North Cook News

Village of Wilmette President and Board of Trustees met April 10.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

The Village President called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

1.0Roll Call

Trustees Julie Wolf

Daniel Sullivan

Senta Plunkett

Kathy Dodd

Joel Kurzman

President Bob Bielinski

Staff Present: Timothy J. Frenzer, Village Manager

Michael Braiman, Assistant Village Manager

Jeffrey M. Stein, Corporation Counsel

Barbara Hirsch, Deputy Village Clerk

John Prejzner, Assistant Director of Administrative Services

John Adler, Director of Community Development

Brigitte Berger, Director of Engineering & Public Works

Kyle Murphy, Police Chief

Benjamin Wozney, Fire Chief

Nabil Quafisheh, Water Management Director

Nate Jordan, Water Management Assistant Director

2.0 Public Comment

President Bielinski deferred Public Comment to the end of the meeting.

3.0 Consent Agenda

Bob Davis, 227 Kilpatrick, asked to remove items 3.26, 3.27, 3.31, 3.32 & 3.33 from the Consent Agenda.

Trustee Sullivan moved approval of the remaining items of the Consent Agenda as follows:

3.1 Approval of minutes of the Regular Board meeting held March 13, 2018.

Land Use Committee Consent Agenda

3.2 Presentation of minutes of the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting held February 21, 2018.

3.3 Presentation of minutes of the Appearance Review Commission meeting held January 8, 2018.

3.4 Approval of Temporary Use Permit #2018-TU-04 for the operation of a French Market every Saturday in the Metra parking lot from April through November for a five-year period beginning in 2018.

3.5 Approval of Temporary Use Permit #2018-TU-05 to locate a construction trailer at 808 Linden Avenue (St. Francis School) from April 11, 2018 through November 30, 2018.

3.6 Approval of Temporary Use Permit #2018-TU-06 for two temporary tents and a balloon sign as part of a tent sale at Road Runner Sports, 3232 Lake Avenue on Thursday, April 19, 2018 through Sunday, April 22, 2018.

3.7 Adoption of Resolution #2018-R-4 approving the renewal of the Market License Agreement with Bensidoun USA Inc.

3.8 Approval of contract in the amount of $20,000 with Nation One, New Lenox, IL for the installation of fencing at the Burmiester municipal parking lot.

3.9 Item Withdrawn

3.10 Zoning Board of Appeals Report, Case #2018-Z-09, 1100 Laramie Avenue regarding a request to modify an existing special use (educational facility, secondary) as provided for in 2017-0-63 and for a 7.0' light pole height variation, a 1.0' fence pier diameter variation, 0.5' fence pier diameter variation, and a 3.0' fence pier setback variation to expand the parking lot and to install new fencing in accordance with the plans submitted; adoption of Ordinance #2018-0-23.

3.11 Zoning Board of Appeals Report, Case #2018-Z-10, 237 Greenleaf Avenue regarding a request for a 0.76' front yard setback variation, a 2.02' minimum side yard setback variation, and a 0.51' rear yard detached garage setback variation to permit the construction of a substantial addition and remodel that is classified as a new home in accordance with the plans submitted; adoption of Ordinance #2018-O-24.

3.12 Zoning Board of Appeals Report, Case #2018-Z-11, 1209 Middlebury Lane regarding a request for a 428.66 square foot (5.69%) total floor area variation, an 18.19' front yard setback variation, a 1.42' minimum side yard setback variation, a 3.46' combined side yard setback variation, a 1.0' side yard adjoining a street setback variation, a 14.69' front yard eave setback variation, a 1.88' side yard porch setback variation, a 0.54' combined side yard eave setback variation, a 167.0 square foot (9.88%) front yard impervious surface coverage variation, and a variation to exceed the first floor height limit to permit the construction of a substantial addition and remodel that is classified as a new home in accordance with the plans submitted; adoption of Ordinance #2018-0- 25.

Finance Committee Consent Agenda

3.13 Approval of March 2018 Disbursement Report.

Administration Committee Consent Agenda

3.14 Notice of vacancy on the Appearance Review Commission due to the term expiration of William Bradford.

3.15 Notice of vacancy on the Fire Pension Board of Trustees due to the term expiration of Christopher Canning.

3.16 Notice of vacancy on the Fire Pension Fund Board of Trustees due to the term expiration of Melinda Molloy.

3.17 Notice of vacancy on the Police Pension Fund Board of Trustees due to the term expiration of David Farina.

3.18 Notice of vacancy on the Zoning Board of Appeals due to the resignation of Christopher Tritsis.

3.19 Notice of vacancy on the Plan Commission due to the resignation of Christine Norrick.

3.20 Recommendation of reappointment of Melinda Molloy to the Fire Pension Fund Board of Trustees from May 2018 to May 2021.

3.21 Recommendation of reappointment of Christopher S. Canning to the Fire Pension Fund Board of Trustees from May 2018 to May 2021.

3.22 Recommendation of reappointment of David Farina to the Police Pension Fund Board of Trustees from May 2018 to May 2020.

3.23 Recommendation of appointment of Christine Norrick to the Zoning Board of Appeals from April 10, 2018 to April 10, 2023. Waiver of Rules for appointment of Christine Norrick to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Appointment of Christine Norrick to the Zoning Board of Appeals from April 10, 2018 to April 10, 2023.

Municipal Services Committee Consent Agenda

3.24 Approval of contract in the amount not to exceed $7,343,511 with IHC Construction Companies LLC, Elgin, IL for the Water Plant Electrical Improvements Project, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Revolving Loan Fund Project Number L173763.

3.25 Approval of contract in the amount not to exceed $45,922 with Allan ICS Inc., East Troy, WI for communications upgrade and SCADA equipment upgrade at multiple remote water facilities.

3.28 Approval of contract extension in the amount not to exceed $69,859 with Chicagoland Paving Contractors Inc., Lake Zurich, IL for the 2018 Annual Street Patching Program.

3.29 Approval of contract extension at the unit prices set forth in the proposal dated March 30, 2018 and an estimated annual cost of $66,500 with ECS Midwest, LLC, Buffalo Grove, IL for material testing services.

3.30 Adoption of Resolution #2018-R-5 authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of Wilmette and the Village of Kenilworth for street repairs included with the 2018 MFT Road Program.

3.34 Approval of contract in the amount not to exceed $37,066 with Muscat Painting and Decorating, East Dundee, IL for light pole painting.

3.35 Approval of contract in the amount not to exceed $37,500 with United Septic Inc., Bristol, IL for catch basin cleaning.

3.36 Approval of contract in the amount of $21,060 with Joseph D. Forman Co., Lake Barrington, IL for purchase of 10 fire hydrants.

3.37 Approval of contract amendment in the amount of $5,800 with P.R. Streich and Sons, Franklin Park, IL for replacement of in-ground vehicle hoists at the Public Works Facility.

Public Safety Committee Consent Agenda

3.38 Approval of contract in the amount of $45,919 with Federal Signal Inc., University Park, IL for the replacement of two Outdoor Public Warning Sirens and mounting work.

Judiciary Committee Consent Agenda

3.39 Introduction of Ordinance #2018-0-19 regulating vehicle towing and immobilization on private property.

Trustee Wolf seconded the motion. Voting yes: Trustees Wolf, Sullivan, Plunkett, Dodd, Kurzman, and President Bielinski. Voting no: none. The motion carried.

4.0 Reports Of Officers:

There were no reports from the Village Manager or Corporation Counsel.

5.0 Report Of Liquor Control Commissioner:

No Report

6.0 Standing Committee Reports:

President Bielinski said the items that Mr. Davis removed from the Consent Agenda would not be discussed until after Item 6.11. He recommended that the items be tabled to the next meeting as the meeting could possibly go late into the night with discussion of Item 6.11.

Ms. Berger-Raish said Item 3.32 is time sensitive as they would like to have the traffic study for Loyola completed before school is out for the summer.

Mr. Davis asked why the Village is studying it now after they approved the request already.

President Bielinski said as part of the approval of the request, there was going to be a traffic study now and if there was not an improvement in traffic then that would have to be addressed by Loyola.

Mr. Davis said he would withdraw his request to have Item 3.32 tabled.

Trustee Wolf moved to table the following items to the next Regular Village Board meeting:

3.26 Adoption of Ordinance #2018-0-18 adopting the February 15, 2018 version of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's Watershed Management Ordinance.

3.27 Approval of contract in the amount not to exceed $803,114.with Hoerr Construction Inc., Goodfield, IL for the Sewer Lining Phase 2 Program, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Revolving Loan Fund Project Number L175509.

3.31 Approval of contract in the amount not to exceed $169,101 with Schroeder & Schroeder Inc., Skokie, IL for the 2018 Sidewalk and Curb Replacement Program.

3.33 Adoption of Resolution #2018-R-6 approving a 25 year Easement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) for the Greenleaf Avenue Relief Sewer System.

The motion was seconded by Trustee Dodd. All voted aye, the motion carried.

3.32 Approval of contract in the amount not to exceed $25,359 with Alfred Benesch & Company, Chicago, IL for Loyola Academy expansion traffic study services.

Trustee Wolf moved approval of Item 3.32 a contract in the amount not to exceed $25,359 with Alfred Benesch & Company, Chicago, IL for Loyola Academy expansion traffic study services, seconded by Trustee Sullivan.

Voting yes: Trustees Wolf, Sullivan, Plunkett, Dodd, Kurzman and President Bielinski. Voting no: none. The motion carried.

6.1 Land Use Standing Committee Report

6.11 Plan Commission Report, Case #2018-P-1, 1925 Wilmette Avenue regarding a request by Housing Opportunity Development Corporation for approval of a Planned Unit Development Preliminary Plan and Special Use to permit the construction of a multi-family building containing approximately 16 affordable rental apartments located in the NR, Neighborhood Retail, zoning district in conformance with the plans submitted. The use to run with the use.

Trustee Sullivan moved to grant a request by Housing Opportunity Development Corporation for approval of a Planned Unit Development Preliminary Plan and Special Use to permit the construction of a multi-family building containing approximately 16 affordable rental apartments located in the NR, Neighborhood Retail, zoning district in conformance with the plans submitted. The use to run with the use, seconded by Trustee Wolf.

John Adler, Director of Community Development, summarized the Planned Unit Development process (see attached PowerPoint) noting that it is a regulatory process that offers flexibility in the development of land and combines the Zoning Board, Plan Commission and the Appearance Review Commission processes.

The request is heard by the Plan Commission as a special use with final approval resting with the Village Board. There are three phases for the process, 1) Pre-application phase, 2) Preliminary approval phase, 3) Final approve phase.

Mr. Adler reviewed the HODC PUD application timeline noting that at the Plan Commission meeting on March 6, 2018 they recommended approval of the request by a vote of 4-1. The public benefits presented in HODC's application are:

• Innovative storm water management including a reduction of impervious surface, use of semi-pervious materials, such as pervious pavers, bio-swales, rain gardens and similar.

•Affordable or senior housing set-asides

•Provision of accessible dwelling units with accessible features beyond what is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act or applicable codes.

•The use of sustainable design and architecture.

Mr. Adler said the requested modifications to Development Standards include, floor area ratio, building height, buffer yard on the south side, total parking spaces, enclosed parking spaces and parking spaces at grade.

Trustee Sullivan asked for more clarification regarding the public benefit of innovative storm water management as the Village and MWRD require all new developments to manage stormwater according to existing ordinances.

Mr. Adler said it is his understanding that the proposed plans are meeting the requirement and also doing a bio-swale which is indicated as innovative and we do not require them.

Corporation Counsel Jeffrey Stein said the application before the Village Board tonight is for a Planned Unit Development for an affordable housing apartment facility located within the Village in a Neighborhood Retail district. As the use for the property is designed to provide affordable housing to certain qualified individuals, certain protections under the federal Fair Housing Act, certain state laws, and the Village's own laws are triggered. As with any application, discriminatory practices in granting zoning relief is forbidden.

Accordingly, commentary about the actual or perceived status practice or expression of the potential users' and potential tenants' race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status, source of income, or housing status, or the actual or perceived association with such a person, will not be considered by the Village Board in making its decision.

Richard Koenig, Executive Director of the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, said HODC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in Wilmette in 1983 and their mission is to develop affordable housing throughout the northern suburbs. They have developed 300+ units in 22 projects and also manage 255 units in 8 suburban communities. They have an extremely professional management staff to manage all their properties.

He discussed one of the buildings that they have redeveloped in Evanston, noting that residents have their own living unit where before the living space was shared.

Trustee Sullivan asked if the same tenants live there now that were there before the redevelopment of the property.

Mr. Koenig said they found living arrangements for all the tenants that were living in the building and after redevelopment they moved everyone back into the building that were interested in coming back. The building is considered low income and all residents who live there are considered low income if they are under 60% of the median income.

Trustee Dodd asked if the building was considered Section 8 housing.

Mr. Koenig said it is not Section 8 housing. Section 8 requires a resident to have a rental certificate that makes up a portion of their rent.

Trustee Dodd said Mr. Koenig mentioned that there have been some struggles with the building in Evanston and asked if that was prior to the redevelopment.

Mr. Koenig said they have had some issues with the Evanston building as they have some interesting characters who live there and it is a challenging building. It is 20% of their units requiring 80% of their time but they have installed security cameras and a public bathroom which allows more case management on site for longer hours.

Trustee Wolf asked if there was an onsite manager in the building.

Mr. Koenig said they do not have an onsite manager as there is not room for one in the building. He said the property manager is there at the building on a regular basis as each lease of the 48 units must be certified and renewed on a yearly basis.

Mr. Koenig said there were some questions on the selection process of the tenants. He noted that each building has its own waiting list and the units are on a first come, first serve basis and each building is marketed locally.

Trustee Kurzman asked how successful have they been in marketing the buildings locally.

Mr. Koenig said the building they recently developed in Highland Park had 80% of the tenants from Highland Park, the percentage of tenants in Glenview is approximately 50% local. Each building is different but they make an effort to have local contacts and marketing.

Mr. Koenig said there is an income certification process for tenants as there is an income requirement which they must verify. They conduct criminal and credit background checks on all adults over the age of 18. Everyone who resides in one of the units must be included on the lease and they do an analysis based on the history of a tenant.

President Bielinski asked if it is Mr. Koenig's experience that the turnover in buildings is low.

Mr. Koenig said their buildings are always full, and when someone moves out, they have a long waiting list on each property. He noted that tenants tend to stay a very long time.

Trustee Plunkett asked how they select tenants for a new building.

Mr. Koenig said it is a first come, first serve basis and they go through the process to find tenants that qualify for the units and then after that there is a waiting list established.

Trustee Sullivan asked if there was a way to structure the list for units so that a Wilmette resident or employee would have preference.

Mr. Koenig said years ago that was allowed but federal laws have changed and does not allow that type of preference now.

Trustee Kurzman asked if there was a separate list for veterans.

Mr. Koenig said there are sub-categories that they have set-asides for veterans due to the funding and they have to stay in compliance with the set-asides.

Mr. Koenig said there is a drug free addendum attached to the lease that residents have to agree to and sign that they understand they can be evicted for drug use.

Mr. Koenig said there is a document created by the Illinois Housing Development Authority that is called a Tenant Selection Plan (TSP). The TSP provides all the rules and every organization has to follow the rules of how you do tenant selection. Their goal is to keep people housed so they work with residents to find housing and get rid of people who are problems which is part of the TSP. He reviewed the income medians for single people, couples and families to qualify for the housing. Mr. Koenig noted the guidelines for the amount of people that can live in a unit are two people per bedroom and that is the maximum allowable.

Mr. Koenig said there will be one parking space provided per unit which will allow four parking spaces for visitors. Each vehicle assigned a space is registered with them and they tow cars that are not registered with them. Their experience is that not everyone will have a car and noted they are close to public transportation.

Mr. Koenig said they anticipate installing security cameras in the common areas, on the exterior of the building, in the parking area, in the front of the building, the hallways and stairwells. There will also be lighting to illuminate the parking area. He also noted the building will be new but they set aside reserves for capital expenses for repairs and replacement of things that go wrong with the building.

Mr. Koenig said previously a question was raised about the affordable housing building's impact on property values. He said national studies have been conducted on the issue and they show that there is no substantial diminishment of property values. They also submitted a study done locally and essentially the percentage is 0%, property values usually stay the same.

Mr. Koenig said they have made revisions to the project due to community input since the beginning of the project. They continue to not request any community funding, the property does pay real estate taxes and the building is extremely regulated by the State agencies and the lenders.

Trustee Kurzman noted that there is only one handicap space proposed on the plans, what will they do if there is more than one resident requiring a handicap parking spot.

Mr. Koenig said they would have to see if they could move a space or possibly eliminate a space if the issue comes up.

President Bielinski said one of the issues that has been raised is what do the Village ordinances permit on this property.

Mr. Adler said the property is zoned Neighborhood Retail there is not a residential unit density. The floor area ratio is 1.0 and that means what the lot area is, you can build that much structure. The permitted uses in this district include office, personal service uses, and arts studios. He noted the height and unit numbers of other buildings on Ridge Road.

President Bielinski said for projects like this, the Village maintains a list of approved consultants and if the applicant uses one of those consultants for a parking or traffic study, then the Village does not perform their own study. He asked if the applicant used an approved consultant for their traffic and parking studies.

Ms. Berger-Raish said the original traffic study was performed by KLOA which is not on our list of preferred consultants so the Village hired Benesch Consultants to perform an independent review of the KLOA study. Our study did not include a parking analysis but staff has confirmed the results of the parking study.

Trustee Kurzman said traffic will be added with the proposed development and wondered if there would be any consideration to change the current traffic pattern on Wilmette Avenue.

Ms. Berger-Raish said the best evidence of a traffic problem or safety concern is accident history. In talking with the Police Chief, there is no evidence that this is a dangerous or unsafe situation. Staff does not anticipate creating a traffic or safety concern with the incremental volume of traffic that is being added as a part of this development.

Trustee Kurzman said he did observe garbage pick-up at the location and asked if it was possible to speak with our garbage vendor to not have pick up during rush hour to improve safety in the neighborhood.

Mr. Braiman said that this property would be part of our commercial waste agreement and we could make the request that pick-up is not during the peak rush hours. We are currently in discussion with our residential waste pick-up vendor and we could also bring that up as a concern in the area.

Trustee Dodd asked if there had been any safety concerns with residents turning left into Pin Oak Drive.

Ms. Berger-Raish said no, there has not been any safety concerns or traffic problems.

Trustee Plunkett asked if the Police Chief had any discussions with the Evanston Police Chief regarding issues with HODC's buildings.

Police Chief Kyle Murphy said he has spoken to the Evanston Police Chief as well as several other neighboring Police Chiefs who have HODC managed properties all of whom said they have a positive working relationship and have no issues with them.

Trustee Dodd said there were some concerns raised with public safety access to the property, and asked Fire Chief Wozney to address that.

Chief Wozney said they reviewed the initial site plans in relation to height and setbacks and they do not have any concerns with vehicles or gaining access to the building. He also noted the building is fully sprinkled and alarmed.

Trustee Sullivan asked if this proposal is the most creative for this property under the PUD criteria process set forth.

Mr. Adler said this is a lot that is challenged so it is fairly limited to what can be done on the lot.

President Bielinski said there was a question during the Plan Commission discussion about why the Village allowed 611 Green Bay Road to opt out of the affordable housing unit requirement.

Mr. Adler said there is no requirement in the Village Code that requires new development to provide affordable housing. In the case of 611 Green Bay Road, since it was a PUD, they needed to provide public benefits to grant the relief provided so it is not a limitation for a project. The Affordable Housing Plan talks about a desire to include affordable housing units in new developments but it is not a requirement.

Mr. Stein said the Affordable Housing Plan is a goal, it is not intended to limit, cap or restrict any type of affordable housing. The Federal Fair Housing Act would trump any Village plan that we have and along with the State acts that requires certain affordable housing requirements.

President Bielinski declared a recess at 9:20 p.m.

President Bielinski brought the meeting back to order at 9:31 p.m.

President Bielinski noted that there was another question for Mr. Koenig.

Trustee Dodd said in the material Mr. Koenig presented it was mentioned that the proposed property development might be treated as a satellite office and asked if there will there be set days or times for a property manager.

Mr. Koenig said there will be one property manager who will be responsible for doing all the qualifications and income certifications working with the tenants. There will also be two or three maintenance people and they would rotate through depending on the needs for cleaning and other work. They will set a schedule of days for the property manager on the property but someone could also call the main office to set an appointment time to meet the manager.

President Bielinski said there was a question whether the proposed building was suitable for children.

Mr. Koenig said families would be able to live in the building, the suggestion from the community was that they needed to be more focused on families and two bedroom units will permit a family to live there.

President Bielinski said before he begins public comment, he would like to be able to allow people to register their support or opposition to the proposed development without having to come forward and address the Village Board.

President Bielinski noted there were 43 people that raised their hands to support the request and there were 20 people that raised their hands to oppose the project.

President Bielinski asked for residents to come forward to address the Village Board and each person would have a three minute limit. Sheila Hirsh, 1712 Central, said she lives close to the proposed project and she is in favor of the project. She believes affordable housing is a real and pressing issue for 16% of the Wilmette population and urged the Village Board to vote for the request.

Emily Molins, 206 10th Street, said she is a senior at Loyola Academy and part of a group of students who have worked to promote Cleland Place and its emphasis on its need for affordable housing in Wilmette. They believe Cleland Place poses an opportunity for Wilmette to become a more inclusive and equitable town.

Kathy Myalls, 2007 Wilmette Avenue, lives six houses away from the proposed development and she opposes it. She believes that the conversations have not been candid about how many times Mr. Koenig has exercised his right to evict someone or prevent someone from moving into a building when he could but he was not required to and she believes that is an important standard. Similar housing in Evanston had a lot of problems and there were a lot of Police calls and they are concerned that management which is going to be remote is going to lose some control over the facility. She is concerned about parking, no screening of people under the age of 18 and property values. She asked the Village Board to deny the request.

Chris Lee, Pine Manor Drive, thanked HODC and Mr. Koenig for bringing the request to the Village two years ago as he believes it has prompted the Village and the community to have a useful and productive dialogue about affordable housing issues. He fully embraces the objectives, reasons and desire to increase the affordable housing stock in Wilmette. For this particular plan by this particular developer, for this particular type of development, he opposes the request. He believes the developer has a horrible track record with the proposed type of development and what he has observed is that the variations being requested are self-created. For those reasons he asks the Village Board to say no to the request.

Meryl O'Shaunessy, 321 Davis Street, Evanston, said she attends Loyola Academy and believes there are differences between the Evanston building and the proposed building.

Caroline Goldstein, 1426 Wilmette Avenue, said she is asking the Village Board to consider the request and approve it. She believes HODC has outlined how they have met the benefits that are currently outlined in the Ordinance for a PUD and asked the Village Board to have the confidence and courage to follow our existing Zoning Ordinance and approve the proposal.

Dave Wisel, Sandy Lane, said he is opposed to the project. He believes Mr. Koenig's other buildings are not well run and he also has concerns with the property values around a low income building. He asked the Village Board to reject the request.

Andy Reese, 411 Pine Manor Drive, said he believes that while Wilmette needs more affordable housing, the proposed project is too big and too dense for the variances requested and the limited benefit to Wilmette. He has concerns regarding the proposed tenancy and problems that exist with tenancy in the Evanston building. He respectfully asks the Village Board to deny the request.

Mary Lyman, 630 8th Street, said she believes the property is very small for the proposed building and that there is limited transportation in the area for a resident without a car.

Marilee Cole, 822 Central Avenue, said she has been at every meeting for the proposed project. She has been very impressed with

the depth of the study that the Plan Commission did. She hopes that the Village Board will vote yes for the proposed project.

Carol Moschandreas, 1616 Sheridan Road, said she moved to Wilmette partly because of the wonderful stand on being open to affordable housing. She believes the proposed project is a good one and has many benefits.

Tom Bayer, 2427 Meadow Drive, said he is for affordable housing but believes we have building codes for a reason, and the developer is asking for variances.

Jon Marshall, 822 Prairie Avenue, said he believes the question is whether this project provides substantial public benefit and he believes strongly that it does. He noted the proposed stormwater reduction, the bio-swale, the green status, the set aside for people with disabilities, veterans and most important the project will help the Village move forward in its goal for affordable housing. He encouraged the Village Board to support the request.

Stu McDermott, 1762 Highland, said he lives close to the proposed project and he supports the approval of the project. He is glad that Mr. Koenig is making the effort to come to the community to bring affordable housing and diversity.

William Sholten, 1041 Ridge Road, said he is in support of the proposed project.

Sally Daniels, 1611 Wilmette Avenue, said she supports the project and the diversity of people and encourages the Village Board to support the project.

John Daniels, 1611 Wilmette Avenue, said he believes it would be a good thing to encourage more diversity within the Village. He urged the Village to accept the plan and take advantage of the opportunity that HODC is providing to us. He thinks we are fortunate to have this opportunity.

Lisa Braganca, 2125 Washington, said she is in favor of the development. She is the mother of a son with autism who has benefited greatly from the Wilmette community. She believes it is important for kids with disabilities to stay in the same community and there is not enough housing to support these families. She believes this would be a fabulous opportunity and supports this.

Hannah McNulty, 2145 Thornwood, said she supports the proposal. She said many of the concerns raised have been proven by a study to have far more myth than reality. She believes residents have expressed their concerns, and the new proposal has addressed them.

Paul Kesselman, 1933 Wilmette, said he is the house directly west of the project. His opposition to the project is based on the law and he believes the Plan Commission incorrectly recommended granting the request without taking into account the impact to nearby homeowners and the benefits to the Village. He believes this is the wrong project for this site and will impact the property values and traffic in the area.

Patrick Duffy, 932 Illinois, said he believes the size of the building is too large for the property. The applicants said they took into consideration the concerns of the neighbors regarding the size of the units but does not believe they reduced the concern of the size of the project. He wondered if the special document required to sign on the application for eviction would speed up the eviction of a bad tenant. He believes the project needs to be smaller to be appropriate for the size of the lot that it is on.

Judy Goodie, 436 Prairie, said she has served on various Wilmette commissions and noted that over the years they have worked on affordable housing to try to ensure fairness. She wanted to observe that over the decades the arguments regarding affordable housing have not changed too much and it is time to change and bring affordable housing to people of all ages as there is a need for it. She asked the Village Board to approve the request.

Karen Hogan, 716 20th Street, said she believed the traffic study was done during non-peak hours previously and wondered if the traffic study was done again as traffic is very busy in the area. She is troubled by the fact that there has to be security cameras in the proposed building as she wants to feel safe in her community.

Ms. Johnson, 246 Westmoreland, said she is agreeable to affordable housing but has concerns about crime in the proposed type of low income housing.

Mike Lieber, 2035 Hollywood Court, said he is in favor of affordable housing but he has concerns with traffic on Wilmette Avenue from Ridge Road to Hunter Road. He suggested that when they are considering bike lanes maybe they could consider a two lane road with a middle turn lane. He also has concerns with the left turn into the property from Wilmette Avenue.

President Bielinski noted there was no else present to speak. He said a resident had asked if Mr. Koenig had other projects in the area that would be similar to this proposed development.

Mr. Koenig said they have a number of family projects located in Skokie and they have managed them for over 20 years and they are the most similar. There is also a family building in Evanston and they have very few issues with that building.

President Bielinski asked about the traffic study and when it was done.

Mr. Koenig said at the original Plan Commission meeting an issue was raised regarding the time when the study was done, another study was done and an issue was raised on the day it was done, so a third study was done.

President Bielinski said there was a question raised about the eviction process of tenants.

Mr. Koenig said when you go through the court system following the legal process for eviction, having the piece of paper they have tenants sign, helps to facilitate the process.

Trustee Dodd said during public comment there was comment comparing the tenant process at the Claridge building in Evanston versus the proposed building.

Mr. Koenig said the rent amount in Evanston is $400-$500 per month and the rents for the proposed building in Wilmette will be $600-$800 and the population will be different in Wilmette.

Mr. Koenig thanked the Village Board for considering the request. President Bielinski said the Village's Zoning Code provides that during a Planned Unit Development review, the benefits provided by the project are to be balanced with the relief requested. In reviewing the relief requested, the building is conforming to the 30' height requirement but relief is requested to allow for three stories instead of two and a half stories. This is not significant relief, this has been granted on several other projects in recent years. The floor area ratio is the most significant relief requested but it is important to view the request in context. The bulk of the building in terms of lot coverage and height is conforming with the Zoning Code, the floor area request is not conforming and it is not immaterial, 1.36 is the request versus the limit of 1.0. If you look at the request in the context of the neighborhood's density, this is the density that exists in the neighborhood today. The density is not out of place given the size and the floor area ratio of the surrounding buildings. The floor area ratio of the proposed project is comparable and the proposed project would add just 16 units to a neighborhood that has currently over 200 multi-family units in place. That is extremely important as the Comprehensive Plan calls for maintaining residential densities at approximately existing levels. In most areas of the Village, this project would not be considered consistent with existing residential densities.

The Zoning Ordinance requires 24 parking spaces for a project with 16 units, this project includes 20 spaces and requires a variance of 4 units which is easily justified by the expert's report. The Zoning Ordinance requires that 50% of the parking spaces be enclosed and more than 50% of the parking spaces are located under the building but not enclosed. His personal belief is that this is not a significant variance give the location and layout of the site, the building design as well as the parking configurations that exist in the neighborhood today. In addition, the Zoning Ordinance does not allow parking required for dwelling units to be at grade, but this requirement has also been previously waived by the Village Board for certain new developments. That is the Zoning relief that is being requested.

In regard to the benefits provided, the Zoning Ordinance specifically lists several ways for developments to provide public benefit. There are four benefits provided that are relevant; 1) Innovative stormwater management techniques, 2) affordable or senior housing set asides, 3) provision of accessible dwelling units with features beyond what is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, 4) the use of sustainable design architecture. With regards to stormwater, all new developments in the Village of Wilmette are required to properly manage their stormwater but clearly the major source of public benefit is related to the affordable housing units.

His conclusion for the proposed project at the proposed location are balancing the relief requested with the public benefits provided by the project, he finds the benefits clearly outweigh the relief requested. Further, he finds the standards of review are met including the project being consistent with the purpose and intent of the Village's Comprehensive Plan. Simply viewed, this is a modest apartment building, being built within an appropriate zoning district with a density that is consistent with the existing bulk and density already found in the neighborhood. The developer is an experienced developer with a very good reputation. The Village is not imposing a mandate upon the developer, rather the developer is voluntarily building affordable housing units. He noted this is a private development, the Village is not providing any funding or any financial subsidies for the project. He believes this is a unique opportunity and he will support the project.

Trustee Sullivan said President Bielinski's comments were very well said. He also broke the request into two parts, the first part being the affordable housing. Since the request for the project began two years ago, this has been a good challenge for the Village because it is one thing to put it in the Comprehensive Plan and the Village goals but he believes this is the first development that he has looked at that has challenged us as a community to say do we stand by what we put into a goal. He wants to be sure that Wilmette is affordable to everyone and believes that this is a good initiative. He welcomes the proposal and has found good comments regarding HODC and their good reputation.

In reviewing the PUD he believes we have to be flexible with the development. He believes the stormwater on the property has been addressed. The parking has also been addressed with being covered and he does not believe the 20 cars will impact the traffic in the area. The floor area ratio is always sensitive but when you look at this lot. he believes this development is reasonable given the overall density in the location. He will support the request.

Trustee Plunkett said she wants to reiterate what President Bielinski said about the PUD process. As a Board in reviewing the PUD's, she does not think these variances are that different or significant from other PUD's that have been previously granted. She would like to focus on that it is important for everyone in the community and HODC that the proposed development be a successful project. Some of the checklist items that were addressed and she wanted answers to were; 1) Understanding the tenant selection plan, 2) Understanding how the background checks would work and who they apply to, 3) Security cameras, 4) Parking spaces, 5) Maintenance Reserves. There were personal concerns regarding the developer and whether he could develop this project successfully. They have heard success stories and because she was concerned about some stories regarding the properties in Evanston, she reached out to Alderwoman Ann Rainey and she said 99.09% of the neighbors surrounding the Brummel Apartments have no idea that the building is run by HODC, she had similar things to say about the Callan apartment building, and she had good things to say about the HODC and thought they were running a very nice building. She asked her about the Claridge Apartments that are not in her Ward, and she said there were problems initially and it is her understanding that there has definitely been a turnaround. She feels more comfortable with that because the most important thing for us is that this be successful. When we talk about the opportunities for affordable housing, they have been few and far between in Wilmette, and this is one that is only 16 apartments. She believes the proposed development is manageable, can be successful and is a good thing for Wilmette.

Trustee Dodd said she agrees with everything the previous Trustees have said. She is a relatively new Trustee so this is a new process for her. We have rules and regulations so that we do the right things in our Village but all of us know that things are never black and white, and we may all need a variance at some point to do something with our home. That is important and that is why we have a PUD process to review if the variances fit into the property and neighborhood. While she recognizes that the requested variances are a little more than others, for the location proposed and what else is around the area, she is comfortable with this request. She thanked the applicant for doing such a nice job in addressing the concerns of the neighbors and the Trustees. She noted that she has heard from some residents that the proposed development might not be in the best area to get around but she has walked in the area of the proposed development and said there is transportation and a grocery store within 0.6 of a mile. She believes that we all want this development to be successful and she supports the project.

Trustee Wolf thanked everyone who came out to speak at the meeting as it is important to have community input. She also thanked HODC, they did a great job with their presentation and answering all their questions. President Bielinski and her fellow Trustees have done an eloquent job with comments regarding the project. She believes it is important to look at the PUD process because it is set up the way it is as it takes into account how the building fits into the area. She believes the proposed FAR is not out of line for the area and the height is right in there and that is important to fit into the community. She is happy that the applicant is going after the green certification for the building. The stormwater is meeting the Village requirements but the proposed bio-swale is above and beyond, and the affordable housing is a big benefit so she believes it is a great project.

Trustee Kurzman thanked everyone who came out this evening and also reached out and shared their opinion and has been engaged with the issue. He said many of his comments have already been covered by his colleagues. The PUD process is an acquired taste and there is some amount of subjectivity with it. What is unique about the circumstance is for that intersection we have had two PUD's. He is sensitive to the fact that there is a bit of a makeover in a critical part of our town and that was not necessarily the byproduct of a process coming for our Comprehensive Plan. He has concern but not fear and there is some amount of risk with the proposed plan but it is born by everyone and we are together in wanting this to work. He has heard from residents about their concerns and the risk. What has not been spoken about is that the risk goes to others including the advocates for affordable housing. It is possible that there are some advocates who feel so strongly on the issue that any zoning ordinance would have been fine to create affordable units and he is not exactly with that. He does see affordable housing as a huge public benefit but he is less compelled by the others. He is keenly aware that we are addressing affordable housing by adding it to one of our most affordable neighborhoods already, and that there are buildings that are in better locations going up without affordable units. He walked the area, observed the traffic rush hours and tried to visualize the impact of two PUD's in combinations. He was most keen in his observations about how the new traffic patterns might impact the residents of the Pin Oak development. He noted that he walked to the grocery stores and Metra and his takeaway is that while the location and the format of the affordable housing are not ideal for him, it would indeed be a viable opportunity for good people to do good things in our community. He did come to see the public benefit of the affordable housing as meriting on balance the zoning relief being sought and he will be voting yes.

President Bielinski thanked the applicant Mr. Koenig and everyone who came out tonight, and everyone who participated in the process. Voting yes: Trustees Wolf, Sullivan, Plunkett, Dodd, Kurzman and President Bielinski. Voting no: none. The motion carried.

6.2 Finance Standing Committee Report

All items listed on the Consent

6.3 Administration Standing Committee Report

All items listed on the Consent Agenda

6.4 Municipal Services Standing Committee Report

All items listed on the Consent Agenda

6.5 Public Safety Standing Committee Report

All items listed on the Consent Agenda

6.6 Judiciary Standing Committee Report

All items listed on the Consent Agenda

6.7 Reports From Special Committees

No Reports

7.0 New Business

No Report

8.0 Matters Referred To Standing Committees

8.1 Review adding group homes for private school students as a permitted or special use in the residential zoning districts.

9.0 Adjournment

Trustee Sullivan moved to adjourn the meeting at 11:12 p.m., seconded by Trustee Wolf. All voted aye, the motion carried.

https://www.wilmette.com/download/agendas_and_minutes/village_board/minutes/2018/4-10-18-attachment.pdf