CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Receive the staff report for 10 Martin Avenue and 801 S. Washington Street (Naperville Medical Office Building) - PZC 22-1-030 (Item 1 of 3)
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Sara Kopinski, AICP
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) considered PZC 22-1-030 on December 21, 2022 and voted to recommend approval of the petitioner’s requests (approved 7-0). Staff concurs.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property consists of approximately 2.31 acres located at the southwest corner of Washington Street and Martin Avenue. It is bordered by Edward Hospital to the south, an assisted living facility to the west, Naperville Cemetery to the north, and public land and single-family homes to the east. It is currently zoned OCI (Office/Commercial/Institutional District) and is developed with a multi-tenant medical office building that was constructed in the 1970s.
The petitioner proposes demolishing the existing building and constructing a new, 96,430 square foot cardiovascular center that will complement the larger Edward Hospital campus. To do so, the petitioner seeks approval of rezoning the subject property to the HS (Health Services) district, and multiple setback, parking and signage variances.
The majority of improvements proposed as part of this project are located at 10 Martin Avenue; however, the petitioner’s proposed parking lot expansion extends onto the adjacent Edward Hospital property to the south (801 S. Washington Street). For this reason, Edward Hospital has been identified as a property owner in the Petition for Development Approval and has provided owner’s authorization for PZC 22-1-030 as included in the attachments.
DISCUSSION:
Rezoning
The subject property is located at the southwest corner of Washington Street and Martin Avenue and is bordered by Edward Hospital to the south. The Edward Hospital campus is zoned HS (Health Services District) in the City of Naperville. As part of the redevelopment proposal, the petitioner seeks to rezone the subject property from OCI (Office/Commercial/Institutional District) to HS (Health Services District) for improved integration with the adjacent hospital campus.
The purpose of the HS district is to provide accommodation for the City’s hospital and medical service campuses and ensure that they will operate in harmony with the surrounding residential, commercial, and institutional uses. This zoning district is intended to provide regulations on a campuswide basis by recognizing the interdependency of the various land uses and the resources that are shared between them.
The petitioner has indicated that the subject property has long been used to serve the healthcare needs of the community and employs physicians affiliated with Edward Hospital. The proposed redevelopment is planned to further integrate the property into the Edward Hospital campus through the creation of a new entrance into Edward Hospital from Martin Avenue, as well as the provision of additional shared parking and signage.
Section 6-7J-10:1 (Height Limitations/Bulk Regulations) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTJHSHESEDI_6-7J-10HELIBURE> of the Municipal Code restricts the maximum allowable floor area ratio for all buildings and structures in the HS district to be 1.30. The FAR for the proposed building on the subject property is 0.94. With this building’s FAR being less than 1.3, the FAR for the overall HS campus will remain below code maximums.
Staff finds the proposed HS zoning to be appropriate due to the medical offices proposed and the improved integration with the Edward Hospital campus that will result from this redevelopment. Additionally, the City’s Land Use Master Plan designates the future land use for the subject property as Institutional. The proposed medical office building and HS zoning designation are compatible with this designation.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Map Amendment can be found in the attachments. Upon review, the PZC and staff agree with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends their adoption by City Council.
Variances
Yard Requirements & Major Arterial Setback Variances
Multiple setback restrictions are applicable to properties located along major arterial roadways and within the HS zoning district. The petitioner has identified that existing conditions and required improvements on the subject property limit redevelopment options and result in the need for setback variances. Limitations impacting buildable areas on the site include creating a new access point to Martin Avenue/rerouting Pam Davis Drive; closing an existing access point on Washington; and, working within the constraints of existing utilities that cannot be relocated on the site. As a result, the petitioner’s proposed site plan requires approval of two setback variances from the Naperville Municipal Code, including:
• A variance to Section 6-7J-9 (Yard Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTJHSHESEDI_6-7J-9YARE> to reduce the corner side yard setback from 20 ft. to 13.5 ft. along Washington Street;
• A variance to Section 6-2-14 (Major Arterial Setback Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH2GEZOPR_6-2-14MAARSERE> to reduce the major arterial building and parking setback from the right-of-way along Washington Street from 20 ft. to 13.5 ft. for the building and 8 ft. for the parking lot.
Each of the code sections noted above require the subject property to maintain a 20-foot setback along Washington Street. In consideration of the requested variances, staff notes that the proposed building is not parallel to Washington Street and that the building setback varies depending on where it is measured from. The 13.5-foot building setback measurement was taken at the southeast corner of the building, where the building is closest to the roadway. The setback gradually increases as one moves north along the property’s Washington Street frontage, resulting in the northeast corner of the building having a 21.6-foot setback from the property line (which complies with code requirements).
The proposed building and parking lot configurations do not interfere with traffic vision triangles and allow for adherence to the City’s landscaping ordinance. Staff is supportive of the requested setback variances due to existing site constraints and improvements proposed as part of the redevelopment, as well as the angle of the building and compliance with required setbacks at the Martin Avenue and Washington Street intersection. Furthermore, the petitioner’s proposal complies with the City’s Building Design Guidelines and is expected to result in an attractive new gateway to the City’s health services district.
Parking Areas - Setback Variances
Section 6-9-2:4.3.1 (Off-street Parking Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-2OFSTPAFA> of the Municipal Code prevents parking areas from being located within the front or corner side yards of business districts. The petitioner requests approval of a variance to allow parking to encroach into the required front yard along Martin Avenue and into the required corner side yard along Washington Street.
• The minimum front yard requirement for the HS zoning district is 20 feet. The petitioner requests approval of a variance to allow the parking lot to encroach up to 10 feet into the required 20-foot front yard setback along the Martin Avenue frontage as shown on the site plan. Currently, parking on the subject property is only set back 5 feet from Martin Avenue; therefore, the proposed parking lot is an improvement over existing conditions.
• The HS zoning district also requires a minimum of a 20-foot corner side yard, which would be applicable to the subject property’s Washington Street frontage. The petitioner requests approval of a variance to allow parking to encroach approximately 12 feet into the required yard, resulting in an 8-foot setback from the Washington Street property line.
Staff is supportive of both encroachments, noting the importance of accessible parking in a medical campus, the improvement over existing conditions along Martin Avenue, and noninterference with the public’s use of right-of-way (pedestrian or vehicular) on Washington Street. The proposed site plan does not interfere with traffic vision triangles and allows for adherence to the City’s landscaping ordinance. Additionally, the proposed 8-foot parking lot setback along Washington Street is limited to a length of 10 parking stalls; the remaining Washington Street frontage maintains a parking setback of nearly 20 feet.
Sign Variances
The Naperville Medical Office Building is planned to be an extension of the Edward Hospital campus and to employ physicians that may travel between the new clinic and the hospital throughout their day. As previously identified, redevelopment of this site will include a new entrance to Edward Hospital from Martin Avenue, expand shared parking, and provide additional signage. The petitioner requests approval of four sign variances to ensure adequate identification for the both the new medical office building and Edward Hospital is provided, as well as to assist in wayfinding. The requested sign variances include the following:
1. Sign Number. Section 6-16-5:2.2.1 (Ground Signs) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-5SICOINPR> of the Municipal Code states that a property must have a minimum of 500 feet of frontage to be eligible to have two monument signs. The petitioner seeks approval of a variance to this Section to install two monument signs along the north property line, where the frontage is less than 500 linear feet.
The subject property is approximately 450 feet wide, and the two signs will be approximately 372 ft. apart. One main sign is proposed at the intersection of Washington Street and Martin Avenue, and a second is proposed at the new intersection of Martin Avenue and the Pam Davis Drive connection to assist in wayfinding for patients and visitors. This new intersection will be a main access point for both the subject property and the main hospital campus. Staff finds that adequate sign spacing will be maintained and that the proposal meets the intent of the sign code by providing adequate site identification and promoting cross access.
2. Sign Orientation. Section 6-16-5:2.2.1 (Ground Signs) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-5SICOINPR> of the Municipal Code requires ground signs to be oriented perpendicular to the roadway. Staff considers Martin Avenue to be the qualifying roadway in this case as this roadway frontage functions as the subject property’s front yard. The petitioner seeks approval of a variance to Section 6-16-5:2.2.1 (Ground Signs) to allow a monument sign at the southwest corner of Washington Street and Martin Avenue to be oriented perpendicular to Washington Street instead of perpendicular to Martin Avenue. The proposed orientation will maximize visibility to oncoming traffic on Washington Street while increasing the presence of the Edward Hospital campus at this intersection. The proposed sign will also help redirect hospital campus visitors to the new entrance off Martin Avenue.
3. Sign Area (Ground Sign). The petitioner seeks approval of a variance to Section 6-16-5:2.2.2 (Ground Signs/Area) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-5SICOINPR> to allow an increase in permissible sign area from 45 sq. ft. to 102.7 sq. ft. for the monument sign to be located at the southwest corner of Martin Avenue and Washington Street. The petitioner indicates that the new medical office building will serve as a cornerstone to the existing medical campus behind and requires prominent signage for both brand visibility for the health system within the building. Additional signage area is requested to allow the petitioner to provide space for all important signs at a size that will be visible to oncoming traffic from both directions on Washington Street. The sign location shown will comply with the code required setbacks and height restrictions.
4. Sign Area (Wall Sign). The petitioner seeks approval of a variance to Section 6-16-5:2.1.1 (Wall Signs) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-5SICOINPR> to increase the allowable signage area from 186 sq. ft. to 290 sq. ft. for a wall sign along Washington Street (east façade). The Petitioner requests additional signage for the east façade of the building so that it matches the north façade and maintains a balanced, four-sided design aesthetic. The Petitioner has indicated that the increase in signage area will enhance brand visibility for the surrounding hospital campus properties and be consistent with large wall signs that are visible on existing medical buildings to the south of the subject property. It is also noted that the proposed wall sign would be across from a landscaped portion of Washington Street on the east, and not directly across from a residential area.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Variance can be found in the attachments. Upon review, the PZC and staff agree with the petitioner’s Findings for each variance request and recommends their adoption by City Council.
Parking Provisions
The HS zoning district is unique in that all parking facilities located on properties in the health services district shall be treated as common or shared parking facilities for all uses contained within the health services district. Subject to approval of rezoning the subject property from OCI to HS, the Naperville Medical Office Building will not be required to provide code-required parking as outlined in 6-9-3:6 (Schedule of Off-street Parking Requirements) of the Code onsite, so long as the amount of parking provided throughout the health services district is adequate.
To confirm parking will remain adequate, the petitioner has included a parking study as part of their petition that serves as an update to the Edward Hospital Parking Supply/Demand Study Update prepared by Walker Parking Consultants in August 2017. The petitioner’s parking study finds that the subject property’s proposed shared parking with Edward Hospital provides flexibility for employees, patients, and visitors. Based on a comparison of the projected parking demand and overall Edward Hospital campus parking supply, including redevelopment of 10 Martin Avenue, the proposed parking supply is expected to support peak conditions. Under peak conditions, a parking surplus is projected and parking demand spillover to the adjacent street network is not anticipated.
Staff is supportive of the petitioner’s proposed parking design and finds that parking will be sufficient throughout the HS district/Edward Hospital campus area.
Preliminary/Final Plat of Subdivision
The subject property is approximately 2.31 acres in size and consists of two lots. The petitioner proposes consolidating the property into one legal lot of record in the City of Naperville. Staff finds the proposed plat of subdivision meets the technical requirements for administrative approval per Section 7-2-5 (Administrative Plat Procedures) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT7SURE_CH2SUPLPR_7-2-5ADPLPR> of the Naperville Municipal Code and is supportive of the proposed consolidation, subject to the condition that it depict cross access and shared parking and be recorded with the Recorder’s Office of DuPage County prior to the release of a certificate of occupancy for the subject property.
Planning and Zoning Commission Action
The Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a public hearing to consider PZC 22-1-030 on December 21, 2022. One member of the public provided comments on the case, noting support for the proposed rezoning, wall sign variances, and the elimination of the entrance/exit of Pam Davis Drive onto Washington. Concerns were raised with the proposed setbacks, monument sign, and building design. The PZC discussed the new entrance proposed on Martin Avenue and the closing of Pam Davis Drive and expressed general support for the project. Following discussion, the PZC closed the public hearing and voted to recommend approval of the petitioner’s request as presented (approved 7-0).
Changes Made Following the PZC Meeting
Despite the unanimous recommendation for approval by the PZC members, the petitioner continued to work with staff to improve pedestrian connections and to correct errors discovered on the Tree Removal and Preservation Plan and Landscape Plan.
Following the PZC meeting, the petitioner has added a sidewalk along the subject property’s west property line to provide a direct pedestrian connection to Martin Avenue, as well as redesigned the sidewalk connection to Washington Street to improve accessibility. Additional crosswalks have been striped within the parking lot as well. Three parking spaces were eliminated because of the pedestrian improvements made. The petitioner has updated the Parking Study to reflect this change.
The petitioner also modified the front building elevation to create a larger entrance area and canopy. New outdoor benches were included for patients and visitors to utilize. The overall building square footage remains the same, and none of the setback variances requested were affected.
Staff is in support of the revisions made by the petitioner and notes that these changes do not impact the requested zoning entitlements.
Key Takeaways
§ The petitioner requests approval of rezoning to HS for consistency with the adjacent and complementary Edward Hospital campus. The PZC and staff are supportive of this zoning designation.
§ The petitioner requests approval of multiple required yard and major arterial setback variances to allow for construction of a new medical office building in the HS zoning district. The PZC and staff are supportive of the requests due to existing site constraints and improvements proposed as part of the redevelopment.
§ The petitioner requests approval of an off-street parking variance to allow parking to encroach into the required front yard along Martin Avenue and into the required corner side yard along Washington Street. The PZC and staff are supportive of the requests due to the importance of accessible parking in a medical campus, the improvement over existing conditions along Martin Avenue, and the lack of interference with the public’s use of right-of-way (pedestrian or vehicular) on Washington Street.
§ The petitioner requests approval of multiple sign variances to ensure adequate identification for the both the new medical office building and Edward Hospital is provided, as well as assist in wayfinding. The PZC and staff are supportive of each sign variance request.
RELATED FILES
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