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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/26/2000 ZBA minutes 39-2000 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MOUNT PROSPECT ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS CASE NO. ZBA-39-2000 Hearing Date: October 26, 2000 PETITIONER: George Zervos PUBLICATION DATE: October 11, 2000 JOURNAL/TOPICS REQUEST: Conditional use approval to operate an auto repair shop at 620 E. Northwest Highway MEMBERS PRESENT: Merrill Cotten Hal Ettinger Leo Floros Elizabeth Luxem Keith Youngquist Arlene Juracek, Chairperson MEMBERS ABSENT: Richard Rogers STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Michael Blue, AICP, Deputy Director of Community Development Judy Connolly, AICP, Senior Planner INTERESTED PARTIES: Tom Hames Michael Joyce John Kachoukas Dave Nurok Waker Trachsel Jerry Wester Bob Lucci Frank Zeman Chairperson Arlene Juracek called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. Elizabeth Luxem made a motion to approve the minutes of the September 14 meeting, seconded by Keith Youngquist. Chairperson Arlene Juracek made a correction to the minutes of the ZBA-26-2000 case. Elizabeth Luxem made a motion to approve the corrected ZBA-26-2000 minutes and the minutes of the ZBA-33-2000 case, Leo Floros seconded the motion, and the minutes were unanimously approved. At 8:58, Ms. Juracek opened Case ZBA-39-2000, a request for conditional use approval to operate an auto repair shop at 620 E. Northwest Highway Judy Connolly, Senior Planner, stated that public notice had been given and introduced the staff memorandum for the item, a conditional use to operate an auto repair facility, and said the case would be Village Board final. Ms. Connolly said that the subject property is a vacant used car dealership at the northeast comer of Northwest Highway and William Street, adjacent to single family residential, commercial, and across the street from the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The applicant proposes minor modifications to the existing structure to operate an auto repair shop. The petitioner does not propose to change access to the site or modify the existing driveway. Ms. Connolly said the petitioner's plans include installing five additional parking spaces, new planter boxes by the building, and grooming the existing landscaping. The interior improvements would be minor because the existing structure was an auto-related use and currently has two service bays. The bays are accessed from the front of the property and do not open along the rear wall. The proposal requires a conditional use permit because auto repair shops are a conditional use in the B5 Zoning District. Zoning Board of Appeals ZBA-39-2000 Arlene Juracek, Chairperson Page 2 The Village's Comprehensive Plan designates the subject property for general commercial and office uses. The Comprehensive Plan is in the process of being updated to include a study of the Northwest Highway Corridor. Preliminary findings for that study and other research indicate that automotive uses are common along a major arterial street such as Northwest Highway, especially when a train station is in close proximity. Commuters can drop off their car for repairs in the morning and take the train to work and pick up the car after work. Ms. Connolly said the existing building is 1,500 s.f., primarily comprised of concrete block, large glass windows, and roll-up doors and the petitioner does not plan to modify the exterior of the building. The applicant has submitted a preliminary Landscape Plan for the property. Approximately 30% of the site is devoted to green space. Other than planter boxes by the foundation of the building, the plan does not show installing new landscaping, just "grooming" the existing bushes and trees. The plan does not meet code and should be revised so that the size and/or quantity of the planter boxes meets the intent of the code for foundation landscaping. The petitioner should also install a 10-foot perimeter landscape area around the entire site, including a solid, three-foot evergreen landscape screen along Northwest Highway and along half of the east property line, to be consistent with the landscaping installed at other new projects located along the Village's commercial corridors. The petitioner also should screen parked vehicles and meet code. Ms. Connolly said the site meets the parking requirements, but there are concerns about employees and customers parking on the street. Since the petitioner's request is a conditional use, customer and employee parking should be limited to the subject property only. Other departments have reviewed the proposal and noted that the project must meet current code requirements. Ms. Connolly said the subject property is a vacant used car dealership along a commercial corridor. The applicant proposes to establish an auto repair shop and not modify the existing structure. The proposal is of a similar intensity to the surrounding commercial area. Revising the landscape plan to provide an enhanced buffer for the residences and restricting the hours of operation and parking should allow little or no negative impact on the adjacent area, utility provision or public streets in the area. The proposed conditional use will comply with the Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Ordinance requirements. Ms. Connolly stated that the auto repair shop would meet the required standards for a conditional use when the following conditions of approval have been met. The conditions of approval are: 1) development of the site in general conformance with the site plan prepared by Place Associates dated August 24, 2000; 2) submission of a final landscape plan in general conformance with the preliminary site plan prepared by Place Associates, dated August 24, 2000: a. revised to meet all requirements of Article 23 of the Zoning Ordinance; b. revised to provide evergreen bushes at a 3' height along Northwest Highway and along 50% of the east property line; enhanced landscaping along the rear property line, enhanced planter boxes, and annuals planted in the spring/summer months; 3) the petitioner shall not park any employee or customer vehicles on the surrounding public streets; 4) submittal and approval of final engineering plans meeting all Development Code requirements for newly paved areas; 5) submittal of final building plans meeting all applicable Building Code and Fire Code requirements; 6) hours of operation are confined to 8am to 8pm. Based on these findings, Staff recommends that the ZBA recommend approval of the proposed conditional use to permit an auto repair shop at 620 E. Northwest Highway, Case No. ZBA-39-2000. The Village Board's decision is final for this case. Keith Youngquist had concerns about stacking cars in parking spaces along Northwest Highway. Ms. Connolly said those concerns could be addressed as a condition of approval in a recommendation to the Village Board. Zoning Board of Appeals ZBA-39-2000 Arlene Juracek, Chairperson Page 3 Elizabeth Luxem asked about the limitations to petitioner's business imposed by the condition for approval confining the hours of operation to 8am to 8pm. Ms. Connolly said that was based on the hours of operation submitted by the petitioner. Merrill Cotten said an 8am opening time would not be practical for dropping-off cars before boarding the train to go to work. Frank Zeman, owner of the property at 620 E. Northwest Highway, John Kachoukas, architect for the project and residing at 3518 S. Sunnyside in Brookfield, George Zervos, petitioner who resides at 714 Chris Lane and Charles Randolph, the mechanic for the business who resides at 423 Alice in Des Plaines, were sworn in. Mr. Zervos stated he had been operating the Shell Station at Rand and Central Roads, which had just been closed. They want to stay in the same area to service their established customers. Mr. Zervos said the hours of operation stated in the conditions for approval were satisfactory and he was confident no stacking of cars would be required. Ms. Luxem pointed out that they would be confined to those hours and might want to reconsider that restriction. Mr. Randolph said they only repair cars from 8am to 8pm. Ms. Juracek suggested they hear testimony from others before deciding on this condition. Hal Ettinger asked about the length of the lease. Mr. Zervos said it was a one-year lease with an option to purchase. Ms. Juracek asked if members of the audience wished to speak. Bob Lucci, 109 N. Maple, was sworn in and said he had been a customer of Mr. Zervos for many years and wanted to show his support of this request. He said he has taken good care of his vehicles. Jerry Wester, 300 S. William, was sworn in and said he has concerns about the children in the neighborhood. There is a lot of traffic in the neighborhood and he also feels the area is being saturated with this type of business. Michael Joyce, 307 S. William, was sworn in and testified he was concerned about the scrap byproducts from this business being in view from his house. Waker Trachsel, 300 S. Louis, said his concerns were with the administrative procedures employed in this case. He said many people had not been notified of this case. Mr. Blue said the notice is placed in the newspaper and a sign is placed on the property. Ms. Connolly produced the list of property owners within 250' of the subject property that had been provided by the township and to whom notices had been mailed. Dave Nurok previously ran the business at 620 E. Northwest Highway and said he was able to accommodate 45 cars without double stacking at any time. He also said the building backs up to the property line and there is no room for trash to be stored outside the building, which is also screened by landscaping. He said test-driving of cars is done only on Northwest Highway, and it is not necessary to drive on the residential streets to test-drive vehicles. Mr. Randolph said used tires would be kept indoors. Storage tanks for oil and coolant would also be in the shop. Scrap metal will be contained in a barrel inside the shop. He also said all test-driving would be done on Northwest Highway. He said no additional lighting would be installed Ms. Juracek asked for a motion and suggested approval be subject to the conditions imposed by staff. Elizabeth Luxem made a motion to change Condition #6 to allow hours of operation from 7am to 8pm; Merrill Cotten seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Keith Youngquist made a motion to add Condition #7, that no overnight stacking of cars be allowed to occur on the lot; Elizabeth Luxem seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Leo Floros made a motion to recommend approval of the proposed Conditional Use to permit an auto repair shop at 620 E. Northwest Highway, Case No. ZBA-39-2000 with the seven conditions of approval. The Village Board's oning Board of Appeals ZBA-39-2000 Arlene Juracek, Chairperson Page 4 decision is final for this case. Ms. Juracek said, in her opinion, there were too many car repair uses on Northwest Highway and she would cast a symbolic "no" vote. UPON ROLL CALL: AYES: Cotten, Ettinger, Floros, Luxem and Youngquist NAYS: Juracek Motion was approved 5-1. At 9:44 p.m., Hal Ettinger made motion to adjourn, seconded by Merrill Cotten. The motion was approved by a voice vote and the meeting was adjourned. Barbara Swiatek, Planning Secretary Judy Connolly, Senior Planner H:\GEN\PLNG\ZBA\ZBA 2000\Mh~utes~ZBA-39-2000 620 E. NW Hwy.doc