Village of Arlington Heights Design Commission met May 12.
Here is the minutes provided by the commission:
Chair Fitzgerald called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Members Present: John Fitzgerald, Chair
Kirsten Kingsley
Jonathan Kubow
Ted Eckhardt
Scott Seyer
Members Absent: None
Also Present: John Anstadt, JMB Architects for 735 N. Dunton Ave.
Rich Bondarowicz, SMART Construction Group for 735 N. Dunton Ave.
Kevin Davis, Fairfield Homes for 2 N. Ridge Ave.
Dan & Cynthia Pigott, Owners of 2 N. Ridge Ave.
Steve Hautzinger, Staff Liaison
REVIEW OF MEETING MINUTES FOR MARCH 10, 2020
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER ECKHARDT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KUBOW, TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES OF MARCH 10, 2020. ALL WERE IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIED.
ITEM 1. SINGLE-FAMILY TEARDOWN REVIEW
DC#20-013 – 735 N. Dunton Ave.
John Anstadt, representing JMB Architects, and Rich Bondarowicz, representing SMART Construction Group, were present on behalf of the project.
Mr. Hautzinger presented Staff comments. The petitioner is proposing to demolish an existing two-story residence and a three-car detached garage to allow construction of a new two-story residence with a three-car attached garage. The project does comply with all R-3 zoning requirements. The subject property is located in the “Historic Arlington Neighborhood Association” (HANA) area, and the existing house was included in a Community Preservation Report that was prepared by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2004 to raise community awareness and promote the preservation of the historic character of certain neighborhoods in Arlington Heights. Homes in the report are rated in order of importance as “Exceptional”, “Notable”, or “Contributing”. The subject house is rated as “Notable”. However, the petitioner has reported that the existing house is in very poor condition.
Overall, the proposed new house is very nicely designed with a traditional style and a nice level of detail on all sides of the house that will fit in well with the historic character of this neighborhood. The majority of the houses in this area do have detached garages, so the petitioner is proposing a side load garage, which is a nice solution to maintain the modern convenience of an attached garage while keeping the garage doors away from the front of the house. The proposed all white siding exterior is very appropriate in this location; however, Staff would recommend the petitioner consider bronze color window frames, instead of black, to better coordinate with the proposed bronze gutters and weathered wood roofing colors.
Mr. Bondarowicz said that he initially looked at the existing home as a possible restoration and addition; however, the home is uninhabitable, full of mold, and the foundation is falling apart. He and the architect spent a lot of time working on the new design, trying to incorporate the character of the neighborhood while not making the home too massive. He felt the home will fit well on the 100’ wide lot and would fit well with the neighborhood.
Chair Fitzgerald asked if there was any public comment on the project and there a response from the public.
PUBLIC COMMENT
David Jaffe, said he is the neighbor to the south at 727 N. Dunton Avenue. He asked about the side yard setback adjacent to his home on the south elevation. Mr. Hautzinger replied that the setback on the south elevation would be 10-feet, which meets the minimum 10% required by code. Mr. Jaffe had no other comments.
The commissioners summarized their comments.
Commissioner Eckhardt asked about the color of the different materials on the front of the home; the board and batten siding and the horizontal siding, as well as the metal roof. Mr. Bondarowicz said both siding materials would be white and the metal roof would be a pre-finished galvanized metal roof in a bronze color. Commissioner Eckhardt also asked the petitioner how he felt about Staff’s suggestion to change the window color from black to bronze, and Mr. Bondarowicz was receptive to it. Commissioner Eckhardt was okay with either window color and he had no issues with the design being proposed.
Commissioner Kingsley agreed with the suggestion to change the window color to bronze, even if it was a dark bronze color that would bring more warmth to the home. She asked about the size of the shutters, which she felt should be the same width as the windows, and Mr. Anstadt replied that the intent is to make the shutters the same size as the windows. Commissioner Kingsley also asked about the material and detail that will separate the vertical board and batten and the horizontal siding. Mr. Bondarowicz explained that the intent is to create a water table detail, with a board that is thicker than the horizontal siding, and a flattened piece that would project beyond both of the siding materials, for a nice historic detail where the two meet. Commissioner Kingsley suggested the height of the board be slightly larger than the siding; more emphasis is needed than what is shown in the drawing. She also asked if the corners would be laced and Mr. Bondarowicz said yes, with a smooth Hardie Artisan material to give the home an authentic historic look. Commissioner Kingsley suggested adding a window in the bathroom on the second-floor, east (rear) elevation, which Mr. Bondarowicz was not opposed to. Commissioner Kingsley also suggested covering the concrete front stoop with some type of paving material such as bluestone, to be consistent with the overall look of the new home. She also pointed out the importance of the light fixtures on the garage and on the front columns, which will aesthetically change the look of the home, and she wanted to ensure that the lighting would not impact the adjacent neighbors.
Commissioner Kubow said that overall, he really liked the design of the home and agreed with the suggestion to use bronze for the windows; the combination of bronze and white would give the home more pop than the black and white being seen on a lot of new homes lately. He pointed out that the neighbor to the north would be significantly impacted by the 3-car garage and large driveway being proposed; therefore, he suggested adding landscaping along the north property line to help buffer this.
Commissioner Seyer agreed with the comments made by the other commissioners. He liked the design being proposed and was glad to hear that the petitioner was receptive to looking at changing the window color from black to bronze, which he felt would be a nice touch.
Chair Fitzgerald liked the design of the new home a lot and said it looked great on the site. He also liked the colors being proposed and preferred the bronze color for the windows. He pointed out that only 3-feet of space exists along the north property line for landscaping, which would limit what could be added, and he suggested the petitioner consider working something out with the adjacent neighbor. Chair Fitzgerald had no further comments.
Commissioner Eckhardt suggested the petitioner consider a clay pot chimney feature to better compliment the other details on the new home.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER KUBOW, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ECKHARDT, TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED NEW SINGLE-FAMILY HOME TO BE LOCATED AT 735 N. DUNTON AVENUE. THIS RECOMMENDATION IS SUBJECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE PLANS DATED 11/14/19, RECEIVED 4/10/20, DESIGN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE, AND VILLAGE CODES, REGULATIONS, AND POLICIES, THE ISSUANCE OF ALL REQUIRED PERMITS, AND THE FOLLOWING:
1. ASTRONGRECOMMENDATIONTOCHANGETHEWINDOWCOLORFROMBLACKTOBRONZE.
2. A RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER ADDING A NATURAL LANDSCAPE BUFFER ALONG THE NORTH PROPERTY LINE TO BUFFER THE DRIVEWAY AND GARAGE FROM THE ADJACENT NEIGHBOR.
3. A RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER CLADDING THE CONCRETE FRONT STOOP WITH PAVERS OR BLUE STONE.
4. A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE LIGHTING LEVELS ON THE LEFT SIDE ELEVATION DO NOT IMPACT THE ADJACENT HOME TO THE NORTH.
5. ARECOMMENDATIONTOCONSIDERAMOREDECORATIVECHIMNEYCAP.
6. THIS REVIEW DEALS WITH ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED TO BE AN APPROVAL OF, OR TO HAVE ANY OTHER IMPACT ON, NOR REPRESENT ANY TACIT APPROVAL OR SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED LAND USE OR ANY OTHER ZONING AND/OR LAND USE ISSUES OR DECISIONS THAT STEM FROM ZONING, BUILDING, SIGNAGE OR ANY OTHER REVIEWS. IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL TECHNICAL REVIEW, PERMIT DRAWINGS WILL BE REVIEWED FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE DESIGN COMMISSION AND ANY OTHER COMMISSION OR BOARD APPROVAL CONDITIONS. IT IS THE PETITIONER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO INCORPORATE ALL REQUIREMENTS LISTED ON THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS INTO THE PERMIT DRAWINGS, AND TO ENSURE THAT BUILDING PERMIT PLANS AND SIGN PERMIT PLANS COMPLY WITH ALL ZONING CODE, BUILDING CODE AND SIGN CODE REQUIREMENTS.
KINGSLEY, AYE; KUBOW AYE; ECKHARDT, AYE; SEYER, AYE; FITZGERALD, AYE. ALL WERE IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIED.
ITEM 2. SINGLE-FAMILY NEW REVIEW
DC#20-014 – 2 N. Ridge Ave.
Kevin Davis, representing Fairfield Homes, and Dan & Cynthia Pigott, the homeowners, were present on behalf of the project.
Mr. Hautzinger presented Staff comments. The petitioner is proposing to build a new single-story residence with an attached three-car attached garage on an existing vacant lot. This project requires approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals for a zoning variation to allow a rear yard setback of 19 feet, where 30 feet minimum is required, otherwise the project does comply with all other R-3 zoning requirements.
This existing vacant lot was created as part of a three lot subdivision that was approved in 2003 via Subdivision Ordinance 03-012. The other two lots to the north have already been developed with new two-story homes. The immediate surrounding context is an eclectic mix of different home styles, scales and ages. The proposed design is a traditional style with materials and detailing that complement the two newer homes to the north, but in a single-story design. Per the 2003 subdivision ordinance, the front elevations for all three new houses are required to face Ridge Avenue, and for this lot, the garage is required to be accessed from Campbell Street only. The proposed design complies with both of these requirements.
Overall, Staff feels that the proposed design is nicely done and will fit in well in this location. However, the following revisions are recommended to enhance the design:
1. It is recommended that the stone base be returned down the side of the garage to the sunroom wall.
2. It is recommended that the stone base be returned down the north wall to the end of the Master Bedroom.
3. It is recommended that the corner trim boards stop at the top of the stone base.
4. It is recommended that windows be added in the top of the garage doors to soften the appearance.
Mr. Davis said they are excited about this project because it is a ranch home, which is difficult to build due to FAR restrictions in the Village. He felt the home blends in extremely well with the other homes in the neighborhood.
Chair Fitzgerald asked if there was any public comment and there was response from the public.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Tom Lipscomb asked for clarification on the location of the sunroom that would face Campbell Street, and Mr. Hautzinger said the sunroom would be on the west elevation, which is the rear of the home. Mr. Lipscomb said that a lot of the water from the surrounding homes flows to what would be the northwest corner of this lot where there are 2 large drainage pipes, and he asked if this would be impacted in any way by the construction of the new home. Mr. Hautzinger explained that civil engineering matters are not under the purview of this commission, and are reviewed by the Village Engineering Department at time of permit review. Mr. Davis added that they have spent a lot of time with the Engineering Department to make sure that this lot not only drains well, but that it does not negatively impact other lots. Mr. Lipscomb also asked if the 2 existing large trees on the property would be removed, and Mr. Hautzinger said the trees are required to be preserved as part of the subdivision ordinance, as well as the addition of new trees along the west property line. Mr. Davis said he did not recall these requirements as part of the ordinance, but understood them. Mr. Lipscomb agreed with Staff’s comment that windows be added in the top of the garage doors, which would help improve the aesthetics of the home from Campbell Street.
The Commissioners summarized their comments.
Commissioner Kingsley was glad to see a ranch home being proposed and she agreed with the four recommendations from Staff that include returning the stone base down the side of the garage to the sunroom wall; returning the stone base down the north wall to the end of the Master bedroom; stopping the corner trim boards at the top of the stone base; and adding windows in the top of the garage doors. She also felt that the stone base on the north elevation should continue to a more natural stopping point a little further down the elevation, and she highly recommended using smooth trim, which is more conducive to the style of the home. She pointed out that not all the shutters match the size of the windows, and Mr. Davis explained that this was because there are many instances where there is not enough space. Commissioner Kingsley felt that shutters should only be on windows where they fit, and if they do not fit then leave them off; this needs to be done well or it should not be done at all. Also, this style of home should have a more recessed style of shutter, rather than the rustic 2- panel with horizontal trim being shown, and the shutters should match in size.
Commissioner Kingsley also suggested adding a vent in the gable end above the garage door to help with the balance of the elevation, and changing the single box bay window to the right of the garage to a double double-wide window, because this side elevation faces Campbell and is similar to the front of a home. She also suggested changing the only windows in the kitchen located above the sink from double-hung windows to casement windows with a horizontal muntin to resemble a sash; this will make it easier to open the windows. She also asked the homeowners to consider adding windows on the north side of the kitchen as well.
Commissioner Kubow agreed with the recommendations in the Staff report and said it was a nicely designed home. He agreed with Commissioner Kingsley’s comments about the garage side elevation and her suggestion to change the single box bay window located next to the garage, suggesting a grouping of two windows instead of the single box bay window. He also agreed with the suggestion to add windows at the top of the garage doors, as well as add some type of circular element in the siding above the garage doors for more detail.
Commissioner Seyer said that the home looks nice, and he agreed with Staff’s suggestions to return the stone base down the side of the garage to the sunroom wall, and down the north wall to the end of the Master Bedroom, which would make for a greatly improvement aesthetic. He also agreed that the corner trim boards should stop at the top of the stone base. He questioned if the petitioner was receptive to these suggestions because he was sympathetic to making these requirements versus recommendations. He pointed out that the color rendering of the garage shows horizontal siding above the garage doors and the drawing shows shake style siding; he preferred the added details of the shake siding above the garage doors. He also agreed with the previous suggestion to add windows at the top of the garage doors, and to increase the size of the window located to the right of the garage, although he understood if the petitioner had concerns about doing this because of privacy.
Commissioner Eckhardt agreed with the comments made by the other commissioners, as well as the 4 suggestions in the Staff report that he felt should be requirements. He agreed with Commissioner Kubow’ s suggestion to add a circular element or window in some of the gable ends, such as at the front door, the gable to the right, or maybe the large gable to the left and not the other one. He also agreed with Commissioner Seyer that the fenestration above the garage gable end should have the same siding as the rest of the home because it is the front door. In closing, Commissioner Eckhardt said he was very pleased to see the development of this site.
Chair Fitzgerald agreed with the comments in the Staff report and wanted to see them as requirements. He liked Commissioner Kingsley’s comments about the shutters; the shutters should fit the size of the windows, which would be a recommendation for him. He also liked the suggestion to add some type of element in the gable above the garage door, and he was okay either way with the window located right of the garage door, which additional landscaping would help soften. He felt this was a beautiful home.
Mr. Davis commented that it is always a fine balance between budget, cost, and what looks good. He felt that everyone could agree that the new home looks good and that this ranch home will complement the environment. He said the homeowners are very passionate about their privacy and are not receptive to adding windows in the garage doors or increasing the size of the box bay window next to the garage door. He asked that these be recommendations and not requirements.
Chair Fitzgerald asked if the garage doors being proposed would be white raised panel metal doors and Mr. Davis said yes. Chairman Fitzgerald said that knowing the garage doors face the street, and that several of the commissioners like the windows, as well as the neighbor who spoke tonight, he was still in favor of this being a requirement. Commissioner Kingsley suggested translucent windows for the garage door to help with privacy. Mr. Pigott said his issue is with the security and maintenance of having windows in the garage, which he really did not like the look of anyway. He disagreed that having windows in the garage doors would make a difference, and he assured the commissioners that the garage doors would not be cheap aluminum doors. He added that he was not opposed to the suggestion to add a circular element above the garage in the shake siding, although he was not in favor of it being a real window, again for security and maintenance reasons.
Commissioner Kubow understood the homeowner’s concerns about the security and maintenance of adding windows in the garage. He felt the shake style siding in the gable above the garage would help a lot, as well as the addition of a window or circular element there, which would go a long way. He also agreed with the homeowner’s privacy concerns about increasing the size of the single window in Bedroom #2 located next to the garage; however, he wanted to work with the builder and homeowner to come to a happy medium.
Commissioner Kingsley was glad to hear what the homeowner’s concerns are. She clarified her previous comment to add a vent in the space above the garage doors; not a working vent or a window, just something maintenance free that would help to reduce the look of how large that space is. Chair Fitzgerald was okay with just the shake siding detail above the garage, although he liked the other ideas that were given as well. Commissioner Kubow and Seyer also agreed.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER ECKHARDT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SEYER, TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED NEW SINGLE-FAMILY HOME TO BE LOCATED AT 2 N. RIDGE AVENUE. THIS RECOMMENDATION IS SUBJECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE PLANS DATED 2/10/20, RECEIVED 2/24/20, DESIGN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE, AND VILLAGE CODES, REGULATIONS, AND POLICIES, THE ISSUANCE OF ALL REQUIRED PERMITS, AND THE FOLLOWING:
1. A REQUIREMENT THAT THE STONE BASE BE RETURNED DOWN THE SIDE OF THE GARAGE TO THE SUNROOM WALL.
2. A REQUIREMENT THAT THE STONE BASE BE RETURNED DOWN THE NORTH WALL TO THE END OF THE MASTER BEDROOM.
3. A REQUIREMENT THAT THE CORNER TRIM BOARDS STOP AT THE TOP OF THE STONE BASE.
4. A RECOMMENDATION TO ADD WINDOWS IN THE TOP OF THE GARAGE DOORS TO SOFTEN THE APPEARANCE WHICH COULD BE OBSCURED GLASS FOR PRIVACY.
5. A RECOMMENDATION TO ELIMINATE OR ENLARGE THE SHUTTERS AS APPROPRIATE, TO BE MORE GENUINE IN THEIR FUNCTION.
6. A REQUIREMENT THAT SHAKE STYLE SIDING BE USED IN THE GABLE ABOVE THE GARAGE DOORS, AS SHOWN IN THE DRAWINGS.
7. THIS REVIEW DEALS WITH ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED TO BE AN APPROVAL OF, OR TO HAVE ANY OTHER IMPACT ON, NOR REPRESENT ANY TACIT APPROVAL OR SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED LAND USE OR ANY OTHER ZONING AND/OR LAND USE ISSUES OR DECISIONS THAT STEM FROM ZONING, BUILDING, SIGNAGE OR ANY OTHER REVIEWS. IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL TECHNICAL REVIEW, PERMIT DRAWINGS WILL BE REVIEWED FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE DESIGN COMMISSION AND ANY OTHER COMMISSION OR BOARD APPROVAL CONDITIONS. IT IS THE PETITIONER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO INCORPORATE ALL REQUIREMENTS LISTED ON THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS INTO THE PERMIT DRAWINGS, AND TO ENSURE THAT BUILDING PERMIT PLANS AND SIGN PERMIT PLANS COMPLY WITH ALL ZONING CODE, BUILDING CODE AND SIGN CODE REQUIREMENTS.
KINGSLEY, AYE; KUBOW AYE; ECKHARDT, AYE; SEYER, AYE; FITZGERALD, AYE. ALL WERE IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIED.
ITEM 3. GENERAL MEETING
Commissioner Kubow asked if future Design Commission meetings would be virtual, and Mr. Hautzinger said yes, the plan is to continue on the regular meeting schedule with the next virtual meeting to be held on May 26, 2020. The commissioners thanked Staff for their efforts organizing and executing tonight’s virtual meeting.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER KINGLSEY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KUBOW, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:35 PM. ALL WERE IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIED.
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