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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/07/1998 EDC MinutesMINUTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 2nd Floor Conference Room, Village Hall Thursday, May 7, 1998 8:00 a.m. The meeting of the Economic Development Commission (EDC) of the Village of Mount Prospect was held on Thursday, May 7, 1998 in the second floor conference room of Village Hall, 100 South Emerson Street, Mount Prospect, Illinois. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Norman Kurtz called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Commissioners John Arndt, Patricia Biedar, Bruce Gillilan, Norman Kurtz and Ben Trapani were present. Commissioner David Lindgren was absent. Also present were Mayor Gerald "Skip" Farley, William J. Cooney, Director of Community Development, Michael Blue, Deputy Director of Community Development, Bill George, Building Coordinator, Paul Valentine, Fire Marshal, and Jeff Wulbecker, Village Engineer. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Trapani moved to approve the minutes of the February 5, 1998 meeting. Mr. Bruce Gillilan seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. OLD BUSINESS Status Report - Current Developments Mr. Cooney distributed the most recent economic development update to the Commissioners. There was general discussion regarding the following projects: Meijer, Menard's, 3Com, Walgreen's, the downtown train station depot, Venture, Auto Barn, and the former Charlie Club health club. In addition, there was discussion regarding the progress of the downtown redevelopment efforts. Mr. Cooney indicated that staff was working with the preferred developer, Town Centre LLC, and that they hoped to finalize the redevelopment agreement within the next sixty days. NEW BUSINESS Review of Building Permit and Development Review Process Mr. Cooney stated that staff had been working the past several months in an effort to review and improve the permit and development review process in Mount Prospect. He stated that this is an ongoing process and that several modifications have been made over the past year. He stated Mr. Blue would provide a general overview of the staff report that was given to each of the members. Mr. Blue stated that staff had been working with the business community, contractors and residents in an effort to obtain their viewpoint on the permit and development review process. He stated that, Economic Development Commission Minutes Page 2 while there is an inherent conflict between the Village and contractors through the permit process, staff believed the process could be modified to significantly improve the communication between all those involved in the process. He stated that it was the goal of the Village staff to devise a process that was clearly understood and as short as possible while maintaining the integrity of the Village's role of ensuring proper building standards are adhered to in the Village. Mr. Blue outlined several steps that had currently been taken and indicated other areas that are under review. He indicated that after the EDC has made comments staff would work over the following months to devise a final recommendation and bring it back to the Economic Development Commission for their review and approval. The EDC raised several questions regarding Mr. Blue's presentation. Mr. Arndt indicated that it would appear that the Building and Engineering Divisions are understaffed in relation to surrounding communities in the northwest suburbs. He stated that the 800+ annual inspections conducted by our inspectors was significantly higher than the average in the other communities. He stated it would appear that hiring additional inspectors would be warranted to reduce the overall time for permit reviews and the inspection process. Ms. Biedar indicated she had heard from many small businesses that they are surprised by some of the Village requirements for locating their facilities in town. She stated that often these smaller businesses enter into leases and then find out about these requirements later. Mr. Cooney indicated that staff has prepared several handouts that are intended to clearly describe Village requirements for various permits but that the Village is somewhat limited in what they can do if the individuals don't contact them prior to signing a lease. There was discussion regarding providing this information to shopping center owners and requiring them to provide it to tenants before they sign leases. The Economic Development Commission generally stated that they felt the document was well written and thorough. They stated that they look forward to staff s final recommendation regarding the process. Mr. Cooney said it is staff s goal to make the process understandable and as quick as possible and that this would benefit the entire community. He stated staff would attempt to have the final recommendation ready for their next meeting in July. Proposed Rand Road Ring Road Improvements Mr. Cooney displayed two boards that illustrated the proposed ring roads along the Rand Road Corridor that have been discussed during the recent Rand Road Corridor Plan hearings. He demonstrated one interior ring road that would connect the Wal -Mart and Mount Prospect Plaza properties through to the future Menard's site. In addition, he discussed other ring road alternatives near the Rand/Kensington/Rte. 83 intersection that would eliminate turning movements at this intersection and improve the overall traffic flow. In addition, these ring roads would benefit the surrounding business by providing them access with a traffic signal and eliminating unnecessary curb cuts along Rand Road. The Economic Development Commission generally discussed the issue and supported the concept. They indicated that they believe that the ring roads would certainly benefit this area and maintain MAY07 Economic Development Commission Minutes Page 3 the long term viability of the businesses throughout the Rand Road Corridor. Several property owners that could eventually be impacted by these ring roads discussed alternate designs. Mr. Cooney indicated that the exact locations and dimensions of the roadway would need to be further studied before a final plan would be prepared, but that there would be a full public hearing process before any decisions were made. Chairman's Report There was no Chairman's report. Adjournment The Commission agreed that the next official meeting would be held on July 2, 1998. The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 a.m. WJC:bhs MAY07