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TO: Mayor Thomas J. Weisner
FROM: Planning Commission
DATE: June 18, 2015
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance Approving a Revision to the Orchard Gateway Corporate Centre Plan Description on 25.891 acres for Property located at the southwest corner of Orchard Gateway and Deerpath Road, Aurora, Illinois 60506 (Conor Commercial Real Estate - L15-00405 / SG01/4-14.330-Su/Ppn/Psd/R - TV - Ward 5)
PURPOSE:
The Petitioner, Conor Commercial Real Estate is Requesting a Plan Description Revision for Lot 7A of the Resubdivision of Deerpath Commerce Center Subdivision, Unit 2, which would allow for the expansion of Office/Research/Light Industry uses.
BACKGROUND:
The Operator, PPG Industries, Inc. (“PPG”), is a Fortune 500 company and an American global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, glass and fiberglass and are currently located on Bilter Road, in the Liberty Business Park in Aurora. They recently acquired the company Homax including its facility in Joliet and are looking for a new location since the current Aurora site does not have the capacity to accommodate the Joliet operations. The Petitioner has been working with Seize the Future on finding other site within the City of Aurora and decides on the Subject Property which is 47.66 acres located at the southwest corner of Orchard Gateway and Deerpath Road. The property is currently vacant with ORI(S) Office, Research, and Light Industrial zoning which is part of the Orchard Gateway Corporate Centre Special Use Planned Development. The Original Orchard Gateway Corporate Centre Special Use Planned Development was approved in 2003 which allowed for certain educational services for Aurora Christian. In 2009, Aurora Christian decided to no longer pursue a new school facility on this site so a portion of the property was rezoned to add the flexibility of B-2(S) zoning and limited certain industrial trade uses.
The proposed Plan Description Revision would permit PPG to build their new facility on this site. The Revision allows for the expansion of the ORI Office/Research/ Light Industry uses on Lot 7A, being 25.891 acres, including processing, finishing and assembly facilities, warehouse, distribution and storage services, and truck and freight transportation services. In addition, the Revision increases the setback along Deerpath Road to 50 feet to allow for a berm along Deerpath Road.
The details of the Preliminary Plan and Plat include resubdividing Lot 5, 6, and 7 of the Deerpath Commerce Center Unit 2 being 47.66 acres. This resubdivision will create four lots. Lots 5A & 10 contains stormwater facilities while Lot 6A contains compensatory storage. Lot 7A contains a 304,560 square foot facility with the ability for a 159,800 square foot building expansion. This facility will house several of PPG’s operations. The combined business within the proposed building will supply products to national accounts, shipping approximately 12 million gallons and 2.8 million cases of product annually. In addition, this facility will handle the shredding and recycling of 120,000 gallons of paint annually. PPG collects paint pails from their customers that are shred on site to recycle into new pails. A 2,400 square foot area will be dedicated to a tinting operation. Within the space there will be five different tinting systems used to provide custom paint orders. In the larger open area of the facility, goods will be packaged into larger kits to provide along with a paint order. Lastly, a portion of the 58,000 square foot room used to store specialty paint products will have a relabeling operation that removes labels from a product and repackages it for shipment. The building will include three separate office areas totaling 7,000 square feet. The new operation is expected to bring a total of 75 warehouse employees plus 12 staff employees. The building is a single story cross-docked facility with the docks being on the east and west side of the building. The trailer parking will be contained to the west side of the property. There will be two accesses off Orchard Gateway Road and one access off of Deerpath Road which aligns with the commercial access across the street in North Aurora. The plan indicate 293 automobile parking spaces, of which 213 will be banked for future need. An undulating berm is being proposed along the east property line to help screen the building. The Petitioner is request a 6 ½ foot tall ground sign at the northeast corner of Lot 7A.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has reviewed the Plan Description Revision petition, submitted by the petitioner and have sent comments back to them on those submittals. The petitioner has made the requested revisions to these documents and they now meet the applicable codes and ordinances, with the exception of the items mentioned in the Staff Recommendation listed below.
The Petitioner is requesting to modify the number of Overall Development Signage from two to four signs. The signs are typically located at the main entrance into the development to identify the overall subdivision. The existing Plan Description already allows two of these signs at the intersection of Orchard Gateway and Deerpath Road which is the only main entrance into the site. The proposed Preliminary Plan and Plat does not even include this signage, therefore, Staff is not supportive of this change.
Public Input: Due public notice was given for the public hearing on this matter. As of the date of this memo, staff has received one public inquiry requesting additional information on this petition.
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES :
The Staff’s Evaluation and Recommendation are based on the following Physical Development Policies:
11.0 To guide the growth of the City in an orderly and structured manner.
12.0 To plan and provide for the growth of the city through the integration of land use patterns and functions that promotes complimentary interactions between different land use components.
40.1(1) To attract and encourage industrial, office and office-research development to planned sites where requisite public facilities are either present or proposed.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Plan Commission recommends CONDITIONAL APPROVAL of the Ordinance Approving a Revision to the Orchard Gateway Corporate Centre Plan Description on 25.891 acres for Property located at the southwest corner of Orchard Gateway and Deerpath Road, Aurora, Illinois 60506, with the following conditions:
1. That the Plan Description be modified pursuant to the attached redline.
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit "A" Legal Description
Exhibit "B" Plan Description
Seize the Future Letter of Support
Property Research Sheet
Finding of Facts
Land Use Petition and Supporting Documents
Legistar History Report
cc: Alderman Saville, Chairman
Alderman Donnell
Alderman Irvin
Alderman Hart-Burns, Alternate
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
ORDINANCE NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
An Ordinance Approving a Revision to the Orchard Gateway Corporate Centre Plan Description on 25.891 Acres for Property located at the southwest corner of Orchard Gateway and Deerpath Road, Aurora, Illinois 60506
body
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, Aurora Christian Schools Inc is the owner of record of the real estate property legally described on Exhibit “A”, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth; and
WHEREAS, Conor Commercial Real Estate filed a Plan Description Revision petition with the City of Aurora on May 6, 2015, to revise the Plan Description for the property legally described in Exhibit “A”; and
WHEREAS, a revised Plan Description in the form of Exhibit “B”, attached hereto and included herein by reference as if fully set forth, have been duly submitted to the Corporate Authorities of the City of Aurora for review for the property described in Exhibit “A”; and
WHEREAS, the Plan Description established for the subject property with Ordinance O09-018 approved March 10, 2009 shall remain in full forth and effect with the exception of the modifications included herein as Exhibit “B”; and
WHEREAS, after referral of said petition from the Aurora City Council, and after due notice and publication of said notice, the Aurora Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on June 17, 2015, with respect to said petition for Special Use permit and found that said petition met the standards prescribed by Section 4.3.(8000) and Section 10.6 Standards of Ordinance Number 3100, being the Aurora Zoning Ordinance, and recommended CONDITIONAL APPROVAL of the Preliminary Plan and Plat Revision; and
WHEREAS, the City Council, after due investigation and consideration, has determined that the approval of the revised Plan Description for the property legally described in Exhibit “A” will promote the sound planning and development of the City, and therefore serve the best interests of the City of Aurora; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows:
Section One: That the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois finds as fact all of the preamble recitals of this Ordinance.
Section Two: That the revised Plan Description in the form of Exhibit “B” attached hereto and included herein by reference as if fully set forth and incorporated in and made a part of this Ordinance is hereby approved with the following conditions:
1. That the Plan Description be modified pursuant to the attached redline.
Section Three: That this Plan Description Revision approved and is subject to all of the conditions set forth herein which shall be binding and remain in full force and effect upon the property, the applicant and his respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors, assigns and devisees for the duration of said use.
Section Four: That all modifications and exceptions under the Aurora Zoning Ordinance and all modifications and exceptions from the Aurora Subdivision Control Ordinance, as set forth in the Plan Description, are here by granted and approved.
Section Five: That this Ordinance shall take effect and be in full force and effect upon and after its passage and approval.
Section Six: That all ordinances or part of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed insofar as any conflict exists.
Section Seven: That any section, phrase or paragraph of this Ordinance that is construed to be invalid, void or unconstitutional shall not affect the remaining sections, phrases or paragraphs of this Ordinance which shall remain in full force and effect.