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TO: Mayor Thomas J. Weisner
FROM: Planning Commission
DATE: June 10, 2016
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance Granting a Final Plan for a Religious Institution (6400) Use on the Property located at 303 N. Lake Street (Ministerios Adonai - 16-00285 / AU22/1-15.277-Su/Fpn - ES - Ward 6)
PURPOSE:
The Petitioner, Ministerios Adonai, is Requesting approval of a Final Plan for a Religious Institution (6400) Use on the property located at 303 N. Lake Street.
BACKGROUND:
The Subject Property is located at 303 N. Lake Street and is currently utilized as an 18,787 sf. office building with B-2 General Retail zoning. There are 42 parking spaces on site. The building was constructed in 1956. The Comprehensive Plan for this area, which is an extension of the Downtown area, calls for Mixed Use:Office/Research/Commercial/Residential.
The Final Plan is being asked for concurrent with a Special Use.
A Special Use is required for this change in use per Sec. 4.2-1 Religious Institutions of the AZO if certain requirements are not met. Those items which are not met on this site are; C. Green space. At least twenty-five (25) percent of that portion of the lot shall be landscaped and maintained with grass or other living ground cover, and shall be landscaped pursuant to applicable ordinance. Currently, only 8 percent of the lot is in green space, and F. Parking requirements. Religious institutions shall provide parking spaces as required in the Off-Street Parking and Loading Section of the Bulk Restriction section in the AZO. This site does not meet those parking requirements.
The property has been owned by Lutheran Bible Translators since 1984 and the property has been tax exempt. They vacated the building in late Summer 2015, and have put it on the market. Their use was as an office.
The details of the proposal include the purchase of the property by Ministerios Adonai and remodeling the building for sanctuary space for religious services and to have Sunday school classrooms and office use. The petitioner currently owns and operates their church at 543 S. Lake Street. They have been there since 2006.
The proposal is to create a sanctuary for religious services on the first floor with 273 seats plus using 4 offices and 5 classroom spaces on both levels for Ministry efforts. They currently have about 200 members. Because the building is not sprinkled, per the Building Code, the maximum occupant count is 299. The architect is indicating no more than 283 occupants at any one time. The floor plan indicates besides the sanctuary seating, there are 24 office/classrooms, 2 kitchens, and 1 large open area which could accommodate large gatherings. Remodeling the building for a sprinkler system would allow full use of these spaces in the future, resulting in a large increase in the potential parking demand.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has concerns on the change in intensity of the use of the building in the proposed conversion from office to assembly use as it relates to the limited parking on site. A minimum of 71 off-street parking spaces are required based on the building code limited 283 occupant load proposed. 299 occupants are actually allowed without a sprinkler system (75 parking spaces required). As proposed, only 59% of the required 71 off-street parking spaces are provided.
As mentioned earlier, the congregation currently meets at 543 S. Lake Street. That church building is a much smaller space with only 4,749 sf. There are also 36 off-street parking spaces there. Despite being a much smaller space then proposed here, and only 6 less parking spaces, the congregation generates a great deal of traffic and parking on streets in the surrounding area during services on Fridays and Sunday.
The Qualifying Statement supplied by the petitioner also indicates that congregants travel from Chicago and the north suburbs on a regular weekly basis, leading to the belief that this congregation may generate traffic and additional vehicles and parking demand above and beyond what may be typical for a neighborhood or local church.
Staff is therefore concerned of the lack of a permanent parking solution for this site based on the intensification of the use.
The church has proposed to enter into an agreement with First Baptist Church of Aurora of 15 Oak Avenue to use an overflow lot they own on West New York Street located between Lake Street and Oak Avenue. This would be for 40 parking spaces. This proposal does not meet the parking requirements of the AZO. Sec. 5.13.3-2B.-Location of Parking Facilities states that off-street parking may occur on a separate parcel of land not over four hundred (400) feet from the entrance of the principal building. Said parking lot is 1,250 feet walking distance away. They have proposed a shuttle system.
Another option they’ve discussed is to lease 30 spaces from the office property at 312 N. Lake Street. While this property is across the street from the proposed church, there are not any crosswalks across IL 31-Lake Street within close proximity. The closest crossing is at West Park Avenue, resulting in a walking distance of 1,350 feet (over a quarter mile).
Therefore, neither proposal meets the requirements of the AZO, nor are they a permanent solution to the parking situation. Sec. 4.2-1.2F.iii. allows for parking off site if such lot is within a reasonable distance of the religious institution and adequate pedestrian walkways are provided. Further, if the building were to be sprinkled in the future, the occupant load could soar, further exacerbating the parking situation. It does not seem like a long term solution to never be able to concurrently utilize the full potential of the building. Full use of the building office space in conjunction with sanctuary space would result in the need for at least 100 parking spaces.
Admittedly, there are currently City owned parking lots in the vicinity of this site. However, these are sites that are ripe for redevelopment as slated in the Downtown Master Plan and recently unveiled by the City. Invest Aurora CEO David Hulseberg expands on this issue in his letter. Staff has therefore stressed to the petitioner that relying on City lots here is not a long term solution to the parking deficiency.
Public Input: Due public notice was given for the public hearing on this matter. As of the date of this memo, staff has not received public inquiries regarding this petition.
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES:
The Staff’s Evaluation and Recommendation are based on the following Physical Development Policies:
30.0 To promote and plan for the location of commercial centers, based on their functions and interrelationships, in order to provide a balanced distribution of commercial development and redevelopment.
31.1 (3) To promote the development of commercial facilities in existing or planned commercial areas.
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.
In addition, staff does not feel this proposal complies with Sec. 4.2-1.3 of the AZO which would allow the petitioner to vary the standards of the requirements of the Religious Institution section. Staff does feel that the parking issue will result in increasing traffic congestion in the subject neighborhood, and is not consistent with the City of Aurora Comprehensive Plan and Physical Development Policies.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Planning Commission recommends DENIAL of the Resolution Granting a Final Plan for a Religious Institution (6400) Use on the Property located at 303 N. Lake Street.
ATTACHMENTS:
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit "A-1" Final Plan
Property Research Sheet
Planning Council Report
Land Use Petition with Supporting Documents
cc:
Alderman Saville, Chairman
Alderman Donnell
Alderman Irvin
Alderman Hart-Burns, Alternate
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution Approving a Final Plan on Lots 1-3 & 14 of Wilder's Amended Addition Subdivision located at 303 N. Lake Street
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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 by petition dated March 21, 2016, Ministerios Adonai filed with the City of Aurora a petition requesting approval of a Final Plan for 303 N. Lake Street and related required documents as attached hereto as Exhibit "A-1"; and
WHEREAS, after referral of said petition from the Aurora City Council, the Aurora Planning Commission on June 8, 2016, reviewed the petition and recommended DENIAL of said petition; and
WHEREAS, on June 16, 2016, the Planning and Development Committee of the Aurora City Council reviewed said Final Plan and the before mentioned recommendations and recommended _____ of said petition; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, finds as facts all of the preamble recitals of this Resolution and hereby grants _____ of said Final Plan.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Aurora hereby adopts the Special Use and related required documents, as attached hereto as Exhibit "A-1" Final Plan, along with any dedications or modifications deemed necessary by the Aurora City Engineer.