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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2009-01-20 PC Minutes VILLAGE OF PLAINFIELD PLAN COMMISSION MEETING RECORD OF MINUTES AMENDED DATE : JANUARY 20 , 2009 LOCATION: Village Hall Chairman Sobkoviak cal led the m eeting of the Plan Commission to order at 7:04 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Commissioners Kac hel, Renzi , O’Rourke , Sanders, Peck, Chairman Sobkoviak ; and Plainfield Fire Protection District Absent: Commissioner Bonuchi, ex -officio Commissioner Fremarek, Plainfield School District , Library District, Park District , and Plainfield Police Department Also Present: Michael Garrigan – Village Planner Village of Plainfield, Sara Javoronok – Planner I Village of Plainfield, Carol Millan – Secr etary Village of Plainfield , and Neil Eickholtz – Baxter and Woodman APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes from the Ja nuary 6, 2009 meeting were accepted as presented. DEVELOPMENT REPORT: No Report OLD BUSINESS: None NEW BUSINESS: CASE: 1443 -010909.CP VAN DYKE PLACE Request: Concept Plan Review Location: Northeast Corner of Lockport and Van Dyke Road Applicant: V an Dyke Road/Plainfield, LLC TIME: 7:06 p.m. Village Planner Garrigan summarized the staff report. The applicant is requesting feedback from the Commission on the Concept Plan. This is consistent with the previously approved concept plan as outlined b y the McNaughton Planned Unit Development. The applicant has identified a series of uses conceptually, which would potentially incorporate a retail building, two potential restaurants, a bank, medical offices , and also potentially a daycare center. There are 4 alternative concept plan s of which the applicant is looking for the Commission’s input. The proposed site is approximately 4.6 acres. The applicant, consistent with the Teng Plan, has generally located the buildings along the perimeter of the si te. Most of the parking is incorporated within the interior of the site. The buildings are generally front -loaded along Lockport Street and Van Dyke. One full access point has been proposed on Lockport Street and two proposed access points on Van Dyke. The northern full access point would align with Soldier Drive, which is the main east/west access into the Fairfield Ridge Development. IDOT has jurisdiction over Lockport Street and staff has outlined that there may be some issues with respect to the f ull access on Lockport. Staff believes that IDOT will probably require a right -in/right -out, but staff also believes that in the long term when the Village obtains jurisdiction over Lockport Street, when Rt. 126 is re -routed to 143 rd Street, there may be an opportunity for a full access point based on the Village’s Downtown Plan. There may also be an opportunity to incorporate a right -in/right -out on Van Dyke Road. Village of Plainfield Plan Commission Minutes January 20, 2009 Page 2 Conce ptually the applicant has submitted a plan which incorporates 255 parking spaces within the proposed site. The plan is consistent with the Teng Plan, i.e., the parking is not out front. It is basically back -loaded. The buildings are all front -loaded. T he parking is in many ways secondary, which is consistent with the Village’s Teng Plan of what is envisioned for a pededstrian -oriented, more downtown oriented environment. There are pedestrian oriented sidewalks and plazas incorporated within the plan. Village Planner Garrigan summarized the different uses for the site. There is a pedestrian oriented plaza, which would hold the hard corner of Lockport Street and Van Dyke Road. The applicant has incorporated a series of plazas and peseos, small open spa ce areas. S taff believes these would provide some opportunities for a strong landscape plan to provide a pedestrian oriented development for this site. The applicant has proposed two outdoor eating areas for the corner. Village Planner Garrigan went t hrough the various elevations submitted by the applicant. The applicant does not believe that it is economically possible or viable at this point in time to do a two -story structure consistent with the Town Square Project. The Lockport Street Design Guid elines generally do recommend two -story structures. Staff has worked with the applicant to create more of a contemporary architectural form. The applicant has incorporated higher pilasters within the architecture to create some height and a series of tow ers to provide some additional height to the proposed architecture. The building is almost 100% face brick or stone. There is limited EIFS within the towers. The applicant has incorporated high quality materials throughout all of the proposed elevations . Staff believes there is the opportunity to create some type of water feature to create more of an axis for the plaza. The proposed architecture is generally consistent with the Village’s Site Plan Review Ordinance. Staff believes there are some oppo rtunities to incorporate a gardening wall or some additional landscaping, which will provide some additional buffering along Van Dyke Road of the drive -thru for the bank. Right now the applicant has incorporated an approximate 4’ knee wall adjacent to a p edestrian oriented sidewalk all along the bank’s drive -thru up to the first access point . Village Planner Garrigan went through the 4 alternative site plans. He stated there will be a future access to the east, which will provide access all the way to th e Village Center Drive adjacent to the Town Square Project. Staff believes this is generally consistent with the Village Downtown Plan. There has been some discussion about extending Soldier Drive through the site all the way to Wood Farm Road. There ar e some inherent difficulties in doing that. Therefore, staff has not requested that. There are apartment garages along the eastern perimeter of the site which would block this road from going straight east. There have been discussions with the Post Offi ce about swinging this road north. The Post Office has articulated they have no interest in allowing that to happen as they have future expansion plans. Staff believes the proposed concept plan is generally consistent with the Teng Plan . W hile perhaps not totally consistent with the spirit of the Lockport Street Design Guidelines, the applicant has persuasively outlined to staff why the current econom ics do not allow them to proceed with a two -story structure on this site. Staff is making a favorable recommendation. Village Planner Garrigan concluded his staff report. Chairman Sobkoviak asked Village Engineer Eickholtz if he had a chance to review the project. Village Engineer Eickholtz stated : • T he north entrance does line up with Fairfield Ridge and the applicant is providing a three lane cross section for their entrance. • The access plan in the future along the east property line extends across into the other neighboring commercial lots. • They recommend that the other access points be right -in/ri ght -out. • The entrance on Rt. 126/Lockport Street is very close to the intersection and IDOT normally does comment on those to be right -in/right -out. • The other entrance located on Van Dyke Road to the south does not appear to line up with Larry’s Diner’s entrance so it would be kind of an offset situation . It is pretty close to the main entrance to the north so they also recommend that to be a right -in/right -out. • The R.O.W. width along Lockport Street is unclear. He asked that a drawing in the future show the width from north and south so that they can make sure that there is enough R.O.W. • There is an empty commercial lot just to the east of this site They recommend that maybe a sidewalk be constructed to connect the gaps between the two commercia l areas. Chairman Sobkoviak swore in the petitioners. Angelo Kleronomos spoke first. He stated they developed this plan with respect to the Village Teng Plan. He stated much of this site will be condominiums , which will be individually owned. Some peo ple will be making very solid, firm commitments to this community for the long term. He stated they have a bank ready to go on this project , two doctors, and a restaurant with a second restaurant very close. He stated the two restaurant concepts would co mplement each other. One would be a Pancake House and the other restaurant would be more of a sit - Village of Plainfield Plan Commission Minutes January 20, 2009 Page 3 down restaurant along the lines of a Blackstone Restaurant. He state d they have a physician interested in property. They are interested in owning their sites. All of them have agreed with the applicant that the single -story, free -standing building is what they want for their plan. Commissioner Kac hel commented that th e landscaping is nice and liked the whole concept. He did state though that the whole concept is to tie the downtown into this side of the river and eventually there would be angled parking along Lockport Street. Petitioner Kleronomos felt the petitioner ’s engineer could answer that, but felt there is adequate R.O.W. to provide for that when the time comes. Jim Koziol spoke second. He is the architect and consulting engineer for the project. As far as the angle d parking along Rt. 30/126, they had an AL TA Survey completed and it shows they have a 60’ half R.O.W. This leaves an extra 16’ between the curb and the property line . There is plenty of room for a sidewalk. Commissioner Kachel wanted to make sure this was taken into account when putting in lan dscaping so that the landscaping would not have to be removed at a later date. Commissioner Kachel stated it would be a good idea to show the angle d parking on a preliminary plat so there is no question about it at a later date. Chairman Sobkoviak stated it would be appropriate to show that on the Preliminary and Final Plat. Petitioner Koziel stated the buildings along Lockport Street were set back 5’ to allow for landscaping so that the sidewalks can actually go from the property line into the R.O.W. It leaves plenty of space. Commissioner Kachel asked if the 4,200 sq. ft. building was going to be all offices. He felt more stores were needed to expand the downtown to the west. Petitioner Koziel stated they figured the most intense use would be a resta urant or fast food type, etc . for the 4,200 sq. ft. building . They left enough parking in the back to handle the most intense use. Chairman Sobkoviak suggested that the Plan Commission or the Village not dictate the exact configuration of the building. He felt the market should dictate what would be best for the space. The Plan Commission and Village Board can indicate preferences and direction, but the final configuration should be left to the market. Commissioner Kachel agreed, but still f elt that the downtown needs more retail. Petitioner Kleronomos stated obviously it would be market driven. The people they are already working with have indicated pretty much what this market is going to be, but the 4,200 sq. ft. building is an ope n space. Petit ioner Kleronomos stated they know that as a community the Village desire s to not only bring in real estate tax revenue, but also sales tax revenue. They do not have an objection to that and will let the market dictate that. Commissioner O’Rourke question ed Chairman Sobkoviak’s comment about dictating the exact configuration of the building. Chairman Sobkoviak explained that the market should dictate whether it is one large building or one that is set up to allow f or multiple tenants. Commissioner Renz i referenced the Village Center project and the high density. He stated the density was needed to support the businesses. The adjacent neighbors were told they had to allow the high -rise condominium, the above -store apartments to be built , and to have a very high density area to bring in the businesses. He had a concern that this piece of property across the street was only one story. Village Planner Garrigan responded that the applicant for the Village Center Project proposed the high density, mixed us e project, which staff supported. This applicant has identified that currently the economics do not work for a 2 or 3 story, mixed use project. Staff believes there is an opportunity to incorporate a mix of uses in the downtown, i.e., not every project w ithin the expanded downtown core has to be a mixed use, 2 or 3 story building with condominiums. If you look at expanded downtown cores that is exactly what you see. It does not necessarily have to be a uniform wall of 2 or 3 story buildings. There shou ld be a diversity of uses. A discussion followed between Commission Renzi and Village Planner Garrigan. Commissioner Renzi asked the petitioner the height of the proposed towers. Petitioner Koziol stated they are a little over 2 5’. Commissioner Renzi felt there could still be some disparity with the Village Center project unless with the economic downturn, the applicant for that project is not going to build that. Village Planner Garrigan stated that was not what he wa s figuring. He was saying this property holds a different corner than the Village Center project. Chairman Sobkoviak pointed out the difference in acreage between the two projects. Commissioner Renzi just wanted to make sure there was a nice streetscape look. Commissioner Sanders fel t landscaping was essential and vital to this project. A lot of trees are shown on the north side , Lockport Street , and on the east side in the parking lot in the back. This single story look should have something of substance. Trees over the roof lines are essential to making this concept plan work. He also mentioned rooftop landscaping and wondered if that would fit in with any of the buildings to also add some height. Village of Plainfield Plan Commission Minutes January 20, 2009 Page 4 Commissioner O’Rourke asked the petitioner if the building could be designed so that a second floor could be added at a future date. Petitioner Kleronomos stated based on the site plan and the way it lays out, they would be restricted for the park ing. Realistically to try to add a second story to a 5,000 sq. ft. restaurant building would be very cost prohibitive becaus e there are risers and vents, etc. Commissioner O’Rourke asked the petitioner what his thoughts were about Village Planner Garrig an’s suggestion for a knee wall to buffer the drive -thru for the bank. Petitioner Kleronomos stated they can work with Village Planner Garrigan on that. Commissioner O’Rourke questioned Village Planner Garrigan about the code involving the location for a drive -thru for a bank. Village Planner Garrigan stated it cannot be front loaded. Generally it is encouraged that a drive -thru is located in the rear of banks. In Planned Unit Developments, the applicant will ask for some relief. This particular bank is not front loaded, but side loaded. He further stated that is why he believes it is important that there be some visual buffering. Typically t he drive thru would be in the rear. Because this is a downtown site and it is confined , he believes there are some inherent site plan issues with putting it in the rear. It will basically be intruding on their parking. The site plan dictates the side l oaded, which is consistent with First Midwest Bank. Petitioner Koziol stated they looked at putting the drive -thru in different locations, but it would conflict with the traffic pattern. Commissioner O’Rourke asked since this is downtown and it should be pedestrian friendly should there possibly be a break in the knee wall with some kind of pedestrian path that w ould lead to the front of the bank off of Van Dyke Road. Commissioner O’Rourke questioned Village Planner Garrigan about Soldier Drive. He believed when the Commission looked at the Church, there was talk about changing the access point specifically so that this would line up. Village Planner Garrigan stated because of the redevelopment of the Post Office there are some real constraints about extending Soldier Drive to the east . Commissioner O’Rourke agreed with Village Engineer Eickholtz about the ri ght -in/right -out on the two access points. Commissioner O’Rourke asked Village Planner Garrigan if it would make sense to move the first Van Dyke cuts further south so it could be lined up all the way across. Petitioner Koziol stated they had looked at t hat, but there were traffic conflicts in that area. Petitioner Kleronomos stated they want people to slow down when they get into this lot . If it is a straight shot right through, there will be cut -throughs to avoid the light at the corner. They want it to be a traffic calming effect and not traffic enhancing. Commissioner O’Rourke asked if some islands could be added in the parking area. Petitioner Kleronomos stated depending on the final footprint of each of the restaurants they may be able to salvag e some spaces to achieve that. Commissioner O’Rourke asked if the rooftop units would be shielded. The petitioner answered yes they would be. Commissioner O’Rourke suggested eliminating any dead -end parking. He further stated this is the best project h e has seen in some time. Commissioner Sanders asked Village Planner Garrigan if the Village currently has any other commercial condominiums. He wondered if declarations and by -laws would apply the same as residential. Petitioner Kleronomos referenced Fi rst Community Bank of Plainfield. The bank actually owns its portion of the building and there is a common association to maintain parking, landscaping, snow removal, and all of the maintenance of the outside. Commissioner Sanders asked if this becomes a n enforcement issue. Village Planner Garrigan stated the Village does not get involved in enforcing by -laws of associations. Commissioner Sanders asked about tree replacement, etc. Village Planner Garrigan stated it would be the responsibility of the As sociation. Commissioner Sanders wanted to know who oversees that the landscaping is maintained in a high quality manner. Village Planner Garrigan stated if the landscaping is not maintained, etc. it becomes a code enforcement violation and the Village wo uld step in, but generally the overall maintenance responsibility lies with the individual owners of the condos. Commissioner Sanders asked if this property would be managed by a professional management company. Petitioner Kleronomos sta ted it would be a professional management company. Chairman Sobkoviak asked if there was anyone in the audience who cared to ask a question or make a comment. Village of Plainfield Plan Commission Minutes January 20, 2009 Page 5 Tom Cowan a resident of the Lakelands Club spoke. • Supports project – success will draw more people to the downtown • Quality built project, nicely detailed • He has a couple of clients who are ready to commit • Continuation of the downtown – complimentary Keith Lang – 24709 Hano ver – He is a broker • Support of concept plan • Marketing for the Fairfield Ridge – asset • Thanked Commissioners for approved amendment to PUD for Fairfield Ridge. Two properties have sold. Commissioner Renzi asked about detention. Village Planner Garrigan stated the overall detention for this site is part of the Fairfield Ridge Planned Development. Commissioner Renzi felt that streetscape should be addressed all at once at the beginning to mimic the downtown. Village Planner Garrigan stated when the devel oper comes in for a site plan , the Commission will see this project again. There is an opportunity to closely look at the streetscape, landscaping, and the hardscaping, etc. Whether we continue the streetscape i s not something that has been talked about internally and discussed with the applicant . Commissioner Renzi asked if that could be discussed as the Village has spent all that money for downtown and to just stop at the railroad tracks until maybe 10 year s later may not be a good idea. Village Plann er Garrigan stated there are elements of the current streetscape that should be continued along all of Lockport Street in the expanded downtown corridor. Whether it is mimicked exactly is an open question. Chairman Sobkoviak stated some of it has to wait until the Village actually gains authority over the street. A discussion followed in this regard. Commissioner Renzi felt one of the problems in the downtown is that there is really no anchor. His preference would be to try to hold onto the 4,200 sq. f t. building as long as possible in hopes that maybe someone would want to come in and possibly even have it as two stories. Chairman Sobkoviak stated the developer pointed out that staying with the one story over a two story is the amount of parking. The parking is figured against the square footage of floor area. A discussion followed. Commissioner Kachel agreed with Commissioner Renzi about having an anchor. He also felt we should look ahead rather than putting in landscaping and then having to remo ve it at a later date, etc. Commissioner O’Rourke asked if the developer should wait for an anchor. Petitioner Kleronomos stated that creating two hard corners on one corner with these two restaurant uses may turn out to be the anchor of that whole area because they are going to draw a lot of people. He felt this double hard corner with this court is going to be a big attraction. Two restaurants could be a bigger attractio n than even a book store. Commissioner Renzi likes the design. He felt his conce rns would be ultimately addressed when this comes back for site plan review. His point was to have the developer keep an open mind. Petitioner Kleronomos stated if a quality retailer wanted to lease space, they would go with that and not require them to purchase the property. Commissioner Sanders stated the developer should maintain the perspective of addressing the “infill” needs extending the downtown as it develops from the railroad tracks. He agrees with all of the comments regarding the 4,200 sq. f t. building. Commissioner Kachel asked Village Planner Garrigan if the rest of the lighting would be put in. Village Planner Garrigan stated staff is working with the applicant to match the downtown lighting . Commissioner Kachel stated he knew the light ing would match the downtown, but wondered if the lighting would be continued all the way from the downtown. Village Planner Garrigan stated that would be the long term plan. Commissioner Peck gave his support of the proposal. He felt the market should dictate the use for the 4,200 sq. ft. building. The sidewalk going along this would be something that is needed to connect to the downtown. He also felt the restaurants would help make the downtown a success. He felt it was a very well drawn proposal. Commissioner O’Rourke stated it was obvious that the petitioner put a whole lot of time into a preliminary concept. He thanked the petitioner for their efforts , and stated they are doing something right since in this tough environment, they already have t wo tenants that are pretty much lined up. Village of Plainfield Plan Commission Minutes January 20, 2009 Page 6 Chairman Sobkoviak asked the petitioner if the Commission has given them what they need to proceed. Petitioner Kleronomos s tated they have some users that would like to be there so the faster they can move forward, the faster they can get a shovel in the ground. Chairman Sobkoviak asked the petitioner if they were in agreement with the 4 stipulations in the staff report. P etitioner Kleronomos stated they have no objections. IDOT will dictate for now what will happen on Rt. 126 . T hey have already talked to Village Planner Garrigan about an additional tower or two to give some additional height. At 8:13 p.m. Commissioner R enzi made a motion that the Plan Commission make a favorable recommend ation of the Concept Plan to the Village Board subject to the following stipulations: 1 Compliance with the requirements of the Village Engineer, 2. Compliance with the requirements of the Plainfield Fire Protection District, 3. Work with IDOT on the proposed access point along Lockport Street, 4. Work with staff on the incorporation of one or two additional raiser towers along the southern elevation. Commissioner Kachel seconded the motion. Chairman Sobkoviak called for a vote by roll call. Aye: Renzi, O’Rourke, Sanders, Peck, Kachel, Chairman Sobkoviak Nay: 0 The motion is carried 6:0 DISCUSSION: Chairman Sobkoviak introduced a letter Commission er Sanders drafted to Dr. Alan Ka plan, M.D., Edwards Hospital in support of the proposed Edward Plainfield Hospital. After some discussion by the Commissioners , it was decided that Chairman Sobkoviak would sign this letter and it would be sent to Edward Hospital in Naperville. (A copy o f the letter is attached to these minutes.) Commissioner Renzi submitted a letter from Richard W. Fobes regarding the purchase of the Steiner Building. All of the Commissioners had received this letter. (A copy of the letter is attached to these minutes .) Chairman Sobkoviak called for a recess at 8:25 p.m. Chairman Sobkoviak reconvened the meeting at 8:35 p.m. Village Planner Garrigan gave a PowerPoint presentation presenting the 2009/2010 Work Plan for the Planning Department. • New Downtown Plan • Main Street Corridor Plan • Neighborhood Vision Plan – better interconnectivity • RTAP TOD Plan for Future Metra Site • TIF for Route 30 – opportunities for redevelopment • Riverfront Master Plan – possibly many Federal subsidies available • DuPage River Trail Planning • Economic Development Plan – Business retention and recruitment • Gazebo • Lincoln Highway Mural Project • Plainfield Library expansion • CN Purchase of EJ&E – working with TRAC for some type of litigation • Historic Preservation – opportunities for some new distric ts – Village CLG – Additional Survey Work • Preserve America Program • Rehab Grant Program • Green Village Initiative • Award Riverfront Project American Society of Landscape Architects • All staff AICP certified Village of Plainfield Plan Commission Minutes Janua ry 20, 2009 Page 7 Commissioner Peck commented that it was a wonderful presentation showing a lot of time and thought. He thought that possibly some Federal money could be obtained to work on grade separations throughout the Village. This i s crucial to the transportation within the Village. He also applauded the appointment of an Economic Development staff member, which will help to keep the proposed planned developments and help fill some of the vacant buildings. Chairman Sobkoviak asked Village Planner Garrigan if there was a Commission for Economic Development. Village Planner Garrigan stated staff will continue to work very closely with PEP (Plainfield Economic Partnership). Commissioner Sanders asked if there were any plans to engag e more of the public in focusing on some of these areas, the dominant one being the CN Railroad. He would be interested in seeing if there are groups that could assist with the economic development , such as from the Plan Commission or from focus groups or workshops . These could be on a calendar and publicized well in advance to keep all of these things in the public eye. Commissioner Sanders stated he would be interested in doing that kind of outreach to any group that would like to hear the long range p lan for the Village. Village Planner Garrigan stated there is an opportunity to work with the various stakeholders in the Village to promote economic development and to get their input. Commissioner Renzi believed there were people from different group s (Chamber of Commerce, School District, Park District, etc.) that were brought in for the Comprehensive Plan. T he Rt. 126 Corridor Plan would be a good project to get the opinions of other groups also. He said everyone can identify there is a problem, b ut the real issue becomes finding a solution that would be politically viable. He stated the question needs to be answered whether the Village will allow houses to be razed , such as what happened when the Walgreens was built, or are houses going to be kep t basically forever where they are at and the only modifications are going to be BTD’s on Rt. 59. Villager Planner Garrigan understood. He felt it was important to throw everything on the table and have an honest discussion . A discussion followed betwee n Commissioner Renzi and Village Planner Garrigan in this regard . Commissioner Renzi also stated he likes the pedestrian bridge on Ridge Road and would like to see some other pedestrian bridges connected to bike paths. Commissioner Sanders suggested may be integrating the whole trail along the DuPage River from 135 th and Eaton Preserve using 135 th Street as a route for people who do like to cycle to get to that point. There are opportunities here, but dialogue needs to be started. Commissioner Sander s felt Ca nadian National has an impact on all of the plans in the last Comprehensive Plan. We need to look at mitigating its impact while accepting it is one of the realities of the purchase of the EJ&E. Commissioner Kachel added to Village Planner Garri gan’s 2009/2010 work plan. He felt bike paths and sidewalks need interconnectivity. He suggested PACE come to downtown and pick up residents and take them to the mall, etc. This could be done maybe just twice a day. He also suggested using trolleys to take people from one part of town to another. He felt it would be great to have a green technology center. He also suggested fixing up the blighted buildings, etc. He asked if there would have been a possibility to put a gazebo at Commercial and Rt. 59 rather than the Village Hall. This is the only block in the U.S. where Rt. 30 and Rt. 66 come together. Village Planner Garrigan stated the site for the gazebo has already been determined and he did not think that would be something that they would want to revisit. Commissioner Sanders talked about the Go Tane site at Commercial and Rt. 59. He referenced that Bolingbrook basically removed some homes and construct ed two fountains. He asked if this site was being considered for something like that and if some funding would be available to the Village. Village Planner Garrigan stated staff has identified that site as a potential for some type of streetscape or hardscape improvements. He had talked to a commercial developer for that corner and they were a miable to incorporating some type of streetscape, decorative aspect to it, but at the end of the day it would depend on the type of use. Commissioner Sanders asked if possibly that could be a focal point . Possibly the Village could get some grant to purc hase that land which would not need to be developed commercially, but be used to commemorate one of the significant historical events that happened in the late 20’s and 30’s that only occurs in one other place in the country. It will help to inform people that Plainfield not only has the oldest downtown, but has moved into the 21 st Century building on its legacy of what it has meant to basic transportation. Commissioner Kachel thought there could be some type of creative use for the old Village Hall, ra ther than just letting the building sit idle. Possibly the site could be used for a recycling center, a senior center, etc. Commissioner Kachel also stated other towns have had vacant lots in subdivisions either graded or sodded so that they look decen t. He was wondering if something could be done on this order in the Village. Village Planner Garrigan stated an ordinance could be passed, but the challenge could be the number of partially built , foreclosed homes. This will be a major Village of Pla infield Plan Commission Minutes January 20, 2009 Page 8 issue with regards to Code Enforcement over the next several months just to get some of these homes boarded up. Commissioner Kachel felt it should be the right kind of board up and not just sticking plywood on them. It will hurt the whole subdivision and the Village. A discussion followed between the commissioners in this regard. Commissioner Renzi felt if a developer redevelops a project, they should not be allowed to tear out landsc aping until breaking ground. In this way, we will not have projects where they have cleared the land, but then do no build and the land sits bare. He wonder ed if there could be a quarterly map updating the status of developments. Commissioner Sanders wa nted staff to look into what CMAP has put together as the pilot program this year in high schools in the Chicago Area. He would like to get that into the school system in Plainfield. He felt there could be more community involvement. Commissioner Renzi felt that they have that at the middle schools and high schools. Possibly some sort of competition could be coordinated between the schools and the Village Commissioner O’Rourke’s number one concern was transportation. He asked if the Village has a Tran sportation Committee. Village Planner Garrigan stated there is a Traffic Committee, which is basically in -house staff. Commissioner O’Rourke recommended a Transportation Committee that would be open to the public or open for public comment. He felt tra nsportation within the Village is a big issue and an area that could use improvement. He said there are major intersections that have been improved over the years, but there are no right turn lanes on them. He felt interconnectivity between neighborhoods is a great idea. Commissioner O’Rourke suggested having a drop -off center for hazardous waste. He also agreed with interconnecting bike paths. The Village could possibly pick up where the Park District and Forest Preserve leave off and maybe direct the pedestrians or bike traffic to commercial areas. He also felt if there is more open space it will lead to less traffic overa ll. Commissioner Sanders asked if Commissioner O’Rourke was looking for a hazardous drop -off center to be open 5 days a week or a facility with known hours that could be at the Public Works Facility or the Police Building. Commissioner O’Rourke did not think it had to be open 5 days a week. Commissioner O’Rourke thought possibly Waste Management could staff the facility once or tw ice a month. A discussion followed among the Commissioners in this regard. Commissioner O’Rourke thanked staff for all of their work. Commissioners Sanders asked Planner Javoronok about the HPC meeting tomorrow. Planner Javoronok stated there is an inf ormational meeting scheduled on a potential historic district for portions of the Lockport Street Corridor and the downtown area. It is a chance for property owners to come and ask questions. Commissioner Sanders asked that she bring a report of the meet ing to the next Plan Commission meeting if there is a light agenda. Planner Javoronok stated that was fine. Since there was no further business before the Commission, Chairman Sobkoviak adjourned the meeting at 9:26 p.m. Re spectfully Submitted Carol Millan Planning Secretary Village of Plainfield