Planning & Zoning Board

April 27, 2021 WHEATON PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL VOTE Acting Chair Plunkett called the April 27, 2021 Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Upon roll call, the following were: Roll Call Vote Present: Nicole Aranas Christopher Dabovich Cecilia Horejs Mark Plunkett Dan Wanzung Absent: Bob Gudmundson Scott Weller City Staff Present: Tracy Jones, Staff Planner Joe Tebrugge, Director of Engineering II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - APRIL 13, 2021 The minutes were approved as presented. III. PUBLIC COMMENT There was none. IV. NEW BUSINESS ZA #21-06/ SIDE YARD ABUTTING A STREET SETBACK VARIATION/ 523 E. ELM STREET/ JOHNSON Pursuant to notice duly published on April 9, 2021 and letters mailed to neighboring property owners on April 7, 2021, Acting Chair Plunkett called to order the April 27, 2021 public hearing requesting a variation to Article 9.2.5 of the Wheaton Zoning Ordinance to allow the construction and use of a deck on the property located at 523 E. Elm Street with a side yard abutting a street setback of 17.79 feet in lieu of the required 30.47 feet. Acting Chair Plunkett incorporated a letter of support from Lois Mouhelis, 1009 Campbell Avenue, Wheaton into the record at the public hearing. Christopher and Diane Johnson, 523 E. Elm Street, Wheaton were sworn in. They stated that they are the current owners of 523 E. Elm Street and that they purchased the home in 2017. Mr. Johnson stated that the subject property is located on the northeast corner of Elm Street and Campbell Avenue. The property is approximately 10,500 square feet in size with a lot width of 70.0 feet and a lot depth of 150.0 feet. The property is improved with a ranch style home and detached garage that was constructed in 1957. Mr. Johnson stated that they are requesting a variation to Article 9.2.5 of the Wheaton Zoning Ordinance to allow the construction and use of a deck on the property located at 523 E. Elm Street with a side yard abutting a street setback of 17.79 feet in lieu of the required 30.47 feet.  Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board April 27, 2021 Page 2 of 5 Staff Planner Jones stated that the side yard abutting a street setback requirement off Campbell Avenue is based on the average of the standard requirement of 20.0 feet and the setback of the adjacent home to the north of 40.94 feet (20.0+40.94/ 2 = 30.47 feet). The existing house on the subject property has a side yard abutting a street setback ranging between 16.66 and 16.79 feet. Mrs. Johnson stated that the lot width of 70.0 feet, a side yard abutting a street setback of 30.47 is restrictive for the subject property. There is an existing exterior door at the northwest corner of the house and the proposed deck will be replacing a smaller, older deck that was in a similar location on the subject property before it was removed in August 2020. Since the proposed deck will be located entirely behind the existing side yard abutting a street wall of the house facing Campbell Avenue, where the existing exterior door to the house and the old deck were located, staff is supportive of granting the request. Mrs. Johnson addressed the ten variation evidence standards as required by the Zoning Ordinance. She stated that the proposed variation would not be detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, comfort, convenience, or general welfare of the neighboring property owners. Mr. Wanzung moved and then Mr. Dabovich seconded the motion to close the public hearing. On a voice vote, all voted aye. The Board decided to waive their normal rules and vote this evening. Mr. Wanzung moved and then Ms. Horejs seconded the motion to recommend approval of ZA #21-06 requesting a variation to Article 9.2.5 of the Wheaton Zoning Ordinance to allow the construction and use of a deck on the property located at 523 E. Elm Street with a side yard abutting a street setback of 17.79 feet in lieu of the required 30.47 feet as presented. Roll Call Vote Ayes: Nicole Aranas Christopher Dabovich Cecilia Horejs Mark Plunkett Dan Wanzung Nays: None Absent: Bob Gudmundson Scott Weller Motion Passed Unanimously ZA #21-07/ PUD/ 204 AND 210 S. WHEATON AVENUE/ ROSS BUILDERS, INC. Pursuant to notice duly published on April 9, 2021 and letters mailed to neighboring property owners on April 7, 2021, Acting Chair Plunkett called to order the April 27, 2021 public hearing requesting a special use permit for a planned unit development to allow the construction and use of a 4-story, 18 unit multi-family (apartment) building at the southwest corner of Liberty Drive and Wheaton Avenue. PUD approval is required when a multi-family project of over 12 units is developed in the C-4 District.  Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board April 27, 2021 Page 3 of 5 Craig Ross, 23 N. Lincoln Avenue, Hinsdale was sworn in. Mr. Ross stated that he owns Ross Builders, Inc. and he is requesting a special use permit for a planned unit development to allow the construction and use of a 4- story, 18 unit multi-family (apartment) building on the subject property. He added that he is currently constructing a similar building in Downers Grove. Gregg Stahr, 5012 Fairview Avenue, Downers Grove was sworn in. Mr. Stahr stated that he was the architect working on the project. The property has approximately 150.0 feet of frontage on Liberty Drive and approximately 119.0 feet of frontage on Wheaton Avenue. The building is situated to meet the 5.0 foot required setback from both the Liberty Drive and Wheaton Avenue property lines. The main pedestrian entrance to the building would be off Liberty Drive. The property would have a total of 30 parking spaces; 11 of these would be exterior spaces and the remaining 19 would be interior spaces. Access to the exterior spaces would be off the existing public alley to the south of the property via Wheaton Avenue and access to the interior spaces would be via a new drive approach on to Wheaton Avenue. Mr. Stahr stated that the building would be 4 floors with approximately 8,718 square feet per floor. The first floor would contain a lobby area off Liberty Drive, 19 interior parking spaces and a trash room. Floors 2 through 4 would each contain 6, 2-bedroom dwelling units per floor. Each unit offers a private balcony, and the roof offers a common rooftop terrace for tenant use. The main portion of the building would be 44.25 feet in height to the top of the flat roof. However, one elevator shaft and two stairwells would have a height of 54.0 feet to provide access to the rooftop deck. The maximum height in the C-4 District is 4 stories or 50.0 feet, whichever is greater. Please note that the height of the elevator shaft and the two stairwells providing access to the rooftop deck, however, are exempt from this height limit. Mr. Stahr stated that elevations have been provided for the building. The elevations show a 4-story flat roof building with a mix of brick and block veneer along the lower portion of the building with fiber cement panel and horizontal siding on the upper portion of the building. The building would feature aluminum awnings and guardrails. Color renderings have also been provided for the building that features an updated color palette of whites, grays, and blacks. Mr. Stahr stated that the applicant is proposing to construct 11 exterior parking spaces off the public alley and an additional 19 interior first floor parking spaces for a total of 30 on-site parking spaces. The property is in the Downtown Parking Overlay District, which has a parking requirement of .78 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet for residential uses. With a total of 26,154 square feet of residential use (8,718 x 3 = 26,154 square feet), code would require 21 parking spaces. Mr. Stahr stated that a landscape plan has been submitted for the project. The plan shows the installation of 4 parkways trees along Liberty Drive by the City of Wheaton (as part of the City’s ongoing streetscape project). An additional 3 parkway trees, all Sienna Glen Freeman Maples, are proposed along Wheaton Avenue. The plan includes a mix of shade trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, evergreens, ornamental grasses, and perennials around the perimeter of the building and the patio space situated at the southwest corner of building. A monument sign is proposed on the northeast corner of the property. Mr. Stahr stated that one of the stated goals in Wheaton’s Comprehensive Plan is to develop additional multiple family developments within the Wheaton Central Planning Area. Wheaton’s Downtown Strategic and Streetscape Plan further encourages the construction of additional multi-family developments and states that these additional residential units would more than likely develop on the south side of the tracks in the Downtown Area. Mr. Stahr stated that the applicant is proposing a lot area of 826 square feet per two-bedroom dwelling unit or a density of 52.7 dwelling units/acre. The required 2,000 square feet per dwelling unit for efficiency, one, and  Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board April 27, 2021 Page 4 of 5 two bedroom units results in a maximum permitted density of 21.78 dwelling units/acre. With a lot size of 14,863 square feet, code would allow a total of 7.4 efficiency, one and two bedroom units on the subject property. The applicant is requesting an exception to this requirement to allow an additional 11 units for a total of 18 units to make the project financially feasible. Acting Chair Plunkett questioned the density of the Wheaton 121 Apartment Building. Staff Planner Jones stated that the Wheaton 121 Apartment Building, which is also in the C-4 District and was approved in 2012, has a lot area of 370 square feet per dwelling unit or a density of 117.6 dwelling units/ acre. Acting Chair Plunkett questioned the density of the 111 N. Wheaton Avenue Condominium Building. Staff Planner Jones stated that the 111 N. Wheaton Avenue Condominium Building has 43 units and 4 stories, but she was unsure of the lot size excluding the public garage. Mr. Stahr addressed the special use and the public benefit standards for the PUD as required by the Wheaton Zoning Ordinance. He stated that the proposed PUD would not be detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, comfort, convenience, or general welfare of the neighboring property owners. He added that any impact attributable to the increased density would not be detrimental to adjacent land uses or the City at large. Ms. Horejs questioned whether there are any buried tanks on the adjacent property. Andrey Strelkov, 975 E. 22nd Street, Suite 400, Wheaton was sworn in. Mr. Strelkov stated that he was the engineering working on the project. He stated that they completed a Phase One Environmental Assessment and there are no buried tanks in the general area. John King, 1522 Mayo Avenue, Wheaton was sworn in. Mr. King stated that he was concerned about the additional traffic the apartment building would generate going south on Wheaton Avenue toward St. Mike’s school. David Heise, 314 W. Willow Avenue, Wheaton was sworn in. Mr. Heise stated that he was representing St. Mikes. He stated that St. Mike’s is supportive of the apartment building request but not the increase in density because of the additional traffic it would generate going south on Wheaton Avenue toward St. Mike’s school. Mr. Stahr stated that all deliveries for the apartment building would occur on Liberty Drive and would not typically proceed south on Wheaton Avenue. Acting Chair Plunkett stated that the subject property, which is in the C-4 District, could allow a more intense commercial use that would generate much more traffic than the 18 unit apartment building. The rest of the Board agreed with this statement. Mr. Wanzung moved and then Mr. Dabovich seconded the motion to close the public hearing. On a voice vote, all voted aye. The Board decided to waive their normal rules and vote this evening.  Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board April 27, 2021 Page 5 of 5 Mr. Wanzung moved and then Ms. Aranas seconded the motion to recommend approval of ZA #21-07 requesting a special use permit for a planned unit development to allow the construction and use of a 4-story, 18 unit multi-family (apartment) building at the southwest corner of Liberty Drive and Wheaton Avenue, subject to the following conditions: 1. The proposed driveway approach does not meet City Code and is instead required to provide 15’ radius; 2. The stop sign and stop bar on City Property for the drive approach must be removed; and 3. The engineering plan shall be subject to further staff review prior to the issuance of a site development permit. Roll Call Vote Ayes: Nicole Aranas Christopher Dabovich Cecilia Horejs Mark Plunkett Dan Wanzung Nays: None Absent: Bob Gudmundson Scott Weller Motion Passed Unanimously V. MISCELLANEOUS There was none. VI. ADJOURNMENT The Board adjourned the meeting at 8:17 p.m. On a voice vote, all voted aye. Respectfully submitted, Tracy L. Jones, Staff Planner