McHenry Times

Village of Algonquin Planning and Zoning Commission met March 12. 

Here is the minutes as provided by the commission:

Agenda Item 1:                     Roll Call to Establish a Quorum

Present:                                Chairperson Patrician, Commissioners Hoferle, Szpekowski, Postelnick,

                                             Laipert, Neuhalfen, and Sturznickel.

Absent:                                 None

Staff Members Present:       Ben Mason, Senior Planner, and Kelly Cahill, Village Attorney.

Agenda Item 2:                    Approval of Minutes from the December 11, 2017 Meeting.

A motion by Commissioner Neuhalfen to approve the December 11, 2017 minutes as presented was

seconded by Commissioner Hoferle and a voice vote noted all ayes. The motion carried.

Agenda Item 3:                     Public Comment

There was no one wishing to make any public comment.

Agenda Item 4:      Request for an amended Final PUD

                              Case No. 2018-02 Algonquin Town Center PUD Amendment

                              Petitioner: Mehran Farahmandpour, Project Architect

Open Public Hearing and Establish Quorum

Mr. Mason called roll to verify a quorum. Present: Commissioners Hoferle, Szpekowski, Postelnick,

Laipert, Neuhalfen, Sturznickel and Chairperson Patrician. Mason announced a quorum was present.

Chairperson Patrician opened the public hearing and asked for petitioner comments.

Petitioner Comments

Ms. Cahill verified that proper notice of the meeting had been posted. Ms. Cahill swore in the petitioners.

Representing the petitioner was Mehran Farahmandpour, Maemar P.C., project architect. Farahmandpour

gave an overview of the physical improvements the new owner of Algonquin Town Center is proposing,

including enhancements to the building façade, signage, parking lot, lighting and landscaping.

Chairperson Patrician then asked for Staff Comments.

Staff Comments

Mason reviewed his staff report for the Commission. The petition is considered a Major Amendment to

the original PUD for the Algonquin Town Center from 1988. The shopping center was recently purchased

by a new developer last fall. The new owner and project architect have been very cooperative working

with Staff to expand the scope of their site improvements to include updates to the parking lot and

landscaping. One particular item of note is the petitioner’s request for two ground signs, each with three

tenant panels. Per the Sign Code the shopping center would be allowed by right only one ground sign with

two tenant panels though Staff noted flexibility for signage standards was recommended in the 2015 Gruen

Gruen + Associates market study when property owners in the East Algonquin Road corridor make

significant physical improvements to their site. The new owner has agreed to remove the non-conforming

pylon sign within five years, before any permits would be issued for new ground signs.

Commission Questions/Comments

Chairperson Patrician inquired if there were any Commissioner questions or comments.

Commissioner Hoferle asked if the existing pylon would be freshened up, to which the project architect

stated only basic maintenance and possibly a fresh coat of paint to match the color of the new building

elevations. Hoferle asked if there are any new business tenants, to which the architect stated not yet.

Commissioner Szpekowski asked about wall sign standards for the business tenants, to which the architect

explained the shopping center will establish uniform standards for size and style but will allow for national

tenants such as Subway to use their corporate logo or colors.

Commissioner Postelnick asked when the construction will start, to which the architect explained they

hope to begin this spring and complete the project by the end of the year.

Commissioner Laipert asked if upgrades to the HVAC units within the tenant spaces will be made, to

which the architect stated the property owner will determine any necessary improvements on a case-bycase

basis.

Commissioner Sturznickel asked if the right-in / right-out entrance on Algonquin Road at the southwest

corner of the site will remain, to which Staff confirmed yes all existing access points will remain the same.

Chairperson Patrician made the observation that the design of the new building elevations looked too

contemporary given the site’s proximity to the Village’s historic downtown, to which he explained it was

simply a personal opinion that traditional brick and masonry materials be used. The project architect

clarified much of the proposed new materials are in fact masonry, such as the manufactured white tile for

the columns in front of the stores, and that the new owner’s intent is to make the center look fresh and

appealing.

Public Comment

Chairperson Patrician called twice for public comments.

Kathie DeLude, 1521 Cumberland Parkway, expressed concern about: traffic flow through the shopping

center and adjacent properties; lack of landscaping at the rear of the shopping center’s property; delivery

hours; security; and the financial background of the new owner. Mr. Farahmandpour explained the new

owner of the property has had success with several million square feet of retail and commercial office

space developments. Mr. Mason noted additional landscaping was called out in the Public Works review

memorandum and Staff will be meeting with the architect to discuss areas where new landscaping should

be incorporated on site. Mason also stated the new owner of the center will be improving the parking lot

configuration and pavement surface within the boundaries of the shopping center itself, but does not

control adjacent properties nor the private frontage road that extends east to Ryan Parkway. Mason noted

it will be up to the owner to determine whether they believe it is necessary to add security cameras. Mason

confirmed the village does have required construction hours contractors must follow, and that it would be

up to the Planning and Zoning Commission whether to decide to add a recommendation to limit delivery

hours.

Mark Burns, 441 Golf Lane, stated he believes the shopping center will have a difficult time attracting

new tenants and that there are too many retail vacancies throughout the East Algonquin Road corridor and

the Village should stop issuing new building permits.

Commission Motion on Petition

Chairperson Patrician entertained a motion to approve the request for an amendment to the Final PUD for

Algonquin Town Center. Commissioner Hoferle moved and Commissioner Sturznickel seconded a

motion to recommend approval of the request consistent with the findings of fact listed in the March 12,

2018 Community Development memorandum, the conditions recommended by staff, and additional

recommendations that increased landscaping be incorporated along the rear property line and the shopping

center tenants set reasonable hours for truck deliveries.

The Roll Call noted the following: Ayes: Commissioners Laipert, Neuhalfen, Szpekowski, Postelnick,

Sturznickel, Hoferle and Chairperson Patrician. Nays: None. Absent: None. Motion carried 7-0.

Agenda Item 5:      New/Old Business

Chairperson Patrician informed the commission he is running for a seat on the Kane County Board, and

if elected will have to step down from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Agenda Item 6:      Adjournment

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Commissioner Neuhalfen and seconded by Commissioner

Szpekowski, a voice vote noted all ayes. The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 8:40p.m.

https://www.algonquin.org/egov/documents/1523369890_20854.pdf