PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing to consider a Major Change to the PUD and Final PUD Plat for the Market Meadows Shopping Center located at 1225-1309 S. Naper Blvd.- PZC 20-1-081
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Scott Williams, AICP
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
§ Final PUD Plat (Section 6-4-5, PUD Plat Procedures)
§ Preliminary/Final Subdivision Plat pursuant to (Section 7-2-2, Subdivision Plat Procedures)
§ Major Change to the Market Meadows PUD (Section 6-4-6, Changes to a Final Planned Unit Development) to permit the following deviations:
o PUD Use Deviation to permit a self-storage facility
o Exceed the maximum FAR of 0.325 in the B2 District; the FAR requested for Lot 3 is 1.9306 (Section 6-7B-8, B2 Height Limitations/Bulk Regulations)
o Reduce the parking requirement from 1,098 spaces to 926 spaces with conditions (Section 6-9-3:2, Schedule of Off Street Parking Requirements)
o Reduce the loading requirement from 2 exterior loading berths to an internal approximately 250’ by 20’ loading area (Section 6-9-5:2, Schedule of Off Street Loading Requirements)
o Permit off-premise signage on Lot 2 and Lot 4 (Section 6-16-3:7, Prohibited Signs)
o Increase the maximum allowable sign area of 45 square feet to 90 square feet for Sign 1 and increase the maximum allowable sign area of 90 square feet to 180 square feet for Sign 2 (Section 6-16-5:2.2.2 Sign Area: Ground Signs)
o Exceed the maximum height of 10’ to permit a 13’ tall sign with a 1’ architectural feature (Section 6-16-5: 2.2.4 Ground Signs: Height)
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for PZC 20-1-081 was published in the Daily Herald on December 21, 2020.
BACKGROUND:
The property is located on Lot 1, 2, and 3 in the Market Meadows Assessment Plat part of the Market Meadows Planned Unit Development (PUD), which is located on the northwest corner of Naper Blvd. and 75th St, and is zoned B2 (Community Shopping Center District) PUD. The property is approximately 18.9 acres and is currently the site of a multi-tenant commercial shopping center with approximately 155,859 square feet of commercial space:
• Lot 1 includes Jewel, US Bank, and a variety of retail and commercial tenants. Lot 1 contains a courtyard layout with two smaller commercial buildings detached from the rest of the building and surrounded by a plaza.
• Lot 2 includes a variety of retail and commercial tenants in a strip style building.
• Lot 3 includes McDonald’s building and associated parking.
An ingress & egress easement serving the three existing lots is in place emplaced over the main drive-aisle leading from the signalized intersection at Naper Blvd.
Ordinance #77-67 approved a Final PUD as a special use for Market Meadows. Pursuant to Ordinance 85-24, a major change to the PUD was approved to allow for additional uses on the subject property. Another major change was approved later in 1985 for the Phase III expansion pursuant to Ordinance #85-99. Lastly, Ordinance #97-93 approved a minor change to the PUD to approve modifications to the building facades for the main multi-tenant building not including Jewel resulting in the design currently seen today with EIFS parapets rising above the building canopies.
DISCUSSION:
The petitioner, Shorewood Development Group, LLC, requests approval of a major change and Final PUD Plat for Market Meadows to accommodate the proposed main shopping center redevelopment, including a new self-storage facility, a new outlot multi-tenant commercial building on a newly created Lot 4, and related deviations as further described below.
Final PUD Plat
The petitioner requests approval of the Final PUD for Market Meadows Resubdivision No. 1 to redevelop the subject property with a 2-story self-storage facility (27’ in height as measured to the top of the parapet) on a newly created Lot 3 and a new outlot building on a newly created Lot 4.
The self-storage facility’s footprint is approximately 42,770 square feet with the building expansion area primarily taking up the courtyard space. The facility will have only a 35’ wide front elevation, with the remainder of the frontage occupied by retail spaces. Access to the interior loading/unloading areas for the storage facility is provided through the rear of the building and separates the site circulation from retail and pedestrian traffic. All loading and unloading activities must occur entirely within the building, and trucks longer than 26’ are prohibited.
The height and design of the self-storage facility is consistent with the rest of the proposed retail redevelopment. The façade utilizes modern architectural design with glass, metal canopies, stone, ACM panels, and decorative lighting. The new building area will consist of primarily masonry materials. Parapet walls and cornices screen new RTUs serving this new building area. The proposed color and architectural elements are also consistent with the rest of the development receiving façade improvements.
The 6,978sf multi-tenant building proposed on Lot 4 is of similar design with the use of ACM panels and metal canopies along with mostly brick exterior cognizant of 4-sided architecture at a prominent location. Variations in color, texture, and massing are present. Color and material differentiation is used to delineate the three tenant entrances for this building. The outlot will also include 48 parking spaces to serve what is anticipated to be a restaurant, bank, and an available tenant space.
The parking lot will be rebuilt and reconfigured with interior landscape islands meeting modern code requirements while providing striped parking areas particularly in the south-west corner of the property adjacent to an existing commercial use. Foundation landscape is proposed along the new outlot building, the new building area in the main center, and around the new drive-through areas. An existing 6’ wood fence along with mature trees exists along the rear property line which abuts the townhomes in the Hobson Oaks subdivision (R2/PUD).
Vehicular and pedestrian circulation of the site will be improved with new bicycle parking areas. The site reconfiguration also accounts for the inclusion of a bank drive-through and associated by-pass lane where there is a currently a large expanse of concrete walkway at the southeast corner of the main center. Another drive-through and by-pass lane is proposed for a restaurant use along the north and west sides of the new outlot building. Both drive-throughs provide the proper stacking lanes for their respective uses and meet all dimensional requirements.
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Major Change to the PUD for a final PUD are included in the Development Petition. Staff is in general agreement with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Preliminary/Final Plat of Subdivision
The petitioner is seeking to resubdivide the subject property from three lots into six.
• Lot 1- Jewel Lot
• Lot 2- Multi-tenant shopping center
• Lot 3- Proposed Self-storage facility
• Lot 4- Outlot, new multi-tenant commercial building
• Lot 5- US Bank Lot
• Lot 6- McDonald’s Lot (unchanging)
Because Lot 3 property lines are proposed to run through a building, a variance will be reviewed by the Building Review Board at a future hearing. Staff finds that the proposed preliminary/final plat of subdivision meets all technical requirements for approval. It should be noted that the subdivision is not reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Information on the plat of subdivision is provided for reference; the request will be reviewed by City Council at a subsequent meeting date.
Requested Deviations
PUD Deviation and Text Amendment
The petitioner is seeking a deviation to permit a self-storage facility in a commercial PUD. This petition is being considered concurrently with a text amendment that was reviewed and approved by the PZC on January 6, 2021 that would allow use deviations as part of a PUD. A use deviation is required because self-storage facilities are not permitted in the property’s underlying B2 zoning district. The Petitioner’s responses to the standards for PUD Use Deviations are attached.
Staff is supportive of the proposed PUD use deviation based on the Petitioner’s responses which indicate that the shopping center is experiencing a high vacancy rate with deferred site maintenance and that the proposed storage facility will be incidental to the principal retail and commercial uses. Staff additionally recommends that the following conditions be applicable to the proposed storage use:
§ The self-storage facility shall exceed more than 10% of the total acreage comprising the PUD;
§ No outside display or outside storage of equipment, materials, or motor vehicles shall be permitted in relation to the storage facility;
§ All sides of the building shall contain architectural detail and masonry materials to fit harmoniously with the character, use and zoning of the surrounding properties;
§ The maximum height of the self-storage facility shall be limited to 2 stories;
§ All operations, including loading and unloading activities, must take place within the building, and trucks greater than 26’ would be prohibited; and
§ Truck and trailer rental shall be prohibited.
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Deviation are included in the Development Petition. Staff is in general agreement with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Self-Storage Facility Floor Area Ratio Deviation
The maximum floor-area-ratio (FAR) is 0.325 in the B-2 District per Section 6-7B-8: (Height Limitations/Bulk Regulations) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTBB2COSHCEDI_6-7B-8HELIBURE%20>. As proposed, the FAR for Lot 3 (proposed self-storage facility) is 1.9306. Because FAR is divided by the area of land the buildings are located on, this variance arises due to the proposed platting of the self-storage facility on a separate lot (Lot 3) for ownership purposes.
In support of the proposed FAR deviation, the petitioner provided a total site summary and FAR analysis. While the FAR on Lot 3 exceeds the maximum allowed, the FAR of the overall shopping center (i.e., total square footage of all buildings divided by the total area of all lots) will be at the maximum of 0.325. Staff would note that this FAR calculation includes all areas of the self-storage facility even though the loading, enclosed parking areas, and basement (when used only for business-related storage) are excluded by definition.
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Deviation can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff agrees with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Parking Deviation
Per Section 6-9-3: (Schedule of Offstreet Parking Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-3SCOFSTPARE>, a total of 1,098 parking spaces are required for the subject development based on a required parking ratio of 4.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus additional code required parking for fast food and eating and drinking establishments. The petitioner is proposing to provide a total of 926 spaces following site redevelopment.
The petitioner provided a parking study stating that the parking is sufficient. The analysis assumed a maximum cap of 23,500 square feet total for all types of restaurants factoring in existing and proposed. Staff would note that this study accounted for a more parking-intensive, single-story retail use on Lot 3 in the event the self-storage facility is not approved. Cross-access easements will be extended to cover all major drive-aisles to allow for shared parking amongst the different lots.
Specific to the self-storage use, after renting a storage unit, customers would pull inside the building and park in the approximately 250’ x 20’ interior area to load and/or unload the items they are storing at the facility. The petitioner estimates this area could provide approximately 10-20 parking spaces dependent on factors like size and configuration. These internal parking spaces were not included in the proposed parking supply, but speak to the minimal impact of the proposed use compared to general retail.
A condition will be included in the ordinance requiring the petitioner to take appropriate action, such as altering business operations as necessary, in the event the parking needs cannot be accommodated by the proposed parking. The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Deviation are included in the Development Petition. Staff is in general agreement with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Loading Deviation
Per Municipal Code Section 6-9-5 (Schedule of Off Street Loading Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-5SCOFSTLORE> buildings containing 40,000 to 100,000 square feet of gross floor area are required to provide 2 exterior loading berths. Based on Section 6-7B-4 (B2 Required Conditions) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTBB2COSHCEDI_6-7B-4RECO%20>, all business activities except for off street parking and loading shall be conducted within the interior of the building. The petitioner requests a deviation from Section 6-9-3 to reduce the loading berth requirement for the proposed self-storage facility. All loading activities must take place within the building. As proposed, the storage facility will provide an approximately 250’ by 20’ loading area inside the building, for a total area of approximately 5,000 square feet for customers’ loading and unloading activities. This translates into roughly 10-20 spaces. There will be no exterior loading area on the property.
The petitioner states the proposed loading area in the building will be sufficient to accommodate all loading and unloading activities. Given the petitioner’s statements, the restriction on trucks over 26’ in length, and the requirement that all loading activities take place inside the building, staff anticipates the loading area will be appropriate to service the facility. The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Deviation are included in the Development Petition. Staff is in general agreement with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Signage Area, Height, and Off-premise Deviations
Excluding McDonalds and US Bank which has dedicated monument signage, the Market Meadows shopping center has nonconforming monument signage at the corner of 75th St. and Naper Blvd., and the corner of Market Meadows and Naper Blvd. The petitioner wishes to replace this signage with larger, modern signage in order to increase visibility for the tenants. The following is proposed:
Sign 1: Market & Naper
|
|
Location |
Area |
Height |
Off-premise |
|
Proposed |
Lot 1 |
100 sf |
13’ (includes 1’ for cornice) |
Lot 1, 2, 4 |
|
Required |
N/A |
45 sf |
10’ (plus 2’ for architectural features) |
Lot 1 |
Sign 2: 75th and Naper
|
|
Location |
Area |
Height |
Off-premise |
|
Proposed |
Outlot 4 |
180 sf |
13’ (includes 1’ for cornice) |
Lot 1, 2, 4 |
|
Required |
N/A |
90 sf |
10’ (plus 2’ for architectural features) |
Lot 4 |
Section 6-16-3 (Prohibited Signs) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-3PRSI> prohibits off-premises signs displaying commercial speech to reduce the potentially distracting influence of signs, and to enable fair and consistent enforcement of signs. Section 6-16-5 (Signs on Commercial and Institutional Property) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-5SICOINPR> bases maximum sign area on the posted speed limit adjacent to the eligible frontage, and specifies the height requirements plus an increase for architectural features to facilitate enhanced designs. The same section also specifies that a monument sign is permitted on a lot so long as the lot has 100’ of frontage.
With consideration given to the subdivision layout dividing up a larger shopping center and a lack of visibility for the retail tenants, staff finds the requests reasonable. Sign 2’s setback is much greater than the minimum requirements (and greater compared to the existing sign’s setback) to account for the City’s future ROW acquisition plan for this major intersection thus reducing the visual impact of the sign. Sign 2 will be the only monument sign placed along 75th street and is essentially taking the place of two signs of 90 sf each with a larger, 180 sf sign. In some cases, tenant spaces are located 650’ away from Naper Blvd., and the increased height and area will provide clear identification and wayfinding. The design of the monument signs is an improvement with the incorporation of a stone base and column, with a 1’ cornice at the top.
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting sign Deviations can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff is in general agreement with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Key Takeaways
§ The petitioner is requesting approval of PZC #20-1-082 in order to approve a Final PUD for the Market Meadows Resubdivision No. 1 and Major Change with deviations for the property located at the northwest corner of 75th St. and Naper Blvd.
§ Staff recommends approval of the Major Change to a PUD and Final PUD Plat along with deviations: 6-4-3 to approve a non-permitted use in a PUD, 6-9-3 to reduce the parking requirement, 6-9-5 to reduce the loading requirement, 6-16-3 to permit off-premise signage, and 6-16-5 to permit sign height and area increases for two monument signs.