Planning & Zoning Board

January 24, 2017 WHEATON PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL VOTE Chair Weller called the January 24, 2017 Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Wheaton City Hall, 303 W. Wesley Street. Upon roll call, the following were: Roll Call Vote Present: Nicole Aranas Bob Gudmundson Mark Plunkett Dan Wanzung Scott Weller Absent: Ron Almiron Chris Derrick City Staff Present: Tracy Jones, Staff Planner II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - JANUARY 10, 2017 The minutes were approved as presented. III. PUBLIC COMMENT There was none. IV. NEW BUSINESS ZA # 17-03/ SUBDIVISION, REZONING AND PUD/ 616 CHILDS STREET/ 616 CHILDS PROPERTY LLC Pursuant to notice duly published on January 7, 2017 and letters mailed to neighboring property owners on January 5, 2017, Chair Weller called to order the January 24, 2017 public hearing requesting subdivision, rezoning and PUD approval of the property located at 616 Childs Street. The subject property currently consists of two parcels. The northern parcel (which is 35,717.14 square feet of the subject property) is zoned M-1 Manufacturing District and the southern parcel (which is 4,251.39 square feet of the subject property) is zoned R-4 Residential District. The application is requesting the subdivision of the northern 181.0 feet of the subject property and the rezoning of that portion of the subject property from the M-1 Manufacturing District to the C-3 Commercial District. The application is further requesting the rezoning of the southern 50.36 feet of the subject property from the R-4 Residential District to the M-1 Manufacturing District. The application is further requesting PUD approval for all existing conditions to remain on the subject property. Mark Daniel, 17W733 Butterfield Road, Unit F, Oakbrook Terrace was sworn in. Mr. Daniel stated that he is the attorney representing 616 Childs Property LLC. He stated that his client is requesting the subdivision of the northern 181.0 feet of the subject property (proposed lot 1) and the rezoning of that portion of the subject property from the M-1 Manufacturing District to the C-3 Commercial District. There is an existing one-story stucco building and parking area on this portion of the property. The applicant has two tenants that are interested in occupying a portion of the existing building (a beauty salon and tanning salon). While these uses are not permitted in the M-I Manufacturing District, they are both permitted in the C-3 Commercial District. An existing tenant (mortgage office) will also remain in the existing building. This application proposes no changes to the existing building or parking area. The Zoning Ordinance requires parking of 2.75 spaces per 1,000 square feet for general retail. Based on this parking requirement, 13 parking spaces are required. The existing parking area has 25 parking spaces.  Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board January 24, 2017 Page - 2 - of 3 Mr. Daniel stated that his client is further requesting the rezoning of the southern 50.36 feet of the subject property from the R-4 Residential District to the M-1 Manufacturing District and the consolidation of this portion of the property with the remainder of the subject property zoned M-1 Manufacturing District (proposed lot 2). To minimize the impact on adjacent residential properties to the south, staff recommends that this portion of the property remain R-4 Residential and be removed from the zoning request. The applicant is opposed to this staff recommendation. Mr. Daniel stated that there is an existing metal frame building on proposed lot 2 with a longstanding warehouse use. The application proposes no changes to the existing building. The applicant is proposing vehicular access to proposed lot 2 over proposed lot 1. The applicant proposes that outdoor storage for the existing warehouse use be limited to the north 139 feet of proposed lot 2. Outdoor storage is permitted in the M-1 District, if it is properly screened. While there is heavy vegetation along the east and south property lines, it does not provide enough screening during the winter months. Staff recommends and the applicant stated that they are agreeable to installing an 8.0-foot tall solid wood fence along the west, south, and east boundaries of the outdoor storage area. Staff Planner Jones stated that any future redevelopment of the M-1 portion of the property (proposed lot 2) would require additional PUD approval. Mr. Daniel addressed the addressed the special use permit standards for a planned unit development as required by the Zoning Ordinance. He stated that the proposed special use permit would not be detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, comfort, convenience, or general welfare of the neighboring property owners. Keith Splitgerber, 549 W. Indiana Street, Wheaton was sworn in. Mr. Splitgerber submitted a letter for the record and stated that he was an adjacent property owner to the south. He stated that he was not opposed to the rezoning of the northern portion of the property to commercial but he wanted the southern portion of the property to remain residential. He added that he was not supportive of a future access to Sunnyside from the subject property. He has significant compliance concerns with the property. He stated that the property has been used as a junk yard for decades and as soon as the City makes the owner clean up the property, the debris reappears. He added that they have ongoing rodent and coyote issues in the neighborhood from this property and it has impacted both property values and property sales in the neighborhood. Robert Bollow, 537 W. Indiana Street, Wheaton was sworn in. Mr. Bollow stated that he was also an adjacent property owner to the south. He agreed with all the comments made by Mr. Splitgerber. He stated that due to the coyote issue in the neighborhood he is concerned for the safety of pets in the neighborhood. He added that he is disappointed in the City’s lack of response to the ongoing compliance issue on the property. Tatiana Savenok, 17W300 22nd Street, Suite 360, Oakbrook Terrace was sworn in. Ms. Savenok stated that she manages the subject property and that the existing lease they have with the warehouse tenant was inherited from the previous owner. She added that the language in the existing lease has made compliance enforcement difficult on the property. The Board was generally supportive of the zoning application but they had significant concerns with the ongoing compliance issue on the property. The Board requested that the applicant work with City staff, the City attorney, and the neighbors to address the ongoing compliance issue as part of the zoning application. The Board continued the item until their next regular meeting on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 to give the applicant time to address this issue. V. MISCELLANEOUS There was none.  Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board January 24, 2017 Page - 3 - of 3 VI. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Gudmundson moved and then Mr. Wanzung seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:00 p.m. On a voice vote, all voted aye. Respectfully submitted, Tracy L. Jones, Staff Planner