Loading...
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 2012/10/02 MinutesThe City of Lake Forest Zoning Board of Appeals Proceedings of the October 22, 2012 Meeting A regular meeting of the Lake Forest Zoning Board of Appeals was held on Monday, October 22, 2012, at 6:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 220 E. Deerpath, Lake Forest, Illinois. Zoning Board of Appeals members present: Chairman Rosemary Kehr, and Board members: Sam Ciccarelli, Lloyd Culbertson, Richard Christoff, Jay Kennedy and Robert Franksen Zoning Board of Appeals Board member absent: Stewart Dixon Staff present: Megan C. Neuman, Planner and Catherine J. Czerniak, Director of Community Development 1. Introduction of Board members and staff, overview of meeting procedures Chairman Kehr reviewed the role of the Zoning Board of Appeals and asked members of the Board and staff to introduce themselves. 2. Approval of the minutes of the August 30, 2012 regular meeting. The approval of the minutes was postponed. CONTINUED PETITION 3. Continued consideration of a request for an amendment to the Special Use Permit for The Knollwood Club, located at 1890 Knollwood Road. The proposed changes include the addition of a 4th paddle court, modifications to an existing court and adjacent parking area, and the addition of landscaping. Owner: The Knollwood Club Representative: Randall W. Harper, General Manager Chairman Kehr asked the Board for any conflicts of interest or Ex Parte contacts, hearing none, she swore in all those intending to speak on this petition and invited a presentation from the petitioner. Mr. Harper recapped the discussion and direction from the last Board meeting and stated his appreciation for the time spent with staff since the last meeting exploring appropriate responses to the concerns raised. He reviewed the purpose of the Knollwood Club’s request to amend the existing Special Use Permit to allow the addition of a fourth paddle court. He reviewed the existing site plan noting the location of the three existing courts, the paddle hut and the parking lot. He described the shift that is proposed for the third court and noted the location of the proposed fourth court. He noted the two significant trees proposed for removal to allow for the location of the new court in that area. He mentioned that participation in the sport of paddle by Club members has increased significantly in recent years but clarified that the purpose of the addition of a proposed fourth court is to expedite play and allow all of the games in a match to be played at the same time which will allow play to be completed earlier. He stated that the addition of the fourth court will not increase the number of games played. He reviewed an air photo of the portion of the Club where the paddle courts are located noting the setback of the Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes October 22, 2012 Page 2 proposed new court from the road and stating that the proposed setback complies with the Code requirements for sport courts on residential lots. He stated that paddle season, league play, begins October 1st and continues through the end of March. He noted that during paddle season, there are fewer other activities going on at the Club and fewer members and employees on site. He reviewed the concerns raised by the Board and neighbors at the last meeting beginning with a discussion of parking on the site by paddle members. He stated that he met with Knollwood Club Board members and the captains of the paddle teams to explain the concerns raised and discuss possible solutions. He explained that it was decided that the best way to control parking for the paddle courts and to completely eliminate parking on Knollwood Lane, is to prohibit paddle players, guests and observers from parking in the lot adjacent to the paddle courts during the paddle season. He explained the current proposal which requires parking for the paddle courts, during the paddle season, to occur away from the courts and near the entrance to the Clubhouse itself. He pointed out the 19 parking spaces available along Knollwood Road in the parking strip and the 8 spaces in the circle in front of the Clubhouse all of which will be available to paddle players. He noted that any overflow parking for the paddle courts, beyond these spaces, will need to occur in the main parking lot. He stated that with these policies in place, no paddle participants, guests or observers will need to drive down Knollwood Lane toward the courts. He stated that the parking lot immediately adjacent to the paddle courts will be reserved for employees, trash pickup and deliveries during the paddle season. He reviewed the changes proposed to this lot noting that this lot currently has 17 spaces and explaining that just a couple spaces will be lost due to the reconfiguration and addition of an enhanced landscape buffer for this lot from Knollwood Lane. He pointed out the sidewalk that will be added to direct paddle players and guests from the designated off-site parking areas to the paddle courts. He confirmed that the sidewalks are consistently cleared of snow in the winter. He explained that the parking policy will be communicated to the paddle clubs through the league captains and added that all individual participants will also be notified. He stated that signs regarding parking will be posted in appropriate locations and the Club employees will be responsible for enforcing the parking policy. He noted that courts at other clubs have similar setups that require paddle players and guests to walk some distance to the paddle courts. He reviewed the proposed landscaping enhancements noting that the proposed plantings will exceed the number of inches of trees that will be removed. Rick Graham, Mariani Landscaping, landscaper for the project reviewed the proposed parking lot reconfiguration, the trees that will be removed and those to be preserved. He noted the portion of the Knollwood Lane streetscape where spruce trees are proposed commenting that they are long lived trees which will provide an opaque screening of the courts from the neighboring properties. He pointed out that the spruce trees will wrap the corner going into the parking lot to provide enhanced screening. He reviewed the enhancements that will occur to further screen the existing parking lot. Mr. Harper reiterated that a walking path will be added to support the off-site parking spaces. He also reiterated that in the existing parking lot, the parking spaces closest to Knollwood Lane will be shifted away from the road and trees will be added between the parking lot and the road. He stated that the new paddle court will be screened with black mesh which will serve as a backdrop to the new spruce trees discussed by Mr. Graham. He stated that essentially, the new court will be camouflaged. He concluded by describing the changes planned for lighting on the courts stating that both the new court and the existing courts will each be outfitted with 8 new metal halide light fixtures. He explained that the proposed fixtures do a better job than the Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes October 22, 2012 Page 3 existing fixtures of directing light downward and keeping it from spilling off of the courts and impacting the neighboring residential properties. He stated that the lights will be set to turn off no later than 11 p.m. as stated in the existing Special Use Permit. He confirmed that the enforcement of the 11 p.m. turn off time will be handled by Club staff. Dave Brush, Knollwood Club Board member, stated that he met with the neighboring property owner who had previously voiced some concerns to discuss those concerns and to consider sightlines into this area of the Club. He stated that the plan as presented has been reviewed in detail with the neighbor and that the neighbor is supportive of the work as proposed. Ms. Czerniak stated that since the last Board meeting, this petition has come a long way. She acknowledged that physically, the plan may not appear dramatically different from the plan presented at the earlier meeting, but commented that an extraordinary amount of work was done and discussions have occurred involving various parties including Club members, paddle league captains, the neighboring property owner and City staff. She stated that as requested by the Board at the last meeting, the revised plan and the associated policies address parking and landscaping and improves upon the existing conditions. She stated that shifting the existing parking spaces closest to Knollwood Lane, back, away from the pavement, provides the opportunity to significantly improve the appearance of this area by improving the screening of the parking and trash and delivery areas for the Clubhouse. She added that the additional tree removals, the removal of the poplar and black locust trees, was recommended by the City’s Certified Arborist due to the fact that one of the trees is in declining condition and the other is inhibiting the growth and fullness of nearby conifers. She noted that removal of these trees allows the addition of the pedestrian path referred to by Mr. Harper and allows the landscaping to be strengthened in this area. She noted that on the other side of the entrance to the parking lot, various options for enhancing the plantings and the streetscape were considered. She stated that initially, City staff recommended retaining a more natural planting theme along the streetscape but in discussions with the neighboring property owner, it was agreed that conifers would provide the desired denser screening immediately adjacent to the paddle courts. She pointed out that to assure that the conifers planted have the space to thrive; a few panels of the fence will be removed. She stated that the proposed treatment will give the streetscape a sharper, cleaner look in this area and then the streetscape plantings will fade back into a more natural character. She stated that the shifts in parking policies for paddle court users are in direct response to concerns raised by the Board and the neighboring property owners. She stated that under the policies proposed, paddle court users will not travel down Knollwood Lane toward the courts eliminating the need to turn around if the lot is full. She stated that the policy that no paddle players or guests are permitted to park in the lot during the paddle season is clear and direct. She stated confidence based on her work to date with the Club staff that the policies will be communicated to all appropriate parties and enforced on an ongoing basis. She noted that if necessary, boulders or a split rail fence can be installed along Knollwood Lane at a later date, by the Club, if there are violations of the policy. She recommended approval of an amendment to the Special Use Permit to allow the addition of a fourth paddle court and associated improvements based on the findings in the staff report and subject to the conditions of approval recommended in the report. In response to a question from Board member Culbertson, Mr. Harper confirmed that Club policies will be amended to prohibit parking on Knollwood Lane. In response to a question from Board member Christoff, Mr. Harper confirmed that the curb cut Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes October 22, 2012 Page 4 into the parking lot adjacent to the courts will remain in its present location. In response to a question from Board Member Kennedy, Mr. Harper confirmed that there is adequate parking on rest of the site to support the parking policies as proposed. Chairman Kehr invited public testimony; hearing none, she invited final comments from the petitioner, staff or Board. Board member Culbertson commented that the plan presented at the earlier meeting was a good plan but noted that with the enhancements now proposed, the plan is a tremendous plan. He thanked the Knollwood Club for being responsive to the comments, questions and suggestions of the Board and the neighbors. Board member Christoff stated agreement with the comments of Board member Culbertson. Board member Ciccarelli agreed that what is presented now is a better plan and presents an amazing improvement over what exists today. Board member Franksen thanked the Club for working with the neighbor. Board member Kennedy commented that the proposed landscape enhancement will make a significant difference on that site. Chairman Kehr noted that the existing bluestone patio and the removal of poplar and black locust trees provides the opportunity for a nice entrance to the paddle area, on which highlights views of the existing Clubhouse. She stated the Board’s appreciation to the Club for listening to the comments from the Board, neighbor and staff and being responsive. Board member Franksen made a motion to recommend approval of an amendment to the Knollwood Club Special Use Permit to authorize the addition of a fourth paddle tennis court and associated improvements based on the findings in the staff report and subject to the following conditions: Lighting 1. A detailed lighting intensity plan must be included in the building permit application and must demonstrate that there are no spillover lighting impacts at the property lines. The plan is subject to review and approval by the City prior to the issuance of building permits for the new court. 2. Light fixtures must conceal views of the source of the light from off of the property and louvers shall be affixed on the sides of the lights nearest the perimeter of the Club property and in other locations as determined by the City to be necessary to achieve the required concealment of the light source. 3. All lights on the paddle tennis courts must be on an automatic timer set to turn off lights no later than 11:00 p.m. 4. When courts are not in use, lights on the court must be turned off. (This does not apply to periods between ongoing matches, but does apply after play on an individual court is completed for the night.) Parking Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes October 22, 2012 Page 5 5. A final plan for the reconfigured parking lot must be included in the building permit application and is subject to review and approval by the City prior to the issuance of building permits for the new court. a. The parking lot plan must: 1) provide a striping plan for the lot; 2) provide for adequate ingress and egress for delivery vehicles, garbage trucks and provide for emergency vehicle access to the service area of the clubhouse at all times; 3) avoid impacts on the significant remaining trees near the paddle courts; 4) note the total numbers of cars that will be permitted to park in the lot at any one time and 5) identify the remote parking areas designed for paddle players. 6. The Club must establish and routinely enforce the following polices as presented by the Club at the October 22, 2012 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. a. During the paddle season, October through March, the parking lot adjacent to the paddle courts shall be limited to use by Club employees and for deliveries and trash pickup only. Parking shall only occur in designated, striped parking spaces. b. During the paddle season, all participants, members and guests and all observers must park in the areas designated for paddle users: the parking strip near the Clubhouse (19 spaces), the Clubhouse front circle (8 spaces) or the main parking lot. c. During the off season, April through September, paddle participants, members, guests and observers may park in the lot adjacent to the courts if designated, striped spaces are available. d. No parking is permitted on or along Knollwood Lane. If necessary, a split rail fence or boulders set back from the paved surface may be required by City staff to prevent parking along the road. e. At all times of year, parking in the lot near the paddle courts must occur in a manner consistent with the approved parking plan, parking may only occur in designated, striped spaces. Trees 7. A detailed landscape plan must be included in the building permit application and must demonstrate plantings that mitigate impacts on nearby residential properties. Double inch for inch replacement of the heritage and significant trees removed to allow construction of the new court is required and shall be used first to enhance the plantings along Knollwood Lane and the west property line before plantings occur elsewhere on the Club grounds. Low level, mid-level and canopy trees should be used to provide effective screening for the neighboring residential properties from the paddle tennis structures, lights, vehicles and the night time activity related to paddle tennis. Evergreen plantings are required along the portion of Knollwood Lane near the parking lot entrance and along the side of the new paddle court. The motion was seconded by Board member Ciccarelli and was approved by all members present in a 6 – 0 vote. NEW PETITION 4. Consideration of a request for approval of a variance from the lot-in-depth zoning Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes October 22, 2012 Page 6 requirements to allow construction of a modified roof form at 39 S. Sheridan Road. Owner: Todd Buffington, 39 S. Sheridan Road, LLC Representative: Steven Besch, architect Steve Besch introduced the petition focusing on the proposed roof modification on the south side of the house noting that although other modifications are planned to the house, a variance is required only in this area where the existing house already encroaches into the required 50 foot setback area. He reviewed the site plan noting that today; the house encroaches into the setback along the south property line a little over 15 feet. He stated that with the proposed change of the house to a Colonial style, and the addition of a second floor over the main part of the house, a change in the roof element in this area is proposed to change the hip roof to a gable. He noted that with this change, the extent of the roof overhang into the setback will be reduced. He reviewed an illustration showing the area for which a variance is requested. He stated that all other additions to the house fall within the allowable building area. Ms. Neuman confirmed that the area requiring a zoning variance is only a small portion of a larger project. She explained that the overall project will be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission at its next meeting. She noted that the modification proposed within the required zoning setback is a change from a hip roof to a gable roof to allow this element of the house to more closely align with the proposed architectural style change of the house after renovation. She stated that the petitioner explored leaving this portion of the house in its present form, but determined that the proposed alteration was desired to better unify the house. She explained that this parcel is the front lot of a lot in depth and as a result, a 50 foot setback is required along the south property line which runs adjacent to the driveway for the house on the lot to the rear of the 39 S. Sheridan Road property. She stated that the proposed modification in the roof form reduces the extent of the encroachment into the setback from what exists today. She stated staff support for the variance noting that findings in support of the request are included in the staff report. Hearing no Board questions, Chairman Kehr invited public testimony. Hearing no public testimony, she invited final comments from the petitioner, staff and Board. In response to questions from Board member Culbertson, Ms. Neuman confirmed that the encroachment of the roof element will be reduced as a result of the proposed modification. In response to questions from Chairman Kehr, Mr. Buffington stated that most of the landscaping along the south property line will remain. He pointed out that a circular driveway is proposed for review by the Historic Preservation Commission as part of the overall project. He stated that additional landscape screening will be added to meet the requirements of the approved plan and provide appropriate screening into the property and from the property. He confirmed that in particular, landscaping will be added to provide screening for the master bedroom. Hearing no further comments or questions from the Board, Chairman Kehr invited a motion from the Board. Board member Culbertson made a motion to recommend approval of the variance to allow modification of the roof form on the one story portion of the house in a manner that encroaches no closer than 34 feet to the south property line as presented in the Board packets. Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes October 22, 2012 Page 7 The motion was seconded by Board member Christoff and was unanimously approved by the Board. OTHER ITEMS 5. Opportunity for the public to address the Zoning Board of Appeals on matters not on the agenda. There was no public comment on non-agenda items. 6. Additional information from staff. Ms. Neuman presented the 2013 Meeting Schedule and Submittal Deadlines for calendar year 2013 to the Zoning Board of Appeals. She requested Board review and approval if the Board finds the dates acceptable. Board member Franksen made a motion to approve the 2013 Zoning Board of Appeal’s Meeting Schedule and Submittal Deadlines as presented by staff. The motion was seconded by Board member Kennedy and unanimously approved by the Board. The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Catherine J. Czerniak Director of Community Development