Title/Name/Summary
Southmoor Commons - Building 4
History
PROJECT: Southmoor Commons Lot 4
PETITIONER:
Steve Panko, VLand Corporation
REQUESTED ACTION: Appearance Review
LOCATION: SEC 131st Street and LaGrange Road
ATTACHMENTS:
Site Plan
Floor Plan
Building Elevations
DISCUSSION
The petitioner is proposing a minor site plan and building elevation change to Building #4 of the Southmoor Commons retail center located at the Southeast corner of 131st and LaGrange Road. The site plan for Southmoor Commons was approved by the Board in September of 2006. Building #4 fronts onto 131st Street and is located directly east of the public corner plaza. The proposed changes are a result of some site grading issues that arose after Board approval of the site plan and building elevations.
The site plan has been slightly revised to accommodate for a steep grade change between the proposed building and 131st Street. The Board approved site plan for lot for included an 11,700 square foot building set back 25’-2” from 131st Street. The new building is only 11,114 feet and is set back 32’ from 131st Street. The extra setback area includes a low retaining wall, additional landscaping and a sidewalk to make up the grade change. In order to maintain most of the building area, the petitioner did shift the building about 5’ to the south, reducing the south sidewalk from about 13’ to 8’. Most importantly, the new building preserves the setback from the public plaza to the west, providing for foundation landscaping and clear views into the site from the intersection of 131st and LaGrange Road.
The floor plan drawing shows the proposed terraced retaining walls and additional landscaping. The walls will not exceed three feet in height per Village Code requirements and include a decorative wrought iron style railing. Stairs are shown on the east and west sides to connect the building sidewalks to the 131st Street sidewalk. The site section shown on sheet 3 provides an illustration of the grade change between the building and the street.
The building elevations have also been modified from the original Board Approved elevations. The overall form of the building is very similar but some of the materials and window placements have been changed. The original approved building elevations included clerestory windows and transparent windows on all four sides. The petitioner contends that ceiling height is lower than the approved clerestory locations and that the stock area of the space does not allow for transparent windows on the north side of the building. Instead the petitioner is showing clerestory on the upper windows and ‘obscure glass’ on the lower windows of the north façade. This will allow for daylighting into the building will screening the service area of the space. The south, west and east facades include transparent glass. Obscure glass is shown on the upper level of all facades in nearly the same place as the originally approved clerestory.
The roofline is very similar to the Boar approved roofline but the petitioner has added a splitface cast stone accent band below the parapet on the north and south façade. Additionally, black decorative awnings are shown on the northwest and southeast storefronts. Signage is proposed in the same location and must be reviewed and approved separately by the building department.
Recommended Action/Motion
This Appearance Review is administratively approved on 10-18-2007, and is shown on the site plan and building elevations titled ‘Retail Building - Southmoor Commons Building 4,’ prepared by Craig A. Podalak Architects, project number 0712, dated 01-10-07, most recent revision 10-08-07, sheets 1 through 3, subject to the following conditions:
1. That all signage is reviewed and approved separately by the Building Department.
2. That all Building Code related items are met.