These types of signs are recommended for location on Northwest Highway, (Virginia Street)
or Route 31. The location of this business is on Terra Cotta Avenue.
Sign Variation Request for Wall Sign at 7218 Virginia Road
Douglas Automotive, a corner tenant at 7218 Virginia Road, Unit B, would like to install wall signage that exceeds the maximum allowable area of 75 square feet. The City’s ordinance provides that a variation may be granted by the City Council where the literal application of the Code would create a particular hardship for the sign user, as long as certain other criteria are met.
Sign variation Request to change an Electronic Message Center—6315 Northwest Highway--Route 14 Dentistry is seeking approval for an electronic message center and tenant signage on an existing pole sign.
Taylor Street Pizza, 540 East Terra Cotta Avenue—desires to hold Cruise Nights in the parking lot along the south and west parking stalls. Twenty events are planned on Tuesdays between June 14 and October 25. This business is under new management and desires to create a “buzz’ in this strip center. Owners of classic and muscle cars are being asked to park their vehicles in the designated area to show them off to classic car enthusiasts. A Temporary Use Permit is needed to accomplish this plan.
Vineyard Christian Church--currently conducting services in the Country Inn and Suites Hotel, would like to use approximately 4,000 square feet of space within the Virginia Park Office Building for their permanent church facilities. Currently there are numerous vacancies in the building.
Evangelical Free Church, 575 E. Crystal Lake Avenue
The Church is responsible for a portion of a future Oak Hollow Road improvements. Ashton Point, a residential subdivision located southeast of the church and the Church, in 2004, requested a final plat of subdivision which included property owned by the church. This required the Church to provide a Letter of Credit (LOC) for their section of the Oak Hollow Road
improvements. This LOC is a $1,000 per year expense for the church and since there are no immediate plans for the roadway to be constructed, the church would like to have the LOC returned. Currently the church has a $94,274.70 letter of credit being held for the improvement.
The alternatives for the church, according to the Planning Commission’s report are:
If the request is approved, a plan, reflecting staff and advisory board recommendation as approved by the City Council must be provided; The LOC may be released provided the petitioner provides a bond for Oak Hollow Road increasing it to an amount using today’s unit price costs or pay the LOC amount to the City to escrow and use toward the construction of the roadway in the future. The Church is seeking some type of relief.
Apartment Building, 321 West Terra Cotta Avenue, --The parking lot of this eight-unit apartment building was deteriorating and removed in order to install a new parking surface. Under the Unified Development Ordinance, parking lots may be repaired but if they are removed the new improvement must comply with the current requirements. The size of the lot prevents the adding of landscaping as required by the ordinance. There is room for only eight parking spaces. A condition will need to be included in future leases limiting vehicles to only one per unit. Several of the existing tenants do not own vehicles. Planning and Zoning recommended the requested variation from the required number of parking spaces to allow eight, and a variation from the required perimeter setbacks and landscaping and a variation from required curbing around the perimeter of the parking area.
Residential Variation for 1557 Hollytree Lane–The property owners desire to locate a patio in the side yard as close as one foot from the property line. This is a non-conforming lot at the northeast corner of Hollytree Lane and Candlewood Drive. Planning and Zoning recommended approval of the request.
Dynamic Health and Wellness, 6119 Northwest Highway—This is the former location of Sherman Mechanical, Douglas TV and Cash for Gold. Additional signage is requested for the new health and wellness use. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommends the approval. Parking for this plan could be a problem and will be reviewed a year after final occupancy is granted.
Schafer Subdivsion-1351 W. Route 176, west of Lippold Park—The final PUD and variation for this subdivision received approval from the Planning Commission. The plans have been in process since 2009. The site is restricted to 5% impervious surface areas and each lot is restricted to 3,418 square feet of impervious surface area.
A few concerns outstanding included architecture of the proposed custom homes, the wetland delineation and the roadway maintenance.
This is a heavily wooded area with predominantly White Oak, Red Oak, Shagbark Hickory, Black Cherry and Box Elder trees. Plans include a large part of the site being left undisturbed and protected by the Conservation Easement. However, some trees will need to be removed to install the sanitary sewer line and these trees will need to be replaced. However, the petitioner is requesting a variation from the tree replacement requirement due to the fact that the majority of the site will be preserved through the conservation easement and will remain heavily wooded.
Kelly Woods Subdivision Area-wide Neighborhood Speed Limit Reduction--Concerns were expressed by residents of this subdivision regarding cut-through traffic speeding between Route 31 and Terra Cotta Road. A request was made by the homeowners association for an all-way stop control at Kelly Lane/Providence Lane intersection and additional traffic calming measures on Kelly Lane.
Following investigation of the situation, it is recommended that the speed limit for the entire cut-through route including Providence Lane, be set at a consistent 25 miles per hour. Another recommendation is that the remaining streets in the interconnected neighborhood be reduced to 25 miles per hour to maintain consistency and avoid driver confusion.
McHenry County College Police Department—The College and the City of Crystal Lake are working together regarding law enforcement activities at MCC. Last October, MCC established a Public Safety/Police Department, employing peace officers who have the authority and jurisdiction to engage in-law enforcement activities at the College and its property.
On Monday, the MCC Public Safety/Police Department began operations, providing police services on its Crystal Lake campus Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. They will deploy sworn officers to serve as the primary responders for emergency police services on MCC Main Campus during these hours of operation. The MCC Department will be staffed by non-law enforcement officers on all other days and times other than the MCC Police Department hours of operation.
At other times, police response will be provided by the Crystal Lake Police Department. Additionally,
Water and Sewer Rate adjustment—The City Code is to be amended to increase the monthly water service fee to $3.80 per month and the monthly sewer service fee to $4.55 per month. The increase for water volumetric rate is being increased to $2.57 per 1,000 gallons. This is proposed in the Reukert-Mielke Study and previously approved with the adoption of the 2011-12 Budget. This is needed to continue providing a modern efficient, reliable water and sewer system which includes safe drinking water to protect public health, and supply the water needs to fight fires, and supply the needs of business and industry.
This increase follows a comprehensive water and sewer rate study completed in 2009 at the direction of the City Council.
