Submitted By
David Mann, Plan Commission Chair and Tammie Grossman, Development Customer Services Director
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
Concur with the Plan Commission’s Recommendation and Adopt an Ordinance Granting a Special Use Permit for a Major Planned Development Containing a Five-Story Private Parking Garage Building at the Property located at 505 Washington Boulevard.
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Overview
Overview
The applicant (Fenwick High School) is proposing to construct a five-story private parking garage building for faculty, students and school events. The planned development application is attached to this agenda item and can be found here: <https://www.oak-park.us/your-government/citizen-commissions/plan-commission>. This is also a companion application to ORD 19-17; an alley vacation.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of this application subject to conditions as outlined in their Findings of Fact report attached hereto.
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Staff Recommendation
Staff supports the Plan Commission’s recommendation.
Fiscal Impact
N/A.
Background
The proposed development site is located within the I-Institutional Zoning District. The subject site is currently used as a temporary surface parking lot owned and operated by Fenwick High School. This site was formally the location of two multiple family dwelling unit buildings. Fenwick High School representatives held a neighborhood meeting on November 13, 2018 at Fenwick High School where notified neighbors reviewed plans and heard an overview of the proposal as well as future plans for the high school campus. Eleven people attended the meeting. A recap of that meeting is provided in the Narrative section within the Planned Development application. In the application, the Applicant provides a detailed rendering depicting the proposed garage in relation to the anticipated addition to the existing school building and landscaped quad within the campus setting. The parking garage and various alley vacations are their first steps in realizing their vision toward renovation of the school campus.
Alternatives
Approve the application as recommended.
Deny the application.
Approve the application with modified conditions.
Previous Board Action
N/A.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
The Plan Commission held public hearings on January 17, 2019 and February 7, 2019. At those hearings the Plan Commission heard the Applicant’s proposal and staff’s review of the application. There was no cross-examination and no public comment. The Plan Commission asked questions regarding parking; in particular what relief will occur on the street and what will be the parking situation upon full campus development in the future. The Applicant responded under the current plan parking on-site will diminish the on-street parking demand almost entirely. However, once the campus plan is fully realized, additional on-street parking spaces may be necessary depending on the demand at that time. It was stated about 300-325 students consistently drive to school. The school currently purchases 265 hangtags for students on street parking needs (S4, SB4, & SB5 parking areas near the school). The proposed parking garage will house 350 parking spaces. In addition, they will retain approximately 153 surface parking spaces until such time the campus plan is realized (potentially 8-10 years out).
The Plan Commission discussed the idea of increasing the height of the parking structure. The Applicant was adamant that they did not want the parking structure to overwhelm the campus, so keeping it no taller than the existing buildings is preferable. The Plan Commission discussed compensating benefits, cost for modified access improvements, public art, construction schedules, façade design, security for the garage and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District water detention requirements. The Plan Commission discussed the traffic study in length. They were provided a review by the Applicant’s traffic and parking consultant, who indicated a need to shift the “No Parking from Here to Corner” signs further away from the intersection at Washington Boulevard and East Avenue in order to allow vehicles to go past vehicles stopped waiting to turn left at the intersection, to either proceed straight or make a right turn more easily. By moving these signs further away from the intersection, four (4) on street overnight permit parking spaces would be lost. In order to compensate for this loss, the Applicant agreed to provide four (4) overnight permit parking spaces on their property abutting the proposed parking garage to the south until such time they can be relocated back to on-street locations. It is anticipated, with the future campus design, curb cuts will be reduced along East Avenue, therefore the four (4) overnight permit parking spaces can be added to the East Avenue permit area at that time. The consultant also discussed the need for restriping all pedestrian crosswalks at the four adjacent intersections, two of which will be funded by the applicant at Washington/Scoville and Washington/East intersections. The two Madison intersection crosswalk improvements are included in the Madison Street ROW enhancement project.
The Plan Commission and the architectural design consultant supported the proposed garage building architecture and felt it was consistent with the existing historic buildings on campus.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
N/A.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
Zoning and land use matters are unique to Village government within the corporate limits of Oak Park and therefore, intergovernmental cooperation opportunities do not exist.
Performance Management (MAP) Alignment
A Governance Priority for the Development Customer Services Department is Land Use Regulations.