the front of the building and asked if they would be parking in the alley. Dan Leonard answered if there was ever an issue they could get the vehicles out of the way. Commissioner Hofstra asked what the squares were in front of the building? Dan Leonard responded that they are products. They are out of space and must put products out front every morning. Commissioner Hofstra asked what is in the storage in the back? Dan Leonard answered that it is thirty years of his father’s storage, and he would get rid of it. Commissioner LeMieux stated that down the block the construction seems similar. The lots to the south have similar encroachments. Chairman Jarrett stated that for an industrial zoned lot it is a tight space it is 50 X 188 the same as his residential lot. There is a hardship. Commissioner LeMieux said that it is the most northern plot, and he could not see that this would affect anyone to the North or South. Motion Commissioner Hofstra moved to recommend approval of PZ-25-03 for a Variation from Table 3-2 of Article 3 Section 3.2. – Lot and Building Regulations of the Zoning Ordinance to reduce the minimum street side (north) setback requirement to 6.0 feet and to reduce the minimum interior side (south) setback requirement to 3.0 feet as depicted on Exhibit A for 749 N. Harvard Avenue. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Jackson AYES: Commissioners LeMieux, Luedtke, Romano, Hofstra, Calvert, Jackson, Chairman Jarrett (7) NAYS: None (0) ABSTAIN: None (0) The motion carried. b. PZ-25-05 Comprehensive Plan The Village is requesting a Public Hearing to consider the recommendation of adoption of the Comprehensive Plan as defined in 65 ILCS 5/11-12-5 (1), to prepare and recommend to the corporate authorities a comprehensive plan for the present and future development or redevelopment of the municipality. Page 3 of 7 Director McLaughlin gave background that the last RFP was in 2009 the Village needs a new document to have a plan of what we are going to do over the next 20 years. In2023 the Village began the process of creating a new Comprehensive Plan, with the firm Houseal Lavigne and Associates (HLA). The planning process has been a 6-step adventure. First, the Kick-Off and Existing Conditions, which resulted in a memo presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission on February 8, 2024. Next, Public Engagement continued throughout the planning process, but most notable were the Business Workshop, Key Stakeholder Interviews, and Community Visioning Workshop. The third step was the Plan Visioning and Key Recommendations, which resulted in a memo presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission on June 13, 2024, and the Village Board on June 24, 2024. The fourth step was the Subarea Plans, which the boundaries were originally discussed in October 2023, but dialed in simultaneously with step 5 Draft Comprehensive Plan Elements. This was the first full rough draft of the plan which Staff reviewed in January 2025. The sixth and final step is Draft & Final Comprehensive Plan, which began February 13, 2025, with opening the Comprehensive Plan to public comments and hosting an Open House on February 26, 2025. The Comprehensive Plan drafted date 3-5-2025 presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission has considered most of the public comments submitted online, the comments and notes from the Open House, additional Staff input, as well as some Key Stakeholder feedback. This version is ready for a Public Hearing and has been vetted continuously. The Planning and Zoning Commission can make additional recommended changes, and the Village Board has final authority to adopt the Comprehensive Plan, which is tentatively scheduled for April 14, 2025. Josh Koonce from Houseal Lavigne and Associates gave a presentation of the Comprehensive Plan. Explaining each part. He explained that the next steps would be finalization and preparing the adoption drafts then the draft would go to the board. Public questions Bonnie Yorke stated that a neighbor panicked and sent out flyers stating that the Village might change the zoning of her street to multi family. She does not want it to be changed and if it does change who would be the one to change it? Chairman Jarrett answered if recommended zoning changes could be requested by private landowners or the Village. There would be legal notice, by state law, public hearing, discussion, and the Village Board would make the final decision. Bonnie Yorke asked if this does come to fruition how would this affect homeowners with taxes and resale of homes? Chairman Jarrett responded there would not be a lot of change in assessed value. Bonnie Yorke said she did not like the idea of her neighborhood being zoned as multifamily. Chairman Jarrett said if there was a plan there would be a process. If it was rezoned it does not change your property. Once sold it will be up to the new owner, no one will take your property. Director McLaughlin said that this was the question most asked. Misinformation was spread and the word zoning was used inappropriately. We are not rezoning the property. This is a future land use document. Chairman Jarrett said this is aspirational showing where we would like to be. It might be 15-20 years; it depends on the landowners. Some of this will come to fruition like we have seen along Villa Avenue, we may Page 4 of 7 see some uptown some of what is happening is due to the old comprehensive plan. We are hoping the update will give it a push. Kathy Fry asked if there was anything in the forefront that we are focusing on in the plan? Chairman Jarrett identified sub areas the Corridors, North Park Mall improvements, Thorntons and Belle Tire. Saint Charles Road was in the old plan, but we want to make it walkable. Uptown train station has opportunities for multi family homes. In Old Town district The Union project is scheduled to break ground soon. Historic Ardmore district is seeing development. You can look at the maps, they are all available online. Kathy Fry stated that you would have to give notification if you were going to rezone because that must be done legally. The Village is not taking your property. Chairman Jarrett said you would have to go through the process. (Did not state name) Said he had a note stuck in his shrub on Saint Charles Road west of the workout facility that’s why he came tonight. Chairman Jarrett said that the Village did not create the flyer it was propaganda, misinformation. Our information is the Comprehensive Plan. Vickie Wajda had concerns about aging infostructure and runoff sewage. She questioned if the Village would be raising taxes. Chairman Jarrett said that the elected officials would be voting on new taxes, and they will make a budget for it. Discussion Chairman Jarrett stated that he had sent some questions to Director McLaughlin. Commissioner LeMieux asked if the latest draft came out two days ago. Director McLaughlin replied yes, he wanted to make sure that you approve the latest and greatest plan that was updated online. Commissioner LeMieux wanted to state that the purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to help us secure grants. Chairman Jarrett stated that when there are land disputes the Comprehensive Plan matters in court if someone questions your decision. It is important to keep the plan up to date. Commissioner LeMieux spoke about the garden aspect. This will emphasize more required landscaping plans for new construction with inspections so we can continue the garden aspect of the Village and create pride. An example of this would be page seven. With the sound barriers along route 83. ComEd has been out there doing landscaping, it is not pleasing and IDOT put up a sound fence that is not effective. The fence is four feet with a twelve-inch gape under it. People have noticed the noise. He suggested that we can partner with IDOT and ComEd. The low voltage utilities will be trimming, and they can meet with the Village to come up with a standardized plan. They can be a funding source as well. We can partner with agencies for Page 5 of 7 affordable housing such as Habitat for Humanity would then have requirements on what screening is needed on the housing. Director McLaughlin said a partner list has been identified. Chairman Jarrett mentioned that it would make sense to have existing conditions as an appendix. Josh Koonce responded that we could put the existing file on the web site. He does not recommend attaching it to the plan, it gets to be a big document. You can click on the web site and put the existing plan on the Community Profile. Director McLaughlin recommended including the map and it would be live on the page. Chairman Jarrett said that’s a good idea in case someone wants to compare in ten years where we are and where we have been. Commissioner Romano loves the plan and asks who owns accountability to see if we are staying on target? Chairman Jarrett responded that it is every official in the Village. Director McLaughlin said it is us that is responsible. If staff feels that we want to do something staff will look to see what is on the Comprehensive Plan. The next level will be Planning and Zoning then the Village Board to approve. At that point it will be up to the community for a full public process. Chairman Jarrett said that there was nothing to stop the village from amending it periodically. Some areas develop so fast, and they have maps that change quickly. Director McLaughlin states that realistically we will see what is working and can adjust with an update. This is a new plan not just an update. Commissioner Romano fears that it will get swept under the rug and asked what safeguards do we have? Chairman Jarrett said in a perfect world it all gets done but there are areas you can pick and see it getting done. Studies and an overlay of the zoning map are all born from the Comprehensive Plan; we do not get everything, but it is a starting point. If we get two new parks that is something. Commissioner Luedtke said that the North Avenue corridor and the catalyst site highlighted in the subarea is incorrect in the plan. The red blotch is about four blocks west. Josh Koonce said he will fix that. Commissioner Luedtke asked if the Parks and Recreation Plan is still a document? Director McLaughlin responded that it is a reference document. Commissioner Luedtke said that is the only other large planning document. Commissioner Hofstra wants to know why on page 42 it shows east and west and not north and south. Director McLaughlin responds that it intentionally picks up and finishes the gaps. Commissioner Hofstra said he would like something like Oakbrook’s flat curb. Page 6 of 7 Chairman Jarrett said the stretch of Summit that is unincorporated York Township used to have sidewalks. It would be nice to contact them and get the strip back. Director McLaughlin said the area right outside of the Roosevelt Subdivision area will be accounted for in the future. We did not account for the annexed land. Commissioner Jarrett stated on page twenty under Economic Development Map west of Three on the St Charles map should not be mixed use. It is a great opportunity site; nothing needs to be torn down. Commissioner Jarrett is happy with the process and plan. The Sub areas are all interesting everyone did a good job capturing who we are and what we want to be. MOTION Commissioner Jackson recommends adoption of PZ-25-05 for a Comprehensive Plan as outlined in Exhibit A. Commissioner Calvert seconds the motion On roll call: AYES: Commissioners LeMieux, Luedtke, Romano, Hofstra, Calvert, Jackson, Chairman Jarrett (7) NAYS: None (0) ABSTAIN: None (0) The motion carried. VI. ADJOURNMENT Motion Motion to Adjourn made by Chairman Jarrett. Seconded by Commissioner Calvert. Voice vote: AYES have it. Meeting Adjourned at 8:58 p.m. Page 7 of 7