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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/26/2001 ZBA minutes 17-2001 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MOUNT PROSPECT ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS CASE NO. ZBA-17-2001 Hearing Date: July 26, 2001 PETITIONER: Donald Craig, for the property, at: 305 Douglas Avenue PUBLICATION DATE: July 1 I, 2001 Journal/Topics REQUEST: Conditional Use to allow a circular drive 1VIEMBERS PRESENT: Hal Ettinger Merrill Cotten Leo Floros Richard Rogers Keith Youngquist Arlene Juracek, Chairperson MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Judy Connolly, AICP, Senior Planner Mike Blue, AICP, Community Development Deputy Director INTERESTED PARTIES: Donald Craig Chairperson Arlene Juraeek called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. The minutes of the June 28, 2001 meeting were approved 4-0; Merrill Cotton and Keith Youngquist were not at the June meeting. Chairperson Arlene Juracek introduced Case No. ZBA-17-01, a request for a Conditional Use to allow a circular drive at 305 Douglas Avenue. Judy Connolly, Senior Planner, introduced the staff memorandum for the case. Ms. Connolly stated that the subject property is an interior lot located across the street from Carefree Park. The property owners are in the process of building a new home and combining two lots to make one lot of record. Currently the subject lot measures 115 frontage by 125.5' depth. Ms. ConnoIly said that when the subdivision process is complete, the lot will measure 229.99' frontage by 125.25' depth and the petitioner is seeking Conditional Use approval to install a circular drive. Ms. Connolly explained that the proposed circular drive would be located only on the current 305 Douglas Avenue. The standard and circular driveways measure a total of 1,866 square feet and cover 54% of the front yard. Although ........ -the site would comply with lot coverage requirements, the circular drive and standard dr. ige~v~lg occupy more than half of the current front yard and would not be in keeping with the Village's policy of-maintaining an open, green, front yard. Ms. Connolly said that the proposed driveways and curb cuts would be consistent for two lots of record. As the petitioner is in the process of doubling the size of the property and subsequently the front yard, via the plat of resubdivision, the circular and standard driveways would occupy 27% of the front yard and would be in keeping with Village policy. Ms. Connolly said the property was originally part of a four-lot subdivision recorded in [998. As part of the 1998 subdivision, the petitioner was required to meet all Village codes. Despite several discussions with the Arlington Heights Park District to obtain property along the west side of Douglas for the required 66-foot right-of-way width, Douglas Avenue, north of Lincoln Street and south of White Oak 'Street, was not improved as required by Mount Prospect code and has a substan~lard right-of-way and street pavement width. Ms. Connolly said that the petitioner states that a circular drive is necessary to provide adequate guest parking since Douglas Avenue has parking on one side of the street only. In addition, the petitioner states that having guests park in the circular drive will not adversely affect public safety and welfare. Also, the circular drive will be constructed from brick pavers and be aesthetically pleasing. Ms. Connolly reported that, in order to approve the Conditional Use, tlre request has to meet the Couditional Use Standards listed in the Zoning Ordinance. She reviewed the standards and said that Staff reviewed the petitioner's plat Zoning Board of Appeals ZBA- 17-2001 Arlene Juraeek, Chairperson Page 2 of survey, site plan, traffic patterns in the neighborhood, and visited the site. She said that traffic data was not available because the subject property is under construction, Douglas Avenue is partially closed because of the construction, and there is only one other house on the block. Ms. Connolly noted that, during the 1998 Plan Commission public hearing meetings, staff was informed that people have historically parked on Douglas Avenue when their children played at Carefree Park and that Douglas Avenue would be difficult to navigate during baIlgames because the street would be so congested. Ms. Connolly said that since Douglas Avenue was constructed according to current codes, the circular drive would not .have an adverse impact to the existing drainage system because it uses storm sewers. She said that the petitioner proposes to use brick pavers to constrt~ct the circular drive and that the larger lot frontage would be in keeping with the .. Village's policy of maintaining a "green" front yard. Therefore, the circular driveway would not have a negative impact on the adjacent area, utility provision or public streets, and that the essential character of the neighborhood would not be affected by the proposed Conditional Use, nor would it have any significant effect on the pubtic welfare. Ms. Connolly said that the proposed cimular driveway meets the Conditional Use standards listed in the Zoning Ordinance. Therefore, Staff recommends that the ZBA make a recommendation to the Village Board to approve a Conditional Use for a circular driveway at 305 Douglas Street, with the condition that the petitioner complete the subdivision process that consolidates two lots of record to one lot, which is scheduled to go to Village Board August 7th, and that the circular portion of the driveway be removed if the lot is later subdivided and the frontage measures less than 150-feet. Hal Ettinger asked Ms. Connolly when the street would be opened. She responded that it would open when construction of the second house was complete. Ms. Juracek asked if the petitioner was present to address the group. Donald Craig, 1040 Arbor Court in Mount Prospect, was sworn in. He agreed with Ms. Connolly's assessment of the petition. Ms. Juraeek said she thought this was a straightforward request and this was an attractive comer, Lincoln and Douglas. She asked if he understood that the conditions imposed by staff. Mr. Craig said he did. At 7:43, Chairperson Juracek closed the public hearing and asked for discussion from the Zoning Board members. Mr. Ettinger asked for clarification of the second condition imposed by staff. Ms. Juraeek explained that the circular drive would need to be removed from 305 Douglas if the lots were ever divided again in a manner that would cream a frontage that measured less than two lots in the R1 zoning district. Richard Rogers moved to make a recommendation to the Village Board to approve the request for a Conditional Use to allow a circular drive at 305 Douglas Street, Case No. ZBA- 17-01, subject to the two conditions imposed by staff and the additional condition that the driveway be done in paver bricks, not asphalt or concrete. Hal Ettinger seconded the motion. UPON ROLL CALL: AYES: Cotton, Flores, Ettinger, Rogers. Youngquist and Juracek NAYS: Motion was approved 6-0. At I0:00 p.m., after the Zoning Board heard five more eases and tabled Case No. ZBA-21-01 to the August 23~ meeting, Merrill Cotten made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Hal Ettinger. The motion was approved by a voice vote and the meeting was adjourned. Barbara Swiatek, Planning Secretary ~u~y ConTll~, Senior l~lanner y