Title/Name/Summary
Sheffield Square - Residential Planned Development
History
PROJECT:
Sheffield Square - 2011-0268
PETITIONER:
Robert L. Meiborg
M/I Homes of Chicago
REQUESTED ACTION:
Appearance Review
Site Plan
Special Use/ Planned Development
Rezoning
Subdivision
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this petition is to establish and construct a new transit oriented 186 unit multi-family residential planned development/ subdivision on the piece of land of the former Andrew property south of 153rd Street.
LOCATION:
10700 W. 153rd Street
The property is located at the southwest corner of the intersection between 153rd Street and the Norfolk Southern Railroad line.
P.I.N. NUMBER:
27-17-201-013
ATTACHMENTS:
Special Use Standards
Rezoning Factors
Site Plan
Grading Plan
Town Home Elevations
Row Home Elevations
Floor Plan
2006 Cherry Ridge Plan
SIZE:
27.32 Acres
EXISTING ZONING:
The majority zoning of the subject site is R-4 Residential District.
A .7 acre piece of land toward the center of the property along 153rd Street is zoned RSB Residential Supporting Business District.
EXISTING LAND USE:
The subject property is currently vacant.
SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USE:
North: R-4 Residential District - (across 153rd Street) Former Andrew Corporation Site
South: OS Open Space District - Part of the 153rd Street Wetlands and Metra Parking Lot
East: OS Open Space District - (across railroad) 153rd Street Metra Train Station/ Centennial Park
West: OS Open Space District - 153rd Street Wetlands
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION:
Low Intensity Population for the north portion of the subject site
Medium Intensity Populations for the remainder of the site
PUBLIC UTILITIES:
The vacant site is currently not served by any public utilities. However, a large water main exists along 153rd Street, to which the new subdivision will cross-connect. The subdivision will also connect to the water main infrastructure currently stubbed at the intersection of Jillian Road and Park Station Boulevard (from Collette Highlands).
The subject site will also be served by sanitary sewer cross connections that will direct sewage to the southeast area of the site, where a sanitary main will convey sewage south, off-site, and then east under the tracks into the sanitary lines present at the 153rd Street train station.
A storm sewer connection line will link from the middle of the detention pond east, under the tracks, and into the 153rd Street train station storm sewers, which ultimately lead to Lake Sedgwick in Centennial Park.
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING
The developer noted that the previous Cherry Ridge engineering for the site applies for this project since, from a storm water and engineering perspective, not much changed between the two plans. Sheffield Square is actually a smaller development with less density. As a result, preliminary engineering for Sheffield Square is approved.
FLOODPLAIN:
According to the Village’s Geographic Information System (GIS), approximately 19,000 square feet of floodplain is present at the northeast corner of the site. The proposed detention areas are located in the same area, mitigating any floodplain concerns/ conditions.
NATURAL FEATURES:
The site is surrounded by Open Space lands. Natural growth on the site was cataloged in a tree survey dated 2005, under a previous petition for the Cherry Ridge mixed-use subdivision. Since 2005, the 153rd Street right-of-way improvements that occurred in 2007 eliminated approximately 100 trees from the survey and site. The survey indicates the condition of the remaining 245 trees, including 46 trees listed as “deadwood”.
Tree mitigation requirements, per Section 6-305.1, will be considered and addressed during the landscape plan review process, which occurs concurrently with Final Engineering review. The Village Board will decide a landscape plan separately from the issues outlined in this report at a later date.
PLANNING OVERVIEW:
In 2006, the Village Board approved a 105 acre residential subdivision for a site that was at the time occupied by the Andrew Corporation, an industrial use. The area was rezoned from MFG to R-3, R-4 and RSB to create a mixed-use transit oriented subdivision development that was known as Cherry Ridge. The development included a mix of single family and multi-family homes that totaled 449 units. The project was divided into two parcels, the north parcel north of 153rd Street, and the south parcel on the south side of 153rd Street. The south parcel of the Cherry Ridge project included a commercial component at the northeast corner of the site as well as condominium buildings, which increased the south parcel’s density well beyond the prescribed density by R-4 standards. This was considered acceptable at the time due to the north parcel’s less dense development pattern and the proximity to the 153rd Street Metra station.
The economic recession that began in late 2007 impacted the development potential of Cherry Ridge and delayed the project. In late 2010, M/I Homes, the petitioner, approached the Village for a potential multi-family home subdivision on the south parcel of the former Andrew Corporation. Environmental remediation analysis cleared this site for development. M/I Homes is currently in the process of purchasing this property from Kimball Hill. Sheffield Square is an M/I Homes project that follows the Village Board’s original intent for a medium density residential subdivision that is a transit-based neighborhood.
M/I Homes is a Midwest/ Regional subdivision developer with Chicago area projects in Winfield, Aurora, Hanover Park, Carol Stream, St. Charles, Streamwood and Naperville. The residential products proposed for Sheffield Square are modeled after the Mayfair Town townhome models and Mayfair Uptown row-home models currently under development in Naperville.
The Sheffield Square site plan has been revised from the previous Board approved Cherry Ridge plan for the south parcel with a lower density than previously approved, small pocket open spaces, multiple bikeway and trail connections and detention designed as a feature. The condominiums and commercial areas have been removed and the street layout has been realigned from the original plan. The proposed street network provides connections for future development on the north parcel as intended by the previous Board approved plan. The developer is proposing two types of residential dwellings for this subdivision: townhomes and row-homes. Overall, the proposed plan is improved from the Board approved plan and will result in a pedestrian friendly neighborhood. The following report will discuss the changes in greater detail.
TRANSPORTATION:
The main concept behind the proposed site plan is a transit-oriented multi-family residential subdivision. As such, pedestrian connectivity to the train station, to 153rd Street and throughout the site is important. The street network is also oriented toward providing improved access to 153rd Street, the station and beyond. The following is a discussion on the improved connections proposed via the site plan.
Park Station Boulevard
The developer proposes to extend Park Station Boulevard from its current intersection with Jillian Road south of the site, north to 153rd Street along the west edge of the property. This was a connection that was previously planned and approved in the 2006 site plan for Cherry Ridge. The extension from Jillian Road will begin off-site on Village property, but the developer has agreed to construct the entire north leg of the roadway for the benefit of the proposed subdivision and the existing neighborhood to the south.
The extended road, which continues the local street, will intersect with 153rd Street, a minor arterial street under Cook County jurisdiction. 153rd Street was widened in 2007 and left turning lanes were added in the median of the street at the location of the intersection to accommodate the future north and south legs of the Park Station Boulevard intersection. The 153rd Street widening plans ultimately indicate a traffic signal for this particular intersection. The traffic signal will likely be installed when the north parcel of the Andrew Corp. property is redeveloped.
The Park Station Boulevard extension will enable access from 153rd Street to 159th Street, completing an important north-south connection between West Avenue and 108th Avenue that will mainly serve local residents in the Sheffield Square and Collette Highlands subdivisions, as well as Metra train commuters traveling to and from the train station’s west parking lots. The Park Station Boulevard extension will also provide access to the future Centennial Park West recreational facilities further south.
In addition to the improved street connectivity, Park Station Boulevard will also have a bike path on the east side of the right-of-way connecting future bikeways proposed on the north side of 153rd Street and bikeways along 153rd Street to the Jillian Road bike path system that ultimately leads to the train station and beyond into Centennial Park. The crossing at the signalized intersection will improve pedestrian access to the train station and parks from future subdivision/ neighborhood development on the north side of 153rd Street (per the 2006 Cherry Ridge plans).
The Park Station Boulevard extension/ connection will be one of the first streets the petitioner will build.
Cherry Ridge Parkway
While Park Station Boulevard is the critical connection to the train station, the Cherry Ridge Parkway right-of-way is intended as a key street for the subdivision. At 100 feet wide, the right-of-way includes an extra wide parkway for pedestrian facilities, landscaping and usable “front yard space” for the buildings that face it. At the intersections with the east-west streets, the developer has included bump-outs to improve pedestrian connections across the wide right-of-way and to designate specific areas for parking.
The proposed street will have a full access intersection with 153rd Street. As with Park Station Boulevard, the 153rd Street widening plans included left turning deceleration lanes in the median to accommodate the future north and south legs of the Cherry Ridge Parkway intersection.
A pocket park-like open space with a pergola is the visual and physical terminus of Cherry Ridge Parkway at the south end of the site, which is also a high point in terms of elevation and views out from the site. Tucked between two row-home buildings, the open space at this location was first proposed in the 2006 Cherry Ridge plans and was retained in this iteration, albeit smaller in area. While the street ends at the open space, Cherry Ridge Parkway’s sidewalks continue through the open space or mew (a street-like space without a road and given over to greenery and pedestrian facilities) to ultimately connect to the Jillian Road bike path system along the southern boundary of the site. Grade changes and a two (2) foot tall retaining wall impact the pedestrian connection at this location. Steps are proposed to mitigate the grade change.
Cherry Ridge Parkway will be a local public right-of-way. The name of the street is a relic of the previous development effort for the combined Cherry Ridge subdivision (north and south pieces of the former Andrew property). The petitioner may consider renaming this main road after the proposed name of the subdivision.
Silver Bell Road
Silver Bell Road will be a local public right-of-way that completes circulation within the development and provides public access to the detention pond and its amenities. The road will be mainly used for pedestrian access to the train station and access to the “rear-loaded” row-homes that face Cherry Ridge Parkway, 153rd Place, 154th Street mew, and 154th Place.
East-West Streets
153rd Place and 154th Place will intersect all three north-south roads. 154th Street terminates at Cherry Ridge Parkway, where another pocket park-like open space or mew is located, continuing pedestrian connectivity through to Silver Bell Road and the detention pond. Like the mew at the terminus of Cherry Ridge Parkway, the mew along 154th Street provides a visual and physical termination and is bounded by row-homes on either side.
All the streets proposed for Sheffield Square will be local public right-of-ways and constructed according to Village street standards outlined in the Land Development (Section 6-405).
DISCUSSION:
Land Use and Compatibility
The 1975 Comprehensive Plan originally identified the subject site and the north parcel as an industrial/ manufacturing land use. The 1991 Comprehensive Plan changed the land use for this area. In that plan, the subject site was reserved for Low Intensity Population along 153rd Street and Medium Intensity Population within the site and near the train station. The north parcel remained “Regional Intensity Industrial/ Distribution”. The north and south parcels were home to Andrew Corporation, a heavy industrial user, until the mid-2000’s.
In 2006, the Village Board determined the appropriate land use for the area was a mixed-use transit based neighborhood with some commercial. The Board approved the south parcel almost entirely for Medium Intensity Population uses, establishing the precedent for the current proposal.
The proposed land use is therefore compatible and consistent with the Village’s intent for a higher density residential development per the 1991 Comprehensive Plan and the 2006 decision. The development is also compatible with the R-4 Residential District regulations.
Density and Land Use Intensity
In terms of density, the 2006 Board approved Cherry Ridge subdivision plan for the south parcel included a total density of approximately 9.2 DU/acre. However, since this was part of a larger development that included the north parcel, the overall density of the original Cherry Ridge subdivision was approximately 5.2 DU/acre because of the single family homes and large lots present on the north parcel. This overall density was consistent with the R-4 zoning district regulations, which permits a maximum density of 6 DU/ acre.
According to Section 2-102 (Definitions) of the Land Development Code, density is defined as “the number of dwelling units per Net Buildable Acres” on the site. According to the proposed site plan, the net site area less the internal right-of-ways is 21.24 acres. The proposed density for Sheffield Square is therefore 8.75 DU/acres, which exceeds the R-4 district regulations by 2.75 DU/acre.
The proposed density must be considered in light of the following information. First, the Village Board established a higher density precedent for the south parcel in the 2006 plans, with the intent that the higher density would effectively be diluted by the north parcel’s less dense environment. Second, there is considerable precedent for higher densities near transit stations. Two recent multi-family home developments constructed near transit stations were Orland Crossing Townhomes (2004) and Collette Highlands Condominiums (2005). In both cases, the Village Board affirmed a policy of establishing higher density development near transit stations. The following compares the density of these developments to Sheffield Square.
Density Comparison
Orland Crossing Townhomes - 9.27 DU/acre
Collette Highlands Condominiums - 20.52 DU/acre
Sheffield Square - 8.75 DU/acre
By comparison, the density for Sheffield Square is considerably less than the neighboring condominium development for Collette Highlands, which is farther from the train station than the subject site. A better comparison is Orland Crossing Townhomes, which is slightly higher in density. Orland Crossing Townhomes are also farther away from the 143rd Street transit station than Sheffield Square is from the 153rd Street transit station. In both comparisons, the Village Board believed the increased density beyond 6 DU/acre was appropriate due to the proximity to transit facilities.
For further comparison, the 2006 Cherry Ridge staff report noted the density of Collette Highlands subdivision (2003) as 6 DU/acre and The Preserves at Marley Creek subdivision (1998) as 7.6 DU/acre. All of these subdivisions establish a precedent for higher density development near transit stations that meet or exceed R-4 regulations for 6 DU/acre.
A modification is therefore added to the special use for this residential planned development to increase the maximum allowed density from 6 DU/acre to 8.75 DU/acre for Sheffield Square. Village staff will also be reviewing the R-4 Residential District to draft revisions that better address multi-family developments and transit oriented developments.
In terms of land use intensity, the site is currently vacant. The developer proposes to construct the project in phases, gradually raising the density as new units are constructed. There will ultimately be 186 dwelling units in Sheffield Square. This is less than what was approved for the south parcel of Cherry Ridge (258 DU).
Rezoning
In 2006, the subject site was rezoned from MFG Manufacturing District to R-4 Residential District and RSB Residential Supporting Business District. The RSB portion of the subject site is approximately 525 feet west of the east property line along 153rd Street. It contains an area that is approximately 30,363 square feet in size on what would have been an irregular parcel. The land was zoned RSB for mixed commercial uses proposed under Cherry Ridge. While the land was rezoned, the site was never subdivided as originally intended and the irregular parcel(s) does not exist; therefore a separate lot does not exist to rezone or consolidate. Only the single large lot, which has two zoning classifications coupled to it.
M/I Homes does not propose any commercial uses for this development. It is the developer’s opinion that this site would not be viable for a commercial use. As a result, the RSB portion of the site must be rezoned to R-4 to match the rest of the site. The rezoning is consistent with the neighboring uses (the north parcel is zoned R-4 across the street as are the Collette Highlands Condominiums along Park Station Boulevard further south).
A copy of the Rezoning Factors is attached to this report for further review.
Subdivision and Lot Sizes
The developer proposes to subdivide the property into 37 lots and the common area (excluding the streets). The new lots are subdivided following the commonly used practice of dividing the lots one per multi-family building. This system of lot subdivision for multi-family developments has been used throughout the Village in previous multi-family projects. The resulting lots are varied in size depending on the size of the building. The average town home lot is approximately 70 feet by 135 feet (9,450 square feet). The small row home lots are 50 feet by 105 feet (5,250 square feet). The mid-size row home lots are 50 feet by 145 feet (7,250 square feet). The biggest row home lots are 60 feet by 155 feet (9,300 square feet).
The smallest town home lots meet standard R-4 lot size requirements (8,500 square feet minimum). The small and mid-size row-home lots do not meet the minimum.
A modification is required to reduce the lot size for the row-home buildings from 8,500 square feet to a lot size of 5,250 square feet. This modification is acceptable because the lot size established in R-4 is intended primarily for single family homes.
The petitioner will need to submit a Plat of Subdivision to the Village for recording.
Special Use
Section 6-205.C.12 of the Land Development Code identifies Planned Developments as special uses. A Planned Development is “a site that is or is intended for two or more buildings…” A special use is required for this project because the developer is proposing to construct multiple buildings on the subject site.
In 6-205.C.12.a the Code references Residential Planned Developments with a series of provisions that list requirements and bonuses for construction. In summary, the provisions for Residential Planned Development in the Code include the following:
Private Open Space
Common Open Space
Density at 6 DU/acre
30% less side or rear setback for every 10% of private open space (as long as distance between buildings is maintained)
20% less required private open space for every 20% of common open space
Optional Bonuses - boulevard(s), orientation of buildings for views, solar orientation, less than 50% of garage doors facing the street, garbage enclosure hidden from view, attractive and consistent style of lamp posts
The proposed site plan includes a mix of private and common open spaces as required by the Code. As discussed above, the density exceeds the 6 DU/acre limit due to the established precedent in the zoning district of allowing higher densities near transit facilities.
The remaining provisions, however, are difficult to achieve from a regulatory perspective. The setback reductions, for example, are presumably meant to bring buildings closer together for a higher density as long as more private open space is provided and the distance between buildings is maintained. The reduction in private open space, also intended for higher densities, is allowed so long as there is balanced increases in common open space. These provisions are structured such that they negate themselves-for example, increasing the density but then diluting it with more space/ sprawl is counter to the intent of higher densities. Amendments to the Land Development Code are therefore required to negotiate the appropriate provisions for higher density development (e.g. proximity to transit facilities).
The developer does, however, meet bonus provisions for higher density. Cherry Ridge Parkway was originally intended as a boulevard, but was later converted into a street with wide, usable parkways. The buildings are oriented mostly for solar exposure and more than 50% of the garage doors are at the rear of the buildings.
The developer has not indicated the type of street light or lamp post for the subdivision. However, in keeping with the provisions for a higher density allowance, the developer should consider the lamp post patterns present in Orland Crossing, the Main Street Triangle and Old Orland for a unified appearance across the Village’s transit oriented neighborhoods.
Setbacks
Although interpreting the setbacks within the context of the R-4 zoning district is complicated, the setbacks proposed are consistent with other townhome/ row-home developments in the Village.
Setbacks in the R-4 zoning district are measured differently than setbacks in the other residential districts (R-3, R-2, R-1 etc.) The front setbacks are measured from the right-of-way while the side setbacks are measured as a proportion (15%) of the lot width between buildings (6-205.E.2). The rear setbacks are intended to be measured from the property line, but this provision is difficult to implement when lots are as small as prescribed by Code or as implemented traditionally for multi-family buildings/ developments (e.g. one lot around the building footprint). The established interpretation for rear setbacks is to read them as a distance between buildings.
The proposed lots for Sheffield Square are proportional to the block sizes. For the side setbacks, the developer measured the width of each rectangular block long side to long side (property line to property line) and multiplied it by 15% to obtain the setback requirement for each building on a particular block. Since there are seven blocks with varying widths, there are seven different side setback requirements. The site plan identifies the side setback modifications in the data tables. The setback data table only lists the greatest reductions from the required front, rear and side setbacks since these would include all the variations between the greatest and least reductions from the required setbacks
For the front setbacks of Blocks One and Seven, 45 feet is required from 153rd Street because it is a minor arterial road (Section 6-205.E.1.a). The developer has proposed a 30 foot front setback on these two blocks because 15 feet was reserved in the setback requirement for the widening of the road. The 153rd Street road widening was completed in 2008. The 30 foot setback is therefore appropriate.
The following is a summary of the modifications to the setback requirements for this project:
1. Front setbacks from 153rd Street reduced from 45 feet to 30 feet;
2. Side setbacks for Row-homes reduced from 39 feet to 11 feet;
3. Side setbacks for Townhomes reduced from 39 feet to 12.5 feet;
4. Rear setbacks for Row-homes reduced from 60 feet to 30 feet;
5. Rear setbacks for Townhomes reduced from 60 feet to 22 feet;
Setback Example
In Block Three, the Code would require 78 feet between buildings (two side setbacks adjacent to each other). The provided distance, however, is 25 feet between each structure. Therefore each townhouse has an effective side setback of 12.5 feet. This interpretation was used to determine the side and rear setbacks for all blocks. This is also more in line with the intent for a higher density neighborhood.
Height
The maximum height permitted in the R-4 district is “50 feet to the highest point except for single family attached… which shall be 30 feet to the mean height” (6-205.G).
While the buildings are multi-family dwellings they are attached single family dwelling units. The mean height of the townhome buildings is 28 feet. The mean height of the row-home buildings is 30 feet. Both heights meet the required mean height.
Lot Coverage
Section 6-205.F notes that “No more than 45% of the area of the parcel may be covered with building, pavement, storm water storage, leaving at least 55% of the total parcel area in green space.” Note that as discussed before, the intent of the R-4 zoning district is directed towards single family lots. Other townhome developments in Orland Park, including Orland Crossing townhomes, have lot coverage over 45%.
The proposed site plan indicates that the total lot coverage for the site, excluding rights-of-way, is 53%. This is 8% more lot coverage than is permitted by Code. However, the developer noted in a correspondence dated May 16, 2011 that “As a component of our Final Stormwater Management Report, we plan to review several Best Management Practices (BMP’s) in conjunction with our stormwater detention basin design and calculations including naturalized detention basins, vegetated swales and other water quality practices.”
Section 6-205.F provides a 40% credit for additional pervious surface area when using BMP’s. The developer identified that BMP’s like pervious pavers may be used in the row-home drive courts and drive-ways and alternative street edges for Cherry Ridge Parkway may include swales.
The shape of the detention pond is a legacy of the previous plans, though its size has been reduced since there is less lot coverage than Cherry Ridge. Because less detention is needed, changing the shape of the pond to conform to Sheffield Square’s development pattern may provide some opportunity to reduce impervious surfaces related to the pond, thus decreasing lot coverage. While this can be done in Final Engineering, as implied by the developer, it would impact the site plan by changing contours related to the current proposal, potentially creating new usable green spaces.
As the plan stands now, a modification is required to increase the allowable lot coverage from 45% to 53%. However, with so many variables to be applied vis-à-vis BMP’s and potential pond alterations to lower the lot coverage, a condition is added that the developer work with staff to introduce BMP’s into the site plan at appropriate locations and to alter the detention pond to gain pervious surface area and reduce lot coverage before the project is forwarded to Committee. This project is scheduled to attend the Development Services and Planning Committee on June 20, 2011.
It is important to note that the lot coverage for Sheffield Square is considerably less than the approved lot coverage for Cherry Ridge’s south parcel. While a percent is not listed in the 2006 staff reports, the reduced detention pond for Sheffield Square is indicative of the changed development size. Also, the discussion regarding parks below will indicate a significant increase in open spaces for the south parcel as evidence of reduced lot coverage.
Parks
In 2006, the Cherry Ridge site plan called for a single park at the south end of the site at the terminus of Cherry Ridge Parkway. That park was approximately 30,000 square feet or .6 acres. An additional .5 acre sliver of land west of Park Station Boulevard was dedicated to the 153rd Street wetlands to the west. The remaining open space was the detention pond, which was not usable space as designed.
The Sheffield Square site plan proposes two new open spaces. The sliver of land west of Park Station Boulevard is identical as before. The site plan identifies two mini parks (the mews) totaling 2.9 acres. The terminus park at Cherry Ridge Parkway was reduced to a mew but a second mew was added at 154th Street. Since the detention pond was shrunk, a new 2.9 acre “perimeter park” is proposed. However, the perimeter park will have limited use because the grading plan indicates that there will be steep contours at certain locations. This may change if the shape of the pond is altered. The grading plan is attached for further review.
Finally, a new 2.1 acre “west park” is included on the plan on the east side of Park Station Boulevard between 153rd Place and 154th Street. The new park is intended as a common open space for the townhomes, which are close together (see setback discussions).
The old Cherry Ridge plan had 1.1 acres of open space on the south parcel. The Sheffield Square plan proposes a total of 5.9 acres of open space.
The parks, with the exception of the .5 acre piece west of Park Station Boulevard, as well as the detention pond are considered as private open space and pond that will belong to and be the responsibility of the local homeowners association. This is standard policy for multi-family and commercial developments in the Village.
Erosion and Sedimentation
The developer is responsible for erosion mitigation during all phases of construction for this project. The developer has indicated that the project will be implemented in phases. During each construction phase, appropriate erosion control measures will be required. Failure to comply with the Village’s erosion control regulations will result in fines.
Erosion control for this project is important because this site is tributary to Lake Sedgwick at Centennial Park. Considerable public investment from the Village and various state agencies have participated in ensuring clean water reaches Lake Sedgwick from neighboring developments (e.g. Metra parking lots). Loose sedimentation and uninhibited erosion will negatively impact water quality improvements made for Lake Sedgwick along and under the railroad right-of-way.
Traffic and Access
For a discussion on the street layout, see TRANSPORTATION subtitle.
A traffic study was completed in 2006 for the Cherry Ridge project. The developer’s engineer submitted an update to that study for Sheffield Square. The Village’s consulting engineers, ESI, found no issues with the submitted study or its update. A copy is on file for further review.
Parking and Loading
Table 6-306(B) notes that multi-family dwellings require two (2) parking spaces per dwelling unit. At 186 units, the development requires 372 parking spaces. The elevations indicate a full two-car garage per dwelling unit. This means that each unit has four (4) parking spaces-2 in the garage and 2 on the drive-way-for 744 total parking opportunities. In addition to this, street parking is available, particularly along Cherry Ridge Parkway as framed by the bump-outs.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Access/Public Transit
Sheffield Square is a pedestrian oriented transit-based neighborhood. As mentioned earlier, pedestrian connectivity to the 153rd Street train station is emphasized on all streets, particularly Park Station Boulevard with the bike path that links various area bikeways like Jillian Road’s and Centennial Park’s.
PACE bus route 832 Joliet to Orland Square Mall stops at the 153rd Street Metra Train Station to the east of Sheffield Square. The pedestrian network in this development will enable local residents to access both the train and bus facilities.
Landscaping and Buffering
A landscape plan will be reviewed by the Village Board at a later date. The developer included a rendering in the submittal packet, which preliminarily identifies the location of potential landscaping.
According to Table 6-305(J) of the Land Development Code, Sheffield Square requires the following bufferyards:
North (along 153rd Street): Bufferyard C
West (along 153rd Street Wetlands): Bufferyard C
East: (along train tracks): Bufferyard C
South (at water tower): Bufferyard C
Bufferyards for residential subdivisions are implemented around the perimeter of the subdivision. Bufferyard C is the appropriate bufferyard for most of the perimeter when considering the neighboring uses. 153rd Street on the north, the wetlands to the west, and the train station and tracks on the east require Bufferyard C. To the south is a strip of land belonging to the wetland property that extends the length of the property. But just beyond this strip of land is a Village water tower site, which is zoned MFG. The water tower and its ground equipment (including wireless communication equipment) are highly visible from the Jillian Road bike path and neighboring right-of-ways. The industrial nature of this site will require additional landscaping within the south Bufferyard C area.
Building Elevations
The developer proposes to construct two types of housing products: townhomes and row-homes. Elevations are attached to this report indicating building dimensions and materials. Both products are red-brick masonry based with earth-tone colors for the second story siding (beiges, greens and grays). The roofing materials are shingles and their colors are also in the gray family. Both the townhomes and row-homes include columns or piers as architectural features to frame the main entrances to the various units. For the row-homes, balconies are provided for all units, with most at the rear. Two end units have balconies facing the front.
The townhome garage doors are at the front of the building facing the street. A goal for this area both in the 2006 Cherry Ridge plans and in these Sheffield Square plans has been to reduce the number of garage doors facing the public right-of-ways. While the majority of garage doors in the development are located at the rear of the buildings, all but two of the townhome products face the street. Garage doors dominate the appearance of buildings, particularly when their color is white.
For 153rd Place and 154th Place, garage doors will face the right-of-way on one side of the street while the other side will be building frontage. For 154th Street, however, the garage doors dominate both sides of the street. Twenty-five (25) doors and driveways break up 154th Street. The presence of theses elements reduces the quality of the street frontages, especially since this street ends in the mew further east. The main entrances to these buildings are also setback behind the garage doors. The garage doors are therefore given more emphasis than the main entrance to the dwelling unit.
Avoiding Monotony
To avoid monotonous design, the developer must reduce the dominance of the garage doors in the development by changing the colors, materials and designs of the garages and bring the main entrances of the buildings forward, toward the street to make them visually more prominent. This will shift the focus from the garages and make them recede.
In addition to this, alternating colors, materials and designs between buildings and blocks will introduce variation within the development and improve the quality of the area. The developer should include different color palettes for different townhomes and row-homes with matching shingle colors.
The developer indicated in the May 16, 2011 correspondence that “all garage doors for the frontload townhomes will be provided windows. In addition, M/I Homes will work with staff to create a number of approved color palettes and the garage doors for the townhomes will be painted as part of that package.
Utility Conduits
Utilities and their associated infrastructure must be screened from view within the development. This includes electric lines, which must be buried under the rights-of-way, per Section 7-102.O.2.3.
SPECIAL USE STANDARDS
When considering an application for special use permit, the decision making body shall consider the extent to which:
1. The special use will be consistent with the purposes, goals and objectives and standards of the Comprehensive Plan, any adopted overlay plan and these regulations;
2. The special use will be consistent with the community character of the immediate vicinity of the parcel for development;
3. The design of the proposed use will minimize adverse effect, including visual impacts on adjacent properties;
4. The proposed use will not have an adverse effect on the value of the adjacent property; (If necessary, be prepared to offer expert testimony that the proposed project will have no adverse impact on surrounding properties);
5. The applicant has demonstrated that public facilities and services, including but not limited to roadways, park facilities, police and fire protection, hospital and medical services, drainage systems, refuse disposal, water and sewers, and schools will be capable of serving the special use at an adequate level of service;
6. The applicant has made adequate legal provision to guarantee the provision and development of any open space and other improvements associated with the proposed development;
7. The development will not adversely affect a known archaeological, historical or cultural resource; and
8. The proposed use will comply with all additional standards imposed on it by the particular provision of these regulations authorizing such use and by all other requirements of the ordinances of the Village.
It is the responsibility of the petitioner to prove that all eight standards are met. A
written response to each standard is required.
REZONING FACTORS
1. The existing uses and zoning of nearby property;
2. The extent to which property values are diminished by a particular zoning classification or restriction;
3. The extent to which the destruction of property value of a petitioning property owner promotes the health, safety, morals, or general welfare of the public;
4. The relative gain to the public as opposed to the hardship imposed on a petitioning property owner;
5. The suitability of the subject property for its zoned purposes;
6. The length of time the property has been vacant as zoned, considered in the context of land development in the area;
7. The Comprehensive Plan designation and the current applicability of that designation; and
8. The evidence or lack of evidence, of community need for the use proposed.
This case will go before the Development Services/Planning Committee for review prior to being sent to the Board of Trustees for final review/approval.
Recommended Action/Motion
I move to accept as findings of fact of this Plan Commission the findings of fact set forth in this staff report dated May 24, 2011
and
I move to recommend to the Village Board of Trustees to approve the preliminary site plan titled “Sheffield Square Residential Community”, prepared by BSB Design for M/I Homes, dated 4/22/11, sheet number L-2, and the preliminary front, rear and side elevation drawings titled “Sheffield Square Townhome Elevations” sheets A-1, A-2, and A-5 to A-8 and “Sheffield Square Rowhome Elevations” sheets A-3 to A-8, prepared by BSB Design for M/I Homes, dated 5/16/11, subject to the following conditions:
1. That the petitioner submit a landscape plan for separate review and approval, after Final Engineering, that meets mitigation and landscape codes;
2. That the petitioner submit a Plat of subdivision, and corresponding application, to the Village for recording during the Final Engineering review process;
3. That the development use the same lamp post patterns present in Orland Crossing, Main Street Triangle and Old Orland for a unified appearance across the Village’s transit oriented neighborhoods;
4. That the petitioner work with staff to introduce BMP’s into the site plan at appropriate locations and to alter the detention pond to gain pervious surface area and reduce lot coverage before the project is forwarded to Committee;
5. That erosion control measures are put in place and maintained persistently to avoid environmental contamination and sedimentation in publicly invested water quality improvements for Lake Sedgwick in Centennial Park;
6. That the petitioner work with staff to avoid monotonous design in the development and includes different color palettes and garage door designs for the housing products prior to the project appearing before the Development Services and Planning Committee;
7. That all utilities are screened from view of public right-of-ways and where applicable buried underground;
8. That all building code related items are met and all building permits are obtained prior to construction;
9. That all Final Engineering related items are met;
And
I move to recommend to the Village Board of Trustees to approve a Special Use for a Planned Development of 186 multi-family dwelling units at 10700 W. 153rd Street as shown in the preliminary site plan titled “Sheffield Square Residential Community” cited above with the following modifications, subject to the same conditions cited in the site plan approval motion:
1. The maximum allowed density is increased from 6 DU/acre to 8.75 DU/acre;
2. The minimum lot size requirement for row-home buildings is reduced from 8,500 square feet to 5,250 square feet;
3. The front, side and rear setbacks for the townhomes and row-homes are reduced accordingly:
a. Front setbacks from 153rd Street reduced from 45 feet to 30 feet;
b. Side setbacks for Row-homes reduced from 39 feet to 11 feet;
c. Side setbacks for Townhomes reduced from 39 feet to 12.5 feet;
d. Rear setbacks for Row-homes reduced from 60 feet to 30 feet;
e. Rear setbacks for Townhomes reduced from 60 feet to 22 feet;
4. The allowable lot coverage for Sheffield Square is increased from 45% to 53% subject to condition 4 in the above site plan and elevations motion;
And
I move to recommend to the Village Board of Trustees to rezone a 30,363 square foot portion of the subject property at 10700 W. 153rd Street that is approximately 525 feet west of the east property line along 153rd Street from RSB Residential Supporting Business District to R-4 Residential District, subject to the same conditions cited in the site plan approval motion;
And
I move to recommend to the Village Board of Trustees to approve the subdivision of the 27.32 acre parcel of land at 10700 W. 153rd Street into 37 lots and a common area as shown in the preliminary site plan titled “Sheffield Square Residential Community” cited above, subject to the same conditions cited in the site plan approval motion.