McHenry Times

Village of Algonquin Committee of the Whole met March 27.

Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:

Agenda Item 1: Roll Call to Establish a Quorum

Present: Trustees Debby Sosine, Janis Jasper, Jerry Glogowski, Laura Brehmer, Jim Steigert, and President Schmitt. A quorum was established.

Absent: John Spella (He was seated at 7:32 p.m.)

Staff Members Present: Assistant Village Manager, Mike Kumbera; Community Development Director, Russ Farnum; Senior Planner, Ben Mason; Public Works Director, Bob Mitchard; Village Clerk, Jerry Kautz, and Village Attorney, Jacob Caudill.

Trustee Glogowski, Chairman, called the Committee of the Whole meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

Agenda Item 2: Public Comment – Audience Participation

Agenda Item 3: Community Development

Ben Mason reporting on the following items:

A.Consider a Final PUD and Final Plat of Subdivision for River Bluff Estates, 1033 N. River Road

Mr. Eric Gulbrandsen of Transformation Builders LLC who was present tonight, has submitted a petition for Final Plat of Subdivision and Final Planned Development for the 7-acre property located at 1033 North River Road. The proposed development would subdivide the property into six single-family residential lots.

The subject property is zoned R-1 single family residential. The land is currently made up of three individual lots, two of which extend south through to Highland Avenue. The property slopes upward a total of 120 feet from North River Road to the rear lot line and a majority of the site is currently undeveloped and consists of a steep hillside with wooded bluffs. Historically, there were two single-family homes along River Road, and the petitioner’s proposal is to demolish any remaining structures and outbuildings located on the lots. The petitioner submitted development plans to subdivide the property and create a total of six (6) buildable lots, three with access onto River Road and the other three fronting along Highland Avenue.

The plat of subdivision proposes to create six (6) buildable lots. Lots 1-3 will have frontage on Highland Road, and Lots 4-6 will be oriented toward North River Road. The plat shows the required 30-foot front and rear yard setbacks, as well as 7.5-foot side yard setback between lots per the R-1 zoning district. The petitioner is proposing to provide Lots 4-6 with their own dedicated river frontage, as shown on the plat. Each buildable lot and its respective river frontage parcel shall be unified with a single Property Identification Number (PIN) to clearly and permanently tie the two together. Due to the petitioner’s intent to sell the lots to different builders, a note shall be added to the Plat that each individual property owner will be required to apply for their own building permit, as well as, be responsible to provide a detailed engineering plan for their particular lot that depicts the final grading, building and driveway footprints, tree removal, utility services, and the storm water best management practices such as rain gardens or drywells that will be installed on the lot. The petitioner will be selling off the individual lots to different homebuilders. Though the specific elevations will be provided by each individual homeowner in the future, Staff supports the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation that premium building materials – such as hardie board, wood siding and masonry – be used on the exterior of the homes, rather than common aluminum or vinyl siding products. The front of the homes on Lots 4-6 shall be considered the side that faces the street, which is required to have address numbers on it. Each house shall comply with the village’s bulk chart requirements for R-1 residential zoning district, which includes a maximum height of 25 feet from grade at the side of the home nearest the street. The subdivision will be required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Kane County Stormwater Ordinance, which the Village adopted in 2005 and applies to all property in both the McHenry and Kane county portions of Algonquin. The Village Engineer has reviewed the petitioner’s request to pay a fee-in-lieu of providing on-site detention, and determined it to be reasonable given the significant grade change and wooded nature of the property that make the installation of traditional detention basins unfeasible. Based on the county’s fee-in-lieu value of $90,000 per acre-foot and project engineer’s estimate that the development will involve 0.74 acre feet of impervious disturbance, the required fee to be paid to the Village in-lieu of storm water detention will be $66,600. The three residential lots along Highland Avenue will be served by the existing water main on Highland. The development will be required to connect to existing sanitary sewer infrastructure in the immediate area. Lots 1, 2, 3 will be served by the sanitary sewer main on Highland Avenue. Lots 4, 5, 6 are proposed to be served by a 2” low-pressure force main that was installed on North River Road in 1998 by a private property owner.

Staff concurs with the Planning and Zoning Commission and recommends approval of the Final Plat of Subdivision and Final Planned Unit Development with the following conditions:

1. The Plat of Subdivision as prepared by Vanderstappen Land Surveying Inc. dated February 21, 2018 shall be revised to incorporate comments from the March 19, 2018 Christopher Burke memo and March 8, 2018 Public Works memo. Each buildable lot and its respective river frontage parcel shall be unified with a single Property Identification Number (PIN) to clearly and permanently tie the two together.

2. A note shall be added to the Plat of Subdivision that each individual property owner will be required to apply for their own building permit, as well as, be responsible to provide a detailed engineering plan for their particular lot that depicts the final grading, building and driveway footprints, tree removal, utility services, and any storm water Best Management Practices that will be installed on the lot. 

3. The individual homes shall use premium-building materials, such as hardie board, wood siding and masonry – for the exterior of the homes, rather than common aluminum or vinyl siding products. Each house shall comply with the village’s bulk chart requirements for R-1 residential zoning district, which includes a maximum height of 25 feet from grade at the side of the home nearest the street.

4. The front of the homes on Lots 4-6 shall be considered the side that faces North River Road, which is required to have address numbers on it.

5. The Engineering Plans as prepared by Spaceco Inc. with a latest revision date of February 28, 2018 shall be revised to incorporate comments from the March 19, 2018 Christopher Burke memo, March 8, 2018 Public Works memo and the May 11, 2017 Fire District memo. The plans shall be revised to indicate on each lot the maximum portion allotted for impervious surface per the project engineer’s fee-in-lieu calculations. At the time individual property owners submit building/site development permit plans, Village Staff will review the actual disturbed area against what was allotted and it shall be the individual property owner’s responsibility to pay any additional fee-in-lieu of detention for excess impervious surface.

6. The residential subdivision as a whole will be required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Kane County Stormwater Ordinance. Based on the county’s storm water detention fee- in-lieu value of $90,000 per acre-foot and project engineer’s estimate that the development will involve 0.74 acre feet of impervious disturbance, the required fee to be paid to the Village in-lieu of storm water detention will be $66,600.

7. Lots 1, 2, 3 shall be required to pay current water tap-on fees and connect to the Village water main in the right-of-way on Highland Avenue.

8. Lots 4, 5, 6 shall be allowed to install private wells and shall obtain all appropriate permits from McHenry County. A note shall be added to the Plat of Subdivision that if and when Village water main is extended to serve these lots on North River Road, the homeowners at that time shall abandon the wells and pay the then current tap-on fees and connect to the water main.

9. The petitioner shall pay a fee-in-lieu of installing a 16” water main along the approximately 236 linear feet of River Road frontage. Per the project engineer’s estimated cost of $250 per linear foot, the required fee to be paid to the Village in-lieu of water main will be $59,000.

10. Lots 1, 2, 3 shall be required to pay current sanitary sewer tap-on fees and connect to the Village sewer main in the right-of-way on Highland Avenue.

11. Lots 4, 5, 6 shall be required to pay current sanitary sewer tap-on fees and connect to the North River Road force main.

12. Lots 4, 5, 6 shall also be required to pay recapture fees associated with connection to the North River Road force main, which amount to a flat fee of $3,516 plus 8 percent annual interest.

13. The Tree Preservation Plan as prepared by Spaceco Inc. with a latest revision date of May 2, 2017 shall provide a baseline for existing tree coverage of the lots and the builder of each lot will be required to pay the Village’s tree loss fee of $100 per caliper Inch for tree removal on their particular lot associated with the construction of their home.

14. The purchaser of each lot shall be required to provide detailed site engineering plans for review by the Village. The plans shall be prepared by a licensed engineer and include all grading, utility services, and building and driveway footprints, storm water improvements and tree loss calculations associated with the proposed development. The property owner shall be required to obtain a Site Development Permit for their individual lot from the Algonquin Public Works Department prior to construction.

15. The purchaser of each lot shall be required to sign a Letter of Awareness (LOA) that acknowledges the requirement they must obtain both the necessary building permits, as well as, a Site Development Permit prior to construction on their individual parcel. The LOA shall also include specific description of which lots have river/pier rights. The LOA shall be submitted by the petitioner for review and approval by the Village prior to the first Site Development Permit being issued.

Committee of the Whole comments: President Schmitt questioned who would pay for future water main extension along River Road. Mr. Mason responded that the Village has no plans but it would be up to future developers. This is covered in Condition #9. Trustee Spella asked are all homes of the same quality? Mr. Gulbrandsen said all would be quality builds. Trustee Sosine said there is a 30-foot setback for the lots on River Road, can they be set back further? Yes, and all the sizes of the homes will be of R-1 standards. Regarding another matter, it was noted that the sump pumps would displace water through underground pipes to dry wells on the property. The water will then be filtered through sand and gravel. Trustee Brehmer asked who will monitor the moving or replacement of trees on the lots. The answer is covered by Public Works site development as stated in Condition #2. The width of the driveways will be standard two-car width with flare to three-car garages.

Following discussion, it was the consensus of the Committee of the Whole to move on to the Board for approval.

B. Consider a Final PUD Amendment for Algonquin Town Center, 1300-1440 E. Algonquin Road

Mr. Mehran Farahmandpour, present at tonight’s meeting, on behalf of the new property owner DTS Properties LLC, has submitted a petition to make architectural and site improvements to the Algonquin Town Center shopping center at 1300-1440 E. Algonquin Road. The property is zoned B-2 PUD, General Retail and the commercial center was originally built in 1988. The site is generally located on the north side of Algonquin Road / Route 62 between Sandbloom Road and Ryan Parkway. The shopping center is now approximately 30 years old and a new owner has recently purchased the property and intends to freshen up its appearance with updated façade treatments and signage as well as landscaping and parking lot improvements. This petition involves a request for Final PUD Amendment for the architectural design enhancements and site upgrades.

The new owner will remove the existing green corrugated aluminum roof awnings and beige EIFS siding material, to be replaced by a strong roofline with different heights and horizontal crown features. New EIFS material will provide a clean, attractive façade with a mix of white, light and dark greys to provide the center with visual interest. Dark reddish-brown wood grain panels will also be incorporated above some storefronts, to break up the monotony and provide some additional texture to the façade treatments. The single existing tower toward the middle of the shopping center, which once housed a clock element, will be removed and its vertical presence will be replaced by several prominent bump out tower-like accents throughout the length of the entire façade. A common sign plan is proposed for the new storefront wall signs, in either red or white channel lettering. The owner has agreed to remove the non-conforming sign within five (5) years and is requesting to replace it with two (2) new ground signs as depicted on page SN1 of the plan submittal.

Staff supports the request for an additional monument sign and three (3) tenant panels due to the future removal of the current pylon sign as well as the fact that the East Algonquin Road Commercial Corridor was the subject of an extensive market study in 2015. The high speed and level of traffic on East Algonquin Road is such that the study area offers only a limited “billboard” effect for those driving by properties that in some cases are not well placed and not readily visible to drivers. Given this constraint and the prevalence of poorly located and configured commercial uses with limited visibility to East Algonquin Road. Another significant improvement to the site that Staff requested and the owner is willing to undertake at this time, is a comprehensive reconfiguration of the parking lot to provide improved circulation and aesthetic appeal. On the topic of re-tenanting the shopping center, it is important to note the new owner purchased the property just this past fall and has decided to undertake these physical improvements to the commercial building and overall site as their first priority. Staff has encouraged the development team to keep the Village apprised of potential new stores and businesses that are being recruited, and Community Development has reached out to the new real estate broker for the property to provide any assistance Staff may be able to lend in terms of demographic and retail data for the East Algonquin Road corridor.

On March 12, 2018 the Planning and Zoning Commission considered the petition and unanimously recommended approval (7-0) of the request for Final PUD Amendment, subject to the conditions listed by staff, the addition of landscaping at the rear of the property and a recommendation that the shopping center tenants set reasonable hours for truck deliveries. Staff concurs with the Planning and Zoning Commission and recommends approval of the Final Planned Unit Development Amendment with a number of conditions set forth to the Village Board for review.

Committee of the Whole comments: Trustee Spella asked will business signs conform to building codes, to which Mr. Mason answered yes they will. Trustee Brehmer asked about the timeline for this project. Mr. Farahmandpour replied all should be completed by November of this year. She also wanted to know if the frontage road to Ryan Parkway would be repaved by the developer to which Mr. Mason said they are not obligated because it is not their property. Trustee Sosine was concerned about proposed pedestal signs interfering with outbound traffic from parking lot. Answer, they will setback 20’ and out of the line of sight. President Schmitt said he was pleased that the large entrance sign will be eventually replace by the smaller signs. Trustee Jasper questioned whether the residents behind the Town Center have been notified as to the rehab. Mr. Mason said yes, all residents in vicinity were notified by letter.

Following discussion, it was the consensus to approve this PUD at the next Board meeting.

Agenda Item 4: General Administration None

Agenda Item 5: Public Works and Safety

Bob Mitchard reporting:

A. Consider an Agreement with Water Well Solutions for the Well 11 Rehabilitation Project This project was sent exclusively to Water Well Solutions as they are the Villages preferred and primary Well Rehabilitation contractor. As you are aware of the sink hole that developed around the well head, Water well solutions already pulled the well pump and performed the down hole inspection of the well. That inspection reported significant issues with the status of Well 11. The Village has used that report to form the scope of services that includes but is not limited to: Mobilization, Ex., Recondition of the Bowl Assembly, Recondition of column pipe, & Testing. The well screen will also be rehabbed by having the plugging material removed via a double disk surge block with purge pump system.

This project did not have and engineers estimate of cost, but comparing previous rehab project the cost is $58,387.00. In order to cover the cost of the proposal it has been determined that 20K of the 40 K budgeted (07700400-44418) for Well 9 to be rehabbed this year will be used to fund for this project. We will then need to reinstate nine into next year's budget. Then the remaining $38,387.00 Will come out of (07700400-44418). This decision has been made as Well 11 is a high priority installation and is currently not running due to rehabilitation need. The Village has extensive experience with Water Well Solutions of Elburn, IL The contractor is very aware of the Villages requirements and operations. It is for those reasons and the analysis conducted that Staff recommend Water Well Solutions. for award in the amount of $58,387.00 for the subject project contract. Consensus of the Committee of the Whole was to move this forward to the Board for approval.

Agenda Item 6: Executive Session None

Agenda Item 7: Other Business

(1) President Schmitt was pleased to offer congratulations and announce that Mr. Bob Mitchard was recently awarded a Top Ten Award for International Public Works Leaders by the American Public Works Association (APWA). This is a very prestigious award.

Agenda Item 8: Adjournment There being no further business, the Committee of the Whole meeting was adjourned at 8:44 p.m.

https://www.algonquin.org/egov/documents/1522847388_28834.pdf