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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Planning and Zoning Commission
DATE: January 6, 2022
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance amending Chapter 49 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, by modifying the zoning map attached thereto to rezone Property located at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road to PDD Planned Development District to be incorporated into the existing Butterfield Planned Development District pursuant to an Approved Annexation Agreement (Logistics Property Company - 21-0925 / NA04/1-21.325-PA/A/PDD/Rz - JM - Ward 10)
PURPOSE:
The Petitioner LPC Ferry Road I, LP (LPC) is requesting to rezone the property located at northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road to PDD Planned Development District and be incorporated into the existing Butterfield Planned Development District, pursuant to an Annexation Agreement which includes upon acquisition by LPC, future development of a 270,934 square foot warehouse.
BACKGROUND:
The Subject Property is currently located in unincorporated DuPage County. Additional information on the legislative history of the property can be found in the attached Property Information Sheet.
The Petitioner is requesting to rezone the property located at northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road to PDD Planned Development District and be incorporated into the existing Butterfield Planned Development District, pursuant to an Annexation Agreement.
Concurrently with this proposal, the Petitioner is requesting approval of an Annexation Agreement and Annexation of 4.84 acres located at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road and to rezone the property to PDD, Planned Development District. The details of the Annexation Agreement include provisions that upon acquisition of the property by LPC, the property will be annexed into the Butterfield Planned Development District. The Agreement outlines that the owners are responsible for constructing the west half of a road along the entire frontage of Meridian. Along Sunrise Road, the owners will construct the full road from near their access point onto Sunrise Road to Frieder Lane. The Agreement requires that a sidewalk, storm sewer and streetlights be added along the western side of Meridian Road and along the northern side of Sunrise Road along the entire property’s frontage. In addition, a crosswalk will be added along Sunrise Road on the east side of Frieder Lane.
The Petitioner is also requesting the approval of a Final Plat for Butterfield Phase II Unit 4C Subdivision located at the southwest corner of Ferry Road and Meridian Road, consolidating the two parcels being annexed with two parcels currently within City limits to create Lot 402, which will consist of 17.6 acres. Right-of-way triangles and city easements will be dedicated.
In addition, the Petitioner is requesting a Final Plan for the entire 17.6 acres of Lot 402 of Butterfield Phase II Unit 4C Subdivision for a Warehouse, Distribution and storage services (3300) Use. The project is to develop a 270,934 square foot speculative warehouse containing 37 truck docks and 51 truck spaces facing Frieder Lane and 261 automobile parking spaces that border Ferry Road and Meridian Road. The main pedestrian entrance will be located at the northeast and southeast corner and possibly in the middle of the east elevation. Automobile traffic is planned to access the development from two points along Meridian located near the building’s entrances. The truck access will be off of Frieder Lane near Ferry Road and off of Sunrise Road. There will be a do not enter sign and a right turn only sign to prohibit trucks from exiting towards Meridian or Sunrise. The parking to the east is setback 27 feet from the property line with the building being setback 105 feet. To the south, the building is setback from the property line a minimum of 26 feet. The right-of-way to the south is an additional 80 feet. The Landscape Plan shows an undulating three-foot berm along the eastern property line lined with a row of street trees in the right-of-way and a row of a mixture of canopy, evergreen and understory trees on the property. Sunrise Road also include a row of street trees and a second row of trees. Evergreen trees are specifically placed across from residential to provide buffering. Shrubs line the parking lots and foundation as well as shrub beds at the entrances. The Building and Signage Elevation depicts a 45 foot tall building with white precast concrete wall panels articulated by dark gray panels along the bottom and a band of light gray panels with windows spanning the top. The corner entrances feature large glass windows.
Finally, the request includes requesting the Vacation of a Watermain easement to allow for the development, which will meet up with the above petitions at the Building, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has reviewed the Rezoning petition and have sent comments back to the petitioner on those submittals. The petitioner has made the requested revisions to these documents and they now meet the applicable codes and ordinances.
This area has been planned for Office, Research and Light Industrial since the 1970s. The properties to the west are light industrial developments. The project adheres to the bulk restriction requirements of the Butterfield Planned Development Plan Description. Staff worked early on with the developers to have the truck docks face towards Frieder and away from the current residential uses. In addition, the signs directing trucks away from Meridian and Sunrise should alleviate truck traffic going east. The traffic study provided concluded that the development would have little to no effect upon the operations of the roadways. The Landscape Plan provides a berm along the eastern property line and heavy landscaping along the eastern and southern property lines to provide buffering.
Staff has the following comments regarding the Findings of Facts:
1. Staff has noted below the physical development policies that the proposal meets.
2. The proposal does represent the logical establishment of the requested classification in considering the existing area as the abutting parcels to the west are zoned for manufacturing within the Butterfield Planned Development and the areas further west are developed as light industrial.
3. The proposal is consistent with a desirable trend of development in the area as the area has been planned for light industrial uses since the 1970s. The future plans for the current residential to the south is to annex into Aurora with office, research, and light industrial uses.
4. The rezoning will allow uses that are more suitable to the existing abutting development that is zoned manufacturing within the Butterfield Planned Development.
5. The rezoning is consistent with the existing area as it confirms to the abutting properties and the plan provides setbacks to the east and south along with landscaping buffering and tries to address truck traffic concerns through the placement of the docks to the west side of the property and directing truck traffic west.
Public Input: Due public notice was given for the public hearing on this matter. As of the date of this memo, staff has received public inquiries requesting additional information on this petition and raising concerns regarding truck and automobile traffic through the residential homes to the east of the site on Sunrise Road and Meadow Road, noise of the trucks, placement of the truck docks to ensure they remain to the west of the property, storm water management, and landscape buffering.
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES:
The Staff’s Evaluation and Recommendation are based on the following Physical Development Policies:
11.1 (5) To guide and promote development to areas where public utilities, public roads
and municipal services are either available or planned.
12.0 To plan and provide for the growth of the city through the integration of land use
patterns and functions that promotes complementary 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.
40.1 (5) To plan and promote the extension of the office and office-research corridor along the tollway in the City of Aurora.
40.1 (6) To promote attractive, well-maintained industrial and office-research areas through
landscaping and site design.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended APPROVAL of An Ordinance amending Chapter 49 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, by modifying the zoning map attached thereto to rezone Property located at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road to PDD Planned Development District to be incorporated into the existing Butterfield Planned Development District pursuant to an Approved Annexation Agreement.
ATTACHMENTS:
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit "A" Legal Description
Exhibit “B” Plan Description Reference
Land Use Petition with Supporting Documents
Property Research Sheet
Legistar History Report
Legistar Number: 21-0925
cc:
Alderman Michael B. Saville, Chairperson
Alderwoman Patty Smith, Vice Chairperson
Alderman Carl Franco
Alderman Sherman Jenkins
Alderman Ron Woerman
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
ORDINANCE NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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An Ordinance amending Chapter 49 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, by modifying the zoning map attached thereto to rezone Property located at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road to PDD Planned Development District to be incorporated into the existing Butterfield Planned Development District pursuant to an Approved Annexation Agreement
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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, LPC Ferry Road I, LP, is the owner of record of the real estate legally described on Exhibit “A”, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth, and hereafter referred to as Exhibit “A”; and
WHEREAS, a Plan Description in the form of Exhibit “B”, attached hereto and included herein by reference as if fully set forth, has been duly submitted to the Corporate Authorities of the City of Aurora for review with the Annexation Agreement for the property described in Exhibit “A”; and
WHEREAS, all public hearings and other action required to the held or taken prior to the adoption and execution of said Annexation Agreement in order to make the same effective have been held or taken pursuant to notice as required by law and in accordance with all requirements of law; and
WHEREAS, the property legally described on Exhibit “A” has been duly and validly annexed to the City of Aurora pursuant to the terms and conditions in the Annexation Agreement; and
WHEREAS, Exhibits “A” and “B”, attached hereto and included herein by reference as if fully set forth, in its present form, have been on file with the City Clerk of the City of Aurora for public inspection for at least one week; and
WHEREAS, the City Council, after due investigation and consideration, has determined that the classification and establishment of a Planned Development District and the approval of the Plan Description with a zoning of PDD Planned Development District for the property legally described in Exhibit “A” will promote the sound Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee of the City, and therefore serve the best interests of the City of Aurora.
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 this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect, and shall be controlling, upon its passage and approval.
Section Three: That all Ordinances or part of Ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed insofar as any conflict exists.
Section Four: 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.
Section Five: That the 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 part of this Ordinance, is hereby approved and that Chapter 49 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, being the Zoning Ordinance and the Zoning Map attached thereto be, and the same are, hereby amended to rezone the real estate as described on Exhibit “A” to PDD Planned Development District subject to the provisions of the Plan Description attached hereto as Exhibit “B”.
Section Six: That all modifications and exceptions under the Zoning Ordinance and all modifications and exceptions under the Subdivision Control Ordinance as set forth in the Plan Description attached hereto as Exhibit “B” are hereby granted and approved