VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
PLAN COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 3, 2024
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Mike Brackett called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.
ROLL CALL
In attendance: Commissioners, Tom Lenkart, Alex Negro, Scott Branson, Richard Newell, Mark Bozik, and Doug Botkin.
Not in attendance: Commissioners Aaron Anderson and Anna Tuohy.
Staff in attendance: Community Development Director Nathan Darga and Planner David Hansen
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
- Approval of Plan Commission Minutes dated July 2, 2024.
Motion for approval was made by Commissioner Newell and seconded by Commissioner Botkin. All in favor. Motion approved.
PUBLIC HEARING
- Petition #24-15 (581 Sullivan Rd): The petitioner, Michaela Grant, requests a Special Use to allow a Child Daycare Center on the property located at 581 Sullivan Rd in North Aurora, Illinois.
Motion to open the public hearing was made by Commissioner Lenkart and seconded by Commissioner Botkin. Motion approved.
Planner David Hansen introduced Petition #24-15 (581 Sullivan Rd). 581 Sullivan Rd is zoned O-R, which is the Office and Research District. The comprehensive plan designation for this area is office/industrial. Hansen shared the petitioner is requesting a special use for a child day care center. The subject property is currently improved with a multi-use commercial office building with a variety of uses including professional offices, medical offices, and other commercial office tenants. Little Ducklings Childcare would utilize the entire southern suite, Suite B, which is approximately 2,260 square feet.
Hansen continued that the indoor space for the proposed address is currently improved with an office space. The proposed revised floor plan shows areas for reception, a kitchen, a storage closet, dedicated infant area, dedicated preschooler toddler area, and three bathrooms. The site plan includes a fenced in playground area on the east side of the building to meet Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) outdoor play area requirements. The anticipated hours of operation for the Child Daycare Center would be 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday with the center being closed on weekends. The Child Daycare Center use requires two (2) off-street parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. The Daycare Center would require five (5) parking spaces and Suite A on the northern end of the building would require eight (8) parking spaces. Overall, the Zoning Ordinance would require a total of 13 parking spaces for the entire site. The subject property currently provides a total of 23 parking spaces for the commercial office building.
Hansen shared there are use standards for Daycare Centers. Per the Zoning Ordinance, the following criteria shall be considered by the Plan Commission: The provision of adequate on-site drop-off zones, sidewalks, and exterior lighting, the amount of traffic or noise to be generated and the provision of adequate open space. The Zoning Ordinance also requires Daycare Centers to be screened from the view of adjacent uses by solid fencing to a height of six feet or by landscaping six feet high by three feet deep.
Hansen shared staff recommends approval to Petition #24-15, which meets the Standards for Specials Uses, Use Standards and Parking Standards for a Child Daycare Center as set forth in the Zoning Ordinance subject to three conditions: On-site management shall effectively monitor and regulate all on-site drop-off activities and shall have a drop-off zone clearly marked with striping and signage, all outdoor lighting shall follow the Village’s Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (Chapter 8.32) and all dumpsters located on the subject property shall be screened per Section 14.11.A of the Zoning Ordinance. Hansen welcomed up the petitioner to answer any questions and to share their Daycare vision with the Plan Commission.
The petitioner Michaela Grant and Architect Lane Allen introduced themselves. Grant shared she currently owns a daycare on the east side of Aurora and would like to expand her current operation. Grant said she services mostly underprivileged families and is hoping to help make daycare more affordable. Grant said she currently has a group daycare that services 16 children / 7 families, which are all government assistance families (Child Care Assistance Program – CCAP) and no private pay families. Grant said she has had her current daycare since 2019, is a mother of five and has a waitlist of six families. The building owners Summer and Herbert Zhang were in attendance. Summer Zhang shared they have owned the building for five years and the space that the daycare is proposing to go into is currently an Asthma office, but the owners of that business retired and moved out in August. The Asthma business had been in this space for the last eight years. Zhang shared the office had approximately 50-60 patients on a daily basis along with four employees. Zhang said Suite A on the northern side of the building is identical and is a mix of seven office spaces (attorney, massage, medical, etc.). Community Development Director Nathan Darga clarified that the daycare would go into the southern portion of the building.
Lane Allen provided an overview of the space including the sidewalk system and drop off areas. Allen mentioned the vestibuled area will be modified to have someone check in the children and that there is an upstairs to the building used for seasonal storage. Darga asked if there is a drop off area in the parking lot or if every parent has to bring their kid indoors. Allen said the children will be dropped off indoors and no employees will be in the parking lot. Allen added DCFS has asked them to add a little more playground area outside, which will be expanded to the north. Allen said the window on the southeast corner of the infant area will be replaced with a door to improve flow to the outside playground area. Allen added that a fence will be located around the playground area, which includes modifying the grade to be flat.
Chairman Brackett asked what is immediately east of the playground area. Darga said the land is open space and owned by the Union Hall. The Union Hall owns open space on both sides of the 581 Sullivan Rd property. Commissioner Newell asked how close the single family house to the west was to the property. Darga said the house is approximately 500 feet away.
Chairman Brackett closed the public hearing.
NEW BUSINESS
- Petition #24-15 (581 Sullivan Rd): The petitioner, Michaela Grant, requests a Special Use to allow a Child Daycare Center on the property located at 581 Sullivan Rd in North Aurora, Illinois.
Commissioner Botkin asked if there is any stormwater or detention area running through the proposed outdoor playground area. Darga said the playground area and area to the east is not a retention or detention pond. Herbert Zhang mentioned the water runoff from the building is run underground once it comes down the gutters on the side of the building. Commissioners Botkin asked if the fence standard is for privacy or to keep the children in. Darga said it is for both. Commissioner Botkin asked how tall the fence will be. Allen said it will be 6 feet tall and level once the area is regraded. Allen said there will be a retaining wall of some capacity as well. Commissioner Botkin asked about the infant area door that is being added and if there was another door going outdoors on the floor plan. Allen said there is an existing door in the toddler area that will remain. The sprinkler room would remain accessible from the outside and not blocked by fencing. Commissioner Botkin asked where the baby changing stations are located. Allen said the floor plan will be modified to have the ADA bathroom in the infant area and that there will be counters along the wall and two sinks for changing areas.
Commissioner Lenkart asked about the changing areas in the infant area. Grant said the architect doesn’t typically get involved with this detail of organizing rooms since that is more DCFS requirements. Commissioner Lenkart said there are guidelines for number of employees per infants or toddlers. Grant said she is very well aware and ensures there will be the appropriate number of employees to meet DCFS requirements. Commissioner Lenkart asked what type of fence will be utilized. Allen said a double sided wood fence is the plan. Darga said wood or vinyl would meet code. Commissioner Lenkart asked if there is a setback requirement for fences or retaining walls. Darga said the fence can be on the property line. Depending on the front or side yard impacts the height of the fence that is allowed. Commissioner Lenkart asked about if there are any electrical panels or boxes in the playground area. Allen said there maybe some located on the outside wall but will look into the meter location to ensure no danger is present. Commissioner Lenkart asked if the vestibule doors will be locking. Grant said there will be an access code to get inside. Commissioner Lenkart had concerns about parking in the morning/evening and asked how many staff members will be at this facility. Grant said there should be at least five employees. Commissioner Lenkart mentioned 23 spaces my not be enough and that is his concern.
Chairman Brackett asked how the flow of other business throughout the day works in terms of hours of operation and traffic. Summer Zhang shared many of the business open around 9am and close at 5pm and sometimes some are open on weekends. Grant said she’s been observing the property to gauge how pickup hours may work and noticed many of the businesses have left for the day by 5pm, about 2 to 3 cars remain, and based on experience parents leave children until about closing.
Commissioner Branson asked if there are any transportation or buses that will be dropping off children. Grant said the daycare will not be for school age children (only infants and toddlers; 6 weeks to five years) so there will be no bus transportation needed. Commissioner Branson asked about security cameras on the premises. Grant said DCFS strongly recommends cameras, so we anticipate having them inside and outside.
Commissioner Bozik asked if the petitioner will be moving her entire operation to this space and no longer being doing it at her home. Grant said that is correct. Commissioner Bozik asked about the gas meter location, if the HVAC condenser will be screened and how public safety access will work. Allen said they will be updating the landscaping around the site and will be part of the landscape plan. Allen said he will speak with the fire marshal to ensure public safety access expectations are met. Commissioner Bozik asked if there will be an emergency plan for hazardous weather events. Allen and Grant said they will be creating a plan with DCFS, which will likely have everyone shelter in the center of the building.
Commissioner Newell asked where the nearest transit stop for PACE bus is and if any parents would be utilizing it to drop children off. Commissioner Newell also asked about pedestrian accessibility. Grant said currently there are no parents that drop off children in this capacity, but it could be a possibility. Darga said there are sidewalks in the area that run down Sullivan Rd. Commissioner Newell asked about what type of signage will be in the parking lot and what type of funding will be part of this daycare center. Allen said signage will be part of the permit documents. Grant said she plans on continuing the CCAP enrollment along with private pay.
Commissioner Negro asked what part of the property will be regraded. Allen said only over by the outdoor playground fence area along the east side will be. Commissioner Negro asked how many handicap spots are on site and will there be any ADA children. Allen said there are two ADA spaces in the lot, which meets ADA code. Grant said the building is ADA accessible and anticipates taking ADA children, but currently has no children that are.
Motion for approval of Petition #24-15, as presented by staff with condition one modified to say, monitor and regulate all on-site drop off activities and shall have parking spaces clearly marked with signage and striping for traffic control, was made by Commissioner Newell and seconded by Commissioner Lenkart. Vote: Lenkart – Yes, Negro – Yes, Branson– Yes, Newell – Yes, Bozik – Yes. Botkin – Yes. Brackett – Yes. Motion approved.
OLD BUSINESS – None
PLAN COMMISSIONER COMMENTS AND PROJECT UPDATES
Darga shared a few projects that the Plan Commission may see in the near future that have gone through Village Board concept plan review. A senior residential independent living project called Clover is looking into going in behind JCPenney off of Orchard Gateway Blvd. Darga said Towne Center originally had a residential component before the warehouses were built there. Staff will be looking to amendment the PUD to allow residential for this property and the property to the west between Riverfront Ram. Darga also shared Gas N Wash is looking to go into the vacant parking lot between Route 31 and Asbury (Airport Rd to Interstate 88). There would be a gas station, car wash, drive thru restaurant, and diesel islands part of that plan. Darga said the last project would be a Scooters Coffee Shop and Blue Penguin Car Wash at the old used car lot on Route 31 between Culvers and Speedway. Darga added a retaining wall would probably be needed and a second access point would need to be approved by IDOT.
Darga provided an update on the Fire Station building and site. Chairman Brackett asked about Sage Event Space. Darga said they are close to a certificate of occupancy. Commissioner Lenkart asked about Slick City and Kids Empire. Darga said both projects are moving forward, and Slick City is closer to opening and would be Slick City’s first location in the Chicago area. Darga shared 300 Mitchell Rd site has a new tenant and is reconfiguring the southern access to allow trucks to enter and stage from the south.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn made by Commissioner Botkin and seconded by Commissioner Bozik. All in favor. Motion approved.
Respectfully Submitted,
David Hansen
Planner
