PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Consider the Petitioner’s appeal to portions of the Citywide Building Design Guidelines as they apply to the proposed Sunbelt Rentals building at 2212 Ferry Road
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Sara Kopinski, AICP
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
• The Petitioner is requesting an appeal to the Citywide Building Design Guidelines <https://www.naperville.il.us/contentassets/7fed1bf2ba19496fa9a037f019616748/cdg-building-design-guidelines.pdf> in order to permit the industrial building proposed at 2212 Ferry Road to be constructed predominantly out of hardie board siding.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Per Code, official notice in the newspaper is not required.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property located at 2212 Ferry Road is currently zoned I (Industrial District) in the City of Naperville and is currently part of the Iron Gate Motor Condos PUD. The petitioner plans to remove the subject property from the Iron Gate PUD and construct a Sunbelt Rentals building on the property. In conjunction with this, the petitioner is requesting approval of an appeal to the Citywide Building Design Guidelines to allow the industrial building to be constructed predominantly out of hardie board siding (versus masonry) as shown in the attachments. The petitioner indicates hardie board siding was chosen as the predominant material due to desirable appearance, low maintenance, durability, and the 30-year warranty (see attached letter).
Note: The Petitioner's requests to revoke the Iron Gate Motor Condos PUD as it applies to the Sunbelt property, and approval of a minor change to the PUD to add a portion of the subject property back into the Iron Gate parcel, are subject to review by City Council only.
DISCUSSION:
Citywide Building Design Guidelines
The purpose of the Citywide Building Design Guidelines (Guidelines) is to convey community design values and preferences, to clearly guide the design and appearance of non-residential structures, and to identify appropriate design criteria by which building design may be evaluated and enhanced through the architectural and development review process. “Section C5. Materials” of the Guidelines outlines that primary materials comprise 75-90% of an exterior building face. Brick and stone convey permanence and are preferred primary and accent building materials for all building types. Cast-in-place concrete is appropriate for industrial buildings.
Staff notes that City Council has not recognized hardie siding as a masonry product, as evidenced during discussions on codified masonry requirements for residential buildings. Additionally, staff cannot recall any industrial buildings constructed out of hardie board siding in the City.
Sunbelt Rentals Building
The proposed Sunbelt Rentals building is to be constructed predominantly out of hardie board siding with a stone wainscot only provided around the northernmost portion of the building. The roof is planned to be constructed out of structural steel panels. Staff does not find hardie board siding to satisfy masonry requirements for industrial buildings, therefore does not find the proposed elevations to meet the intent of the Citywide Building Design Guidelines. Additionally, staff notes that the petitioner’s proposal includes revoking the Iron Gate PUD as it relates to the subject property; therefore, the proposed building elevations are not being reviewed for consistency with the Iron Gate PUD.
Sunbelt building elevations were not provided to staff for review until the project’s second plan submittal. After receiving the elevations, staff recommended the proposed building materials be modified and that the building be constructed out of masonry, cast-in-place concrete or pre-cast concrete for compliance with the Citywide Building Design Guidelines. Staff advised the petitioner that if they were not agreeable to modifying the proposed building materials as suggested, they had the opportunity to request an appeal to portions of the Guidelines, as they apply to the Sunbelt Rentals building. The petitioner responded by expanding the stone wainscot on the front façade and requesting an appeal.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends that the property owner’s request to construct the Sunbelt Rentals building out of predominantly hardie board siding be denied and that hardie board only be acceptable as an accent material, restricted to 25% of the building elevations or less.
PZC Action
Per the Naperville Municipal Code, the Planning and Zoning Commission is the body to review appeals to Design Guidelines. PZC determinations are considered final, unless the petitioner appeals the PZC’s decision to the City Council.