Village of River Forest Board of Trustees met February 12.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
1. Call To Order/Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 7:08 p.m. Upon roll call, the following persons were:
Present: President Adduci, Trustees Cargie, Henek, Vazquez, Conti, Gibbs, and Corsini,
Absent: Village Clerk Kathleen Brand-White
Also Present: Police Chief James O'Shea, Fire Chief Kurt Bohlmann, Patrol Commander Dan Dhooghe, Finance Director Joan Rock, Public Works Director John Anderson, Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner, Management Analyst Jon Pape, Building Official Cliff Radatz, Village Attorney Greg Smith
2. Pledge Of Allegiance
President Adduci led the pledge of allegiance.
3. Citizens Comments
None.
4. Elected Officials Comments And Annoucements
Trustee Corsini thanked the police department for hosting the public safety meeting and complimented them on their presentation. She provided a Finance and Administration funding update. She reported that she, and Trustees Conti and Vazquez attended the National Equity Project training held by District 90 (D90) on January 30th. She recommended that other board members attend the next time this training is available. Trustee Corsini stated that the Lake and Park interviews were completed and will be discussed in greater depth later in the meeting. She reported that the Community Council meeting for Oak Park River Forest High School (OPRF) was cancelled due to weather and will be rescheduled. She requested that Trustee Vazquez provide an update on the Imagine Work Group. She thanked the Public Works Department for their snow removal efforts and complimented them on their work. Trustee Corsini congratulated Sergeant Edith Buckner for her completion of staff and command school and Officer Rachel Spears for completing the police academy.
Trustee Cargie stated that the Collaboration Committee concurred that the Community Calendar is the first step and provided a status for the project. He affirmed that the next meeting will be next Wednesday.
Trustee Vazquez recognized the Police Chief and Department for their involvement in the carjacking task force in addition to concurring with Trustee Corsini's statement regarding the public safety meeting. He reported that the OPRF Imagine Work Group has visited several high schools on the north shore to see what they have done with facility additions and renovations.
He announced the next meeting, its purpose, and described how the meeting will be conducted. He encouraged residents to attend the February 27th community meeting when they will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide input. Trustee Vazquez said there will be two other community meetings held after that, but the purpose of the upcoming meeting is to report their observations.
Trustee Conti commended the Police Department for the public safety meeting. She thanked the Public Works Department for their response to the recent snow events. She reported that she attended the D90 meetings with Trustees Corsini and Vazquez and commented that it was informative and enlightening.
Trustee Henek echoed the compliments to the Police Department and Public Departments.
Trustee Gibbs wished everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. He recognized the Public Works Department's response to the snow event and echoed the comments of the other trustees. He recognized Officer Glen Czernik for heading up the presentation at the public safety meeting and thanked the representative from the State's Attorney's office for attending the meeting. He commented that he thought the meeting was very well received and thought the presenters all did a fine job. Trustee Gibbs requested that the Village send a message to the residents reminding them not to throw the snow back into the roadways because they believe it will be melting. He expressed concerns that the snow put back into the roadway will freeze and create a hazard. He announced that he is a fan of the Olympics and wished all U.S. Olympians the best of luck, safety, and fair competition.
President Adduci welcomed the youth, seniors, and all in attendance. She thanked Chief O'Shea and his staff for the public safety meeting and thanked Public Works Department for their response to the snow event. She reported that she received several emails regarding how much better the snow removal was in River Forest compared to other communities. She stated that she attended the US Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC. She provided an update regarding the status of infrastructure improvement funding. President Adduci described the sessions she attended and said she appreciated the ability to attend the conference. She reported that she, Chief O'Shea, and Village Administrator Palm attended a meeting with Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and Commissioner Silvestri where a number of topics such as public safety issues and grant funds were discussed. She said the County is doing a phenomenal job with the Forest Preserve headquarters and described current and future upgrades to the Thatcher Woods pavilion and trailside museum. She stated she attended the Resilient Communities forum on climate change. President Adduci reported that she met with President Smedinghoff and Sue Quinn from River Forest Library to talk about long term facility needs and strategies. She reported that she had the opportunity to deliver a proclamation to Monica Affleck, a River Forest resident who recently turned 100 years old.
5. Consent Agenda
a. Regular Village Board Meeting Minutes - January 22, 2018
b. Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes – January 22, 2018
c. Proclamation: 100th Birthday of River Forest Resident Monica Affleck
d. Urge Governor to Veto of Senate Bill 1451- "Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act” – Resolution
e. Monthly Department Reports
f. Monthly Performance Measurement Report
g. Accounts Payable – December 2017 - $1,569,260.48
h. Village Administrator's Report
Trustee Gibbs made a motion, seconded by Trustee Vazquez, to approve the Consent Agenda in its entirety.
Roll call:
Ayes: Trustees Cargie, Vazquez, Gibbs, Corsini, Henek, and Conti
Absent: None
Nays: None
Motion Passes.
6. Consent Agenda Items Requiring Separate Consideration
(Trustee Vazquez Common Law Conflict Of Interest)
a. Economic Development Fund Vendor Payments - $60.00, Madison Street TIF Vendor Payments - $1,007,576.00, and North Avenue TIF Vendor Payments - $4,434.80
Trustee Conti made a motion, seconded by Trustee Gibbs, to approve Economic Development Fund vendor payments of $60.00, Madison Street TIF vendor payments of $1,007,576.00, and
North Avenue TIF vendor payments of $4,434.80.
Roll call:
Ayes: Trustees Cargie, Gibbs, Corsini, Henek, and Conti
Absent: None
Nays: None
Motion Passes.
7. Recommendations Of Boards, Committees And Commissions
a. Zoning Board of Appeals - Variation for Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for 1431 Monroe Avenue - Ordinance
Trustee Gibbs made a motion, seconded by Trustee Conti, to pass an Ordinance granting the requested variation to Section 10-9-5 of the Zoning Ordinance at 1431 Monroe Avenue.
Mark Tomassini, 1431 Monroe property owner, stated that they installed the collar ties which he believed lowered the FAR. He emphasized that the footprint of the building itself will not change and is 5% below what is allowed on the lot.
In response to a question from Trustee Cargie, Building Official Cliff Radatz reviewed the history of FAR variation requests dating back to 2010. In response to a question from Trustee Cargie, Building Official Radatz stated that the FAR variation requested in 2010 was not unanimously approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) because some of the commissioners felt that a legal hardship had not been presented.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Building Official Radatz stated that zoning is a type of line in the sand to regulate the bulk of development. He stated that the danger of granting a variation comes down to whether or not a hardship has been presented that is tied to a defect in the property. Village Administrator Palm indicated that the question before the ZBA and the Board is to consider whether or not a hardship exists.
In response to a question from Trustee Cargie, Mr. Tomassini stated new the design is minimizing the footprint because the backyard floods. In response to a follow-up question from Trustee Conti, Building Official Radatz stated that counting the attic space, the FAR is at about 48% and without the attic space included the design it is at about 45%. He noted that the limit is 40%.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Building Official Radatz stated that the roof line is below the maximum zoning height. He reported that a discussion occurred at the ZBA in terms of the conflict of architectural aesthetics versus compliance with the numerical limitations of the zoning ordinance. He said there are other ways of achieving compliance though some of them may not be aesthetically pleasing to all people concerned.
Trustee Corsini questioned whether it comes down to the use of the additional 500 square feet of space. Building Official Radatz stated that bringing down the roof level down a half story would result in space that isn't desirable for any and all purposes. He said the roof line can come down to make attic space that would not count against the FAR. He noted that the desirability of that is a conversation with the Village Board and the ZBA in regard to the goals of the zoning ordinance.
In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs, Building Official Radatz stated that the Board approved the setback variance. Trustee Gibbs stated he believes that the overwhelming responsibility of the Board is that the exterior of the house is compliant and that the setup of the floor plan does not affect the citizenry of River Forest. He questioned whether a denial of the requested variation is in the best interest of the homeowner and the neighbors.
Trustee Conti stated she tends to agree in that the lot coverage is adequate, the height is within Code, and the garage will be replaced with a garage. In response to a question from Trustee Conti, Building Official Radatz explained that the Zoning Code has several types of limits. He noted that with a truss there would be no attic space and with the exact same volume there would be no discussion about the attic space counting against the FAR.
Trustee Cargie requested clarification in regard to the footprint. Building Official Radatz confirmed that the footprint of the house would be increased and that the variance the Board approved is to leave the garage in the same non-conforming encroachment. Trustee Cargie stated that he is concerned that the Board would be rewriting the Zoning Ordinance and creating precedent.
There was a brief discussion regarding FAR versus footprint. In response to a question from President Adduci, Mr. Tomassini acknowledged that the footprint is well under the Code limit but the FAR is over. He suggested that the 5% below in respect to footprint might offset the 5% FAR overage. He stated he is trying to keep the design aesthetically pleasing. Trustee Cargie stated he looks at the FAR limit as a desire of River Forest to not have “McMansions” – oversized houses on relatively small lots.
In response to a question from President Adduci, Building Official Radatz explained that lot coverage [footprint] is a measure of how much of the lot is covered with roofs and this measure would include porches, pergolas, and garages. He stated that FAR is the area within walls of all the floors of all the buildings that are enclosed within walls and this would include a screened room but not an opened front porch or open pergola. He noted that while it does include the area of a garage, there are offset allowances in the Zoning Ordinance for that. Building Official Radatz stated that FAR and lot coverage are two very different measures.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Mr. Tomassini stated that the 3rd floor is going to be heated and included in the square footage of usable space for tax purposes. Building Official Radatz stated that in the preliminary drawings the Village received it is a useful space with furniture. He stated that he cannot speak to the taxation issue but it would show in the report that goes the assessor as living space.
Village Administrator Palm clarified that the Village does not measure from the collar tie to the floor. In response to a question from Village Administrator Palm, Building Official Radatz affirmed that it is measured from the top of the attic floor to the underside of the rafters. Village Administrator Palm pointed out that if the Board approves this variation it's going to be at 48% and the Village is not intending to modify how it measures FAR. He also asked that the Village Board focus more on evaluating the hardship component of this.
In response to a question from Trustee Henek, Mr. Tomassini stated that the room over the garage will be a master bedroom. In response to a follow up question from Trustee Henek, Mr. Tomassini stated if the Board does not approve the variance they will reevaluate the design.
In response to a question from Trustee Conti, Mr. Tomassini stated that the additional square footage amounts to 500 to 600 square feet.
President Adduci explained the Village Board does not want to restrict residents from having great living space but there are concerns that people will build “McMansions” and this could be the start.
Mr. Tomassini questioned if the definition of a McMansion is a large expansive footprint. President Adduci reiterated that residents are concerned about large houses on small lots. She stated that the Board has to think about whether this is the start of something much larger.
In response to a question from Trustee Cargie, Mr. Tomassini stated that he is trying not to expand the footprint to the backyard because it would cause flood damage to his neighbors? garage. In response to a follow up question from Trustee Cargie, Mr. Tomassini stated he does not know the exact amount of square footage that would be added to the property and reiterated that the footprint of the project is below the maximum limit. Trustee Cargie stated he does not that is a compelling argument because footprint and FAR are two different concepts. Mr. Tomassini stated he is addressing the concept of “McMansions”.
Trustee Corsini stated she wants to go on record in that she does not want to be in a position where the Village changes the way it calculates FAR and the variation would be specific to this property.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Mr. Tomassini stated if he puts trusses in it would completely change the FAR. In response to a follow up question from Trustee Corsini, Mr. Tomassini stated that plan is not to change the exterior roof line.
Trustee Gibbs questioned why the Board would penalize the architect for creating usable space. Trustee Cargie noted the plan is still 5% over even if attic space is ignored. Trustee Gibbs stated that he encounters the need for variations in his business. Trustee Cargie stated that there is an alternate choice. Trustee Gibbs stated he struggles with this discussion because Mr. Tomassini is presenting an externally acceptable house but the inside configuration is not acceptable. There was a discussion regarding the FAR and the footprint. Trustee Gibbs compared McMansions in Hinsdale to this project and said he does not feel this project is a McMansion. Village Administrator Palm noted that if the homeowner built up to the lot coverage allowed the FAR would be the same.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Building Official Radatz stated that the lot area is 9,407 square feet and the permitted floor area (of 40%) is 3,762 square feet. He said that the addition as shown was 4,570 square feet, the attic area is 273 square feet, and if the attic is removed the project is still approximately 500 square feet over the allowed FAR.
Trustee Corsini questioned whether the Code is stifling improvements to the community. She said she hopes that the property owner sees and appreciates their struggle. Mr. Tomassini stated his neighbors have seen the larger plans and are in favor of it. He said his neighbors wanted to attend the meeting in support of the project but he told them not to. He indicated that they submitted letters of support. Trustee Henek stated although the current neighbors may support it they may not always be the same neighbors and a future neighbor might not. She said she is struggling with whether there is no other way to improve the property and stay within Zoning Code. She noted that zoning codes exist for a reason. She concurred with Trustee Cargie regarding the lack of a hardship.
In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs, Building Official Radatz stated there is an allowance in the Ordinance for 150 square feet of garage space. In response to a question from Mr. Tomassini, Building Official Radatz confirmed that he is picking up garage space in the FAR. Village Administrator Palm stated that garage space reduction has already been included in the FAR calculation.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Mr. Tomassini stated that the second floor goes over the storage space behind the garage. He indicated that the storage space will not be climate controlled and will be a part of the garage and the area above will be part of a bedroom.
In response to a question from Trustee Vazquez, Building Official Radatz stated that a legal hardship must be tied to a defect on the property according to the understanding of the State's requirement by the Zoning Board. In response to a question from Trustee Vazquez, Mr. Tomassini stated the hardship is flooding. In response to a question from Trustee Vazquez, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated the vote was three to one that there was no hardship found. In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Assistant Village Administrator
Scheiner stated that there was no motion to recommend the variance in the initial meeting. She explained that ZBA reconvened the meeting at a later date based on the village attorney's advice. She stated that at that meeting Member Lucchese abstained because he was not present at the initial meeting and not involved in the original discussion.
Trustee Corsini stated that the hardship should run with the property not the property owner and a desire for more space is not a hardship. She noted that determining whether there is a hardship can be subjective which makes it hard for the Board to grapple with in terms of overturning Zoning recommendations. Trustee Gibbs stated that in this case the definition would work to the applicant's favor. He said hardship is defined as a “practical difficulty in the case of a non-use or dimensional variance resulting from the physical characteristics of the land” and flooding would apply to that statement. Trustee Vazquez called into question the impact of granting this variance based on flooding on future applications. Trustee Cargie stated the issue of the flooding is the placement of additional space, not how much additional space is requested. Trustee Gibbs discussed a scenario where the Applicant could build a detached garage, cover more of the lot, and still be compliant with Code although that configuration would cause more flooding. Trustee Cargie stated that if the Applicant requested the same additional square footage with that configuration, the Applicant would still require a variance for FAR. Building Official Radatz explained the history of standard deductions for garage space toward the FAR. He stated that the allowance is 500 square feet for a detached garage, 150 square feet for a front attached garage, and 300 square feet for a rear attached garage noting that there was an effort to encourage detached garages. Trustee Gibbs reiterated his point that a design with a detached garage would not require an FAR variation. Mr. Tomassini stated that would change the entire design of the house. President Adduci noted that there are other ordinances that address grading and other issues that create flooding.
Trustee Corsini noted that the Applicant is squaring off an oddly shaped house and said she does not know how much more they can reduce the size of the addition. She discussed the impact to the design of the house.
Village Administrator Palm recapped the motion on the floor and reminded the Board that there needs to be four affirmative votes from the Trustees and the Village President cannot vote.
In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs, Village President Adduci stated her concerns related to the issue, the FAR restrictions, and the difficulties in decisions such as this.
Trustee Cargie stated he has great deference for the Village boards and commissions and he does not see any justification for the variance. He said he is concerned that this would effectively be rewriting the Ordinance. Trustee Vazquez stated his concerns regarding setting precedent. Trustee Gibbs stated he has a problem abiding with a decision that was made by a committee of which three of the seven members were absent. Trustee Corsini said she would like to see the property improved but hardship is the lynchpin. She suggested the project be redesigned to be smaller.
Roll call:
Ayes: Absent:
Nays: Trustees Gibbs
Absent: None
Nays: Trustees Cargie, Vazquez, Conti, Henek, Corsini
Motion Fails.
President Adduci discussed the difficulty with this decision. She expressed her hope that the Tomassini's live in their beautiful home and noted that if the Board did not follow Village Code overall residents would be unhappy.
Mr. Tomassini expressed his frustration of getting no benefit with a smaller footprint. President Adduci acknowledged Mr. Tomassini's frustration.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Village Attorney Smith stated that if the property owner changes the design of the project and it still requires a variation he will have to go through the variation process and if the project complies with FAR they will not need to request a variation.
Mr. Tomassini stated he didn't feel there was much of an interactive discussion with the ZBA and requested that the Board consider the benefit of efficient use of lot coverage.
b. Lake and Park Work Group – Recommendation of Shortlist of Developers for Proposal: IBT/Walsh and Focus Development
Trustee Corsini made a motion, seconded by Trustee Conti, to accept the recommendation of the Work Group recommending IBT/Walsh and Focus Development to be short-listed for the Lake and Park redevelopment site.
Trustee Corsini stated that the work group interviewed the three firms that submitted responses to the RFP/RFQ and selected two firms that the group felt were closer to the highest and best use of the property.
Jennifer Tammen, principal with Ehlers and Associates, reviewed the process that was followed to reach this point. She then described the next steps in the process and said she was very pleased with the process as it is going so far.
Economic Development Commission (EDC) Chairman Bob O'Connell stated that the work group felt very comfortable with the firms that they recommended. He said the two firms they have chosen have submitted proposals that fit in with what they are trying to do with the site.
Trustee Conti indicated that at this stage the proposals are conceptual.
In response to a question from Trustee Henek, Chairman O'Connell stated he believes the developers may find it somewhat limiting from an economic standpoint if the 7777 Lake property is not included.
In response to a question from Trustee Cargie, Chairman O'Connell stated that Full Circle Communities is a 501(C)3 organization but is required to pay property taxes. Village Administrator Palm explained that they take their net profit and reinvest it into their community for services for their residents. He said that there may be opportunities to work with Full Circle Communities on a future project at a different location. Chairman O'Connell stated that part of their proposal requires grants and the workgroup was concerned that further into the project the grant money would not be available.
President Adduci thanked the subgroup for the great work they've done on this.
The motion passed by voice vote.
c. Historic Preservation Commission: Appointment of David Franek as Chairman (Zurowski Vacancy)
Trustee Cargie made a motion, seconded by Trustee Corsini, to appoint Commissioner David Franek to Chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission.
In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs regarding the reason Mr. Franek stepped down, President Adduci stated that he worked very hard on to get the ordinance passed and wanted to pass the roll of the chair to someone else.
The motion passed by voice vote.
8. Unfinished Business
a. Waiver of Formal Bid and Award of Contract to KLOA Engineering for a Safe Routes to School to School Study in a not-to-exceed amount of $20,500
Trustee Conti made a motion, seconded by Trustee Henek, to approve an agreement with KLOA Inc. to complete Safe Walking Routes to School Study for a not-to-exceed cost of $20,500 and authorize the Village Administrator to execute the contract agreement.
Trustee Vazquez stated that he would be abstaining from this discussion because his firm represents District 90.
President Adduci discussed the tabling of this item and noted that there is now additional scope that includes crossing guard optimization. She stated that School District 90 agreed to pay half the cost and their board passed it unanimously. Village Administrator Palm clarified that the School Board may not have seen this proposal but they are on board with the previous proposal.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Village Administrator Palm stated that he is working with the school district superintendent to address immediate concerns.
In response to a follow-up question from Trustee Corsini, there was a brief discussion regarding the Friendly Streets program and booklet that was a result of a previous study.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Village Administrator Palm stated that both demographics and traffic flow have changed and the Village would be more proactive by having a policy to review this at specific intervals. He stated that he plans to bring to the Board a process and policy for putting a crossing guard in place and for looking at this holistically on an ongoing basis. Trustee Corsini requested that Village Administrator Palm bring the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to the Board so they can understand who is paying for the crossing guards.
Village Administrator Palm stated that there is a base amount up to about $36,000 that the School District pays for and the incremental costs are shared between the Village and School District.
In response to a question from Trustee Henek, President Adduci stated there are immediate issues to be addressed. She noted that the IGA with the School District that does not cover what is done when more crossing guards are needed or determine what other safety measures such as striping can be done to help children cross streets safely. She said making the IGA more of a living document rather than a static document is one of the goals. Trustee Henek stated there clearly is a need for more crossing guards and questioned whether the Village can work with the School District without requiring a study. President Adduci stated that right now the Village knows that Park, Franklin, and perhaps Ashland at Oak are issues. She said the Village Administrator and school superintendent are going to try to address that immediately and will bring their solution to the Board. She indicated that other issues could pop up and a study would allow the Village to get ahead of the problem rather than doing one-offs. Village Administrator Palm stated that the study will examine things comprehensively. He concurred with Trustee times that the village wants to review things or times when there is a reactive issue that cannot be addressed within that review period. He said when a reactive issue comes up there should be a process in place between the Village and the School District.
Trustee Cargie stated that he reviewed maps created by Oak Park on their website and questioned whether the Village's end product will be that muddled. Village Administrator Palm stated that first and foremost the idea is to identify safe routes and within them identify optimal routes.
Trustee Cargie inquired whether District 90 has considered patrol boy/girl program. Village Administrator Palm stated there is a liability concern.
President Adduci stated all the parents she discussed this with agreed that immediate action, creating policy, and conducting a study are the right process.
Trustee Corsini acknowledged that by placing crossing guards at intersections without a policy could create a domino effect. She said the Police Department could aid in this and she would feel better about spending the money on this study if the Village would be able to piggyback on traffic control issues when the comprehensive study is done. President Adduci stated she does not think the Board wants to ask the police department to produce the study because of the time, energy, and effort that would require. She said she believes the police officers will be a part of the study as will parents and that going with a professional firm will solidify the study.
Trustee Henek stated she concurs with Trustee Corsini in terms of the costs. She suggested dropping Trinity since students are older (and maybe even driving) and there would not be an issue there. She noted that Public Works is on top of any deterioration of sidewalks and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps and she proposed that it is not included as part of the scope in order to scale down on the costs. Administrator Palm stated that ADA components are a multi-layered calculation that the engineers pull together and that would be helpful for the Village from an engineering perspective and would result in less work for engineering to do. Village Administrator Palm reminded the Village Board that this contract is being awarded on a not-to-exceed basis and it may be lower in cost.
In response to a question Trustee Henek, Village Administrator Palm stated there are not hard and fast data sets and the consultant will look at things contextually to reach their recommendation.
In response to a question Trustee Cargie, Village Administrator Palm stated KLOA did the recent survey. In response to a follow up question from Trustee Cargie, Village Administrator Palm stated he does not believe KLOA was asked to determine if a crossing guard is needed at that intersection.
Trustee Corsini stated she parked at the intersection of Oak and Franklin for 25 minutes after school where she counted 190 cars and observed three near misses. She said she concluded that people do not understand two-way stop signs. She said the Village needs to go back to the Traffic and Safety Commission or put it on the agenda to make that a four-way stop to lessen the confusion.
Trustee Gibbs recalled that the Village Board did not feel comfortable with the expenditure at the previous meeting and said now they are in favor of spending more. He stated that the Village has done nothing in-house to discuss this and thinks that the study should be further down the line. He stated that he is not a big fan of consultants and would prefer to use in-house expertise. Trustee Gibbs said he does not want to hear that staff is too busy. He stated he would rather start with a discussion with D90. He questioned whether the School Board has signed on to doing their part. President Adduci stated that D90 is on board and that is the policy issue. Trustee Gibbs stressed that he wants the agreement ahead of time because he is concerned D90 will not follow the consultant's recommendations. He said he believes that the policy discussion should be conducted before the study. He reiterated Trustee Cargie's interpretation of the Oak Park safe routes map and expressed his concern that the Village will get the same product. He questioned the Village's portion of the expense and why other schools are not contributing.
President Adduci recapped the process, timeline, and cost. In regard to Trustee Gibb's comment about cost sharing, she said it is in the best interest of the community if the Village takes a leadership role and pays perhaps more than its part to help all schools and all children in River Forest. She reiterated that D90 voted unanimously on the original study.
Village Administrator Palm noted that the plan serves River Forest residents regardless of their choice of schools and it is all Village taxpayer money. In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs, Village Administrator Palm acknowledged that not all children attending private schools live in River Forest and stated that the children living in River Forest will be the only students benefiting from this plan.
Trustee Gibbs requested putting off the vote until there is a commitment from the schools. President Adduci recapped the purpose of the study and the policy and the difference between the two.
Trustee Gibbs reiterated his desire for D90 to commit to the recommendations. He also asked the Board is willing to commit to implementing the recommendations. Trustee Cargie stated he would have to know what the recommendations are before he could commit to them. He said with the study the Board is looking for information and proposals and it is the Board's responsibility to decide whether the proposals are in the best interest of the village. Trustee Gibbs repeated a resident's statement that D90 said the crossing guards are the Village's responsibility. Village Administrator Palm stated that in the current IGA the majority of the cost for the crossing guards is born by D90. In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs, Village Administrator Palm stated that as crossing guards are added the Village shares in that incremental cost. President Adduci added that the Village pays part of the amount after $36,000. Trustee Corsini commented that the IGA can be renegotiated.
Trustee Corsini stated she is voting to approve this study with the additional scope and with the hope that the study will provide additional information the Village can use. Trustee Cargie concurred with Trustee Corsini. Trustee Gibbs stated he will vote yes because the study will be used in the comprehensive study.
Roll call:
Ayes: Trustees Cargie, Corsini, Henek, Gibbs and Conti
Absent: None
Nays: None
Motion Passes.
9. New Business
None.
10. Executive Session
Trustee Corsini made a motion, seconded by Trustee Conti, to go into Executive Session to discuss purchase or lease of real property for the use of the Village, including whether a particular parcel should be acquired.
Roll call:
Ayes: Trustees Cargie, Gibbs, Vazquez, Corsini, Henek, and Conti
Absent: None
Nays: None
Motion Passes.
Trustee Corsini made a motion, seconded by Trustee Gibbs, to return to the regular session of the Village Board of Trustees meeting.
Roll call:
Ayes: Trustees Cargie, Vazquez, Corsini, Henek, Gibbs, and Conti
Absent: None
Nays: None
Motion Passes.
Trustee Gibbs asked that Marty Paris appear before the Board to provide an update on the status of the Planned Development at Lake and Lathrop. Village Administrator Palm stated that a revised completed application was received today and staff will review it to determine whether the deficiencies were remedied. In response to a question from Trustee Cargie, Village Administrator Palm stated the deficiency letter that was sent to the developer included a notice of default. He said if staff finds the application incomplete, it will come to the Board and it would be appropriate at that time for Mr. Paris to appear before the Board.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated the resident meeting for the Lake and Lathrop proposed planned development was well attended and the residents showed interest in the plan. She said the residents generally supported development, improvements, and cleanup of the contamination. She reported that the residents were concerned about density, parking, and traffic particularly as it relates to pedestrian safety and traffic volume on Lake Street. She said the comments will help the developer refine the plan.
In response to a question from Trustee Henek, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated there were concerns about the proposed height and potential site development allowances that might be requested and noted those concerns are not unusual in regard to planned developments. She said that none of the concerns were insurmountable. She reported that at this point they are interested in the details of how the property will function on a day-to-day basis such as snow removal and storage, garbage disposal, and how people will come and go from this property on a daily basis. She indicated these questions will have to be answered when they go before the Development Review Board (DRB). Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated that she felt it was a productive meeting. She noted that the questions the residents asked are questions that the DRB will ask and it is better for the Developer to hear them ahead of time so they will be able to address them at the public hearing. In response to a question from Trustee Henek, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated that the Developer was able to answer some of the residents' questions but the answer to many of them was they are studying it and will know
more as the plan evolves.
In response to a question from President Adduci, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated she did not see any red flags with the Developer and that they hope they are able to identify site allowances or amendments early on so the process is not prolonged. Village Administrator Palm discussed a two-phase planned development process that is used in some municipalities. He noted that many developers are required to obtain a certain number of presales in order to get financing.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated a sales office is open for this project and the Developer has reported seeing interest in the project. President Adduci stated she heard people comment that they want to perhaps a rendering of the project might be useful. Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated they had some preliminary renderings of the project and they have evolved. In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs, Village Administrator Palm stated that the completed application
will ultimately go on the website. Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner added that the applications are not posted until they are deemed complete and are posted no less than 15 days prior to the public hearing.
In response to a question from Trustee Cargie, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated one of the requirements of the application is that the developer must include the minutes and notes from the resident meeting. In response to a follow up question from Trustee Cargie, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated that the developer is not required to hold another resident meeting and noted that residents will have two more opportunities to comment on the Application.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated that there were a lot of condominium owners attending the meeting.
In response to Trustee Cargie's request for an update, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated that the DRB is holding a public hearing on Thursday, February 15" in regard to a major amendment to the Bonnie Brae development but before that proceeds Concordia is coming back to reaffirm the waiver of the traffic study as part of the application to move the Verizon tower. She said she expects an application to come in about 30 days. In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated Concordia will need to relocate two parking spaces from the parking garage to another location on campus. In response to a question from Trustee Gibbs, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated she does not want to presuppose what the DRB will approve and noted they granted the study waiver based on testimony that there would be no reduction in parking. She noted this will not push their timeline back any farther.
Village Administrator Palm reported that Denny Witte announced his retirement effective sometime near the 1" of June.
In response to a question from Trustee Corsini, Assistant Village Administrator Scheiner stated the Concordia University Board approved the buildout of the 45 and 5th floors of the dormitory, the construction drawings have been submitted for permit and are under review, and the permit fees have been in the revenue calculation for this fiscal year.
11. Adjournment
Trustee Cargie made a motion seconded by Trustee Vazquez, to adjourn the regular Village Board of Trustees Meeting at 9:45 p.m. Motion passed by voice vote.
https://vrf.us/uploads/cms/documents/events/02-12-18_VBOT_Minutes.pdf
Alerts Sign-up