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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/15/2004 DAHC minutes MINUTES DOWNTOWN AD HOC COMMITTEE PHASE II 2nd Floor Conference Room, Village Hall Thursday, January 15, 2004 3:30 p.m. The meeting of the Downtown Ad Hoc Committee of the Village of Mount Prospect was held on Thursday, January 15, 2004 , in the secon d floor conference room of Village Hall, 100 South Emerson Street, Mount Prospect, Illinois. CALL TO ORDER Chairman George Busse called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Committee members Laurel DiPrima, Jackie Hinaber, Elizabeth Lespinasse, Tom Lowe, Je an Reibel, Jim Uszler and Tom Zander were present. David Lindgren and Daniel Lee were absent. Also present were Michael Jacobs, Deputy Director of Community Development, Michael Janonis, Village Manager, and Gerald Farley, Mayor. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Th e minutes of the January 8, 2004 Committee meeting were reviewed and approved unanimously. OLD BUSINESS Sub - area #3 Chairman Busse indicated that Bill Blaine was present and would like to make a brief presentation on behalf of the recently created Save O pen Space (SOS) Mount Prospect Committee. Mr. Blaine introduced himself and other members of the Committee that were present at the meeting. Mr. Blaine noted that the SOS Committee’s focus is to preserve the existing vacant property located at the southe ast corner of Emerson Street and Central Road. He indicated that the Committee has been handing out literature to Village residents regarding their desire to preserve the existing open space across from the Library. Mr. Blaine noted the response has been extremely supportive and he then read some correspondence he had received from residents regarding the issue. Mr. Blaine noted that the Village already owns the vacant property in question and the costs associated with maintaining the site would be minim al. In addition, the SOS Committee believes the site serves as a gateway into the Village’s downtown and that the site’s close proximity to Central Road is not a safety concern. He asked that the Ad Hoc Committee consider issues of quality of life when re view further downtown redevelopment efforts. Mr. Blaine noted that although other areas may also be appropriate for a park, there is no guarantee that other locations will be converted into open space in the future. Mr. Blaine closed by asking the Ad Hoc Committee to focus on the question of what kind of community does Mount Prospect want to be and suggested that future decisions should be consistent with that vision. Chairman Busse noted that the Ad Hoc Committee supports the creation of open space wit hin the Village’s downtown, but at this point believes that a park at the northeast corner of Busse & Emerson would be a more optimum location given the landscape/open space features that will be included in the new Village Hall project. Chairman Busse ind icated that the Ad Hoc Committee’s comments are only preliminary and that they have not yet st finalized their recommendations. He noted that the Ad Hoc Committee will host a public hearing on January 31 to allow for public input prior to formalizing their recommendations. Chairman Busse suggested that the SOS Committee should not focus solely on the property at the corner of Emerson and Central, but instead should look to what is good for the entire downtown. He suggested that the SOS committee attempt to identify other locations in the downtown area that the Village could consider for open space. Linda Mosca, 102 N. Wille, asked if the redevelopment plans for downtown Mount Prospect are already set in stone. Chairman Busse stated that the Village Board has asked the Committee to review the existing downtown Downtown Development Ad Hoc Committee January 15, 2004 Minutes Page 2 plan to see if it is still appropriate while also looking at areas outside of the existing boundaries. NEW BUSINESS Sub - Area #5 Mr. Jacobs provided a general overview of the businesses and land area included in Sub - Area #5. The sub - area consists of the one - story shopping center located at the northwest corner of Central Road and Main Street. Businesses located on this property include the House of Szechwan, Mount Prospect Package Liquors, and a Clean ers. Mr. Jacobs noted that Sub - Area #5 is located outside of both the existing TIF District and the boundaries established by the existing Downtown Strategic Plan. Mr. Jacobs indicated that the main challenges in redeveloping the property are its close proximity to both the adjoining single - family homes and the intersection of Central Road and Main Street. The other issue that could impact the potential redevelopment of the site relates to an existing parking agreement between the owners of the shoppin g center and the adjacent Mount Prospect Nation Bank facility. The Committee then generally discussed the development opportunities of sub - area 5, including either modifying the existing building or completely redeveloping the site. The Committee, as w ell as residents in attendance, agreed that the existing center is an eye sore, but that the physical constraints of the site make redevelopment of the property difficult. The Committee also questioned whether public funds would be needed to help offset d evelopment costs and whether the property should be placed within the TIF District. The Committee agreed that Sub - Area #5 should be added to the Downtown Plan and that if the property were to be redeveloped it should provide a transition between the Villa ge’s downtown and the existing single - family residential neighborhood to the west. The Committee felt the transition could be best achieved through a 3 - story building with ground level retail and either offices or multi - family residential units on the upp er floors. The Committee also suggested that if redevelopment of the site were not possible, due to either financial or physical constraints, then the existing structure should be modified to create a more appealing center. Sub - Area #6 Mr. Jacobs provi ded a general overview of the businesses and land area included in Sub - Area #6. The sub - area consists of the properties bounded by Northwest Highway, Central Road and Pine Street and includes a number of existing uses including, Jake’s Pizza, Little Ameri ca Restaurant, Mobile Print, Capannari’s Ice Cream, Moehling Park, Tri - State Electronics and a Marathon service station. Mr. Jacobs noted that the original Ad Hoc Committee did not review Sub - Area #6 in 1998. Mr. Jacobs noted that although Sub - Area #6 is triangular in shape, it encompasses a total land area of over 3 acres. Mr. Jacobs noted that the sub - area consists of several different parcels and property owners, but also contains a number of viable businesses. He also noted that a large redevelopm ent project within the area could incorporate the existing S. Elmhurst Avenue right - of - way if so desired. In reviewing Sub - Area #6 the Committee noted that although several of the existing uses may not be ideal for a downtown, there are several businesses within the area that continue to be successful. The Committee also agreed that due to the number of existing viable businesses this area should be studied at a later date as part of third phase for the downtown redevelopment, in addition to the propertie s on the south side of Prospect Avenue. The Committee agreed that although this area should not be included in the downtown plan at this time, the extension of residential uses on the west side of Pine Street would be appropriate given the residential ch aracter of Pine Street to the east and north. owntown Development Ad Hoc Committee January 15, 2004 Minutes Page 3 CHAIRMAN'S REPORT There was no Chairman’s report. ADJOURNMENT The Committee agreed to hold their next meeting on January 22, 2004. The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Michael W . Jacobs, Jr., AICP Deputy Director of Community Development