Wednesday October 5 Meeting

7:30 p.m. – Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission –

Meeting in the Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 Woodstock Street.

BP Gas Station, 281 Virginia Street--

A public hearing is scheduled on a request by BP Gas Station to allow an electronic message center; a second free-standing sign in the rear of the property for a car wash, illuminated wall signage around the top of the canopy and changes to the existing convenience store wall signage to add a running horse logo.

Uteg Apartments, 223-225 Uteg Street—

There is no available record of the date the buildings were constructed, however, a permit for a re-roofing of the facility is dated in1977. The buildings are considered to have been constructed 15-25 years earlier. Parking requirements in 1949 required one space per each unit, with requirements in 1959 through 1970s requiring 1.5 spaces. It is determined that 72 spaces would be required and 73 exist. Now more working families have more than one car resulting in an increased need for spaces. Based on the current parking requirement, 96 spaces would be needed. Residents were using an adjacent parking lot for parking vehicles. However, the property has been developed and is no longer available for parking by Uteg residents. The petitioner is planning to add the needed spaces in the parkway area of Uteg Street.

If the Planning and Zoning Commission grants the request for adding parking spaces, some caveats are present, such as autos may not overhang the curb line into the travel lane; the driveway width will need to be increased to 24 feet; complete engineering plans will be needed to show proper handling of stormwater; snow  will need to be removed and located on the subject property; snow cannot be shoveled into the street as that is a code violation; adjacent property owners must be contacted regarding the plans; each unit is to be limited to two vehicles.

Shell/Circle K Special Use Permit Amendment for Signs

Shell Oil, located at 681 Terra Cotta Avenue is seeking a Special Use Permit Amendment to allow an electronic message center sign.

These types of signs are quite popular and the City is allowing them with certain restrictions in primarily to prevent the signs from being distracting for traffic, distracting to appearance of surrounding area, and also in keeping with City standards such as one such sign per property. The petitioners must seek a Special Use Permit through the Planning and Zoning Commission to install a sign on their property.

Foundation Baptist Church, 7105 Virginia Road –

An occupancy inspection for a church located in Unit 18 at the Virginia Park Condominiums was found in another unit but had not sought the required Special Use Permit. The building is primarily considered for mixed uses. However, religious establishments require a Special Use Permit in any zoning district except B-2 and W districts where they are not permitted.

The Church is seeking the required Special Use Permit.