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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Planning and Zoning Commission
DATE: September 19, 2024
SUBJECT:
A Resolution Approving a Final Plan for the Property Located at 2323 Liberty Street for a Special Purpose Recreational Institution (5200) Use (Wheatland Athletic Association - 24-0520 / NA19/1-24.266-CUPD/FPN - SB - Ward 7)
PURPOSE:
The Petitioner, Wheatland Athletic Association, is requesting approval of a Final Plan for the property located at 2323 Liberty Street for a Special Purpose Recreational Institutional (5200) use, the details of which include construction of an approximately fourteen thousand (14,000) square foot building addition, a reconfigured parking lot with one hundred, eleven (111) parking spaces, and materiality upgrades to an existing outdoor lighted soccer field, to allow for the existing athletic training facility to expand its operations.
BACKGROUND:
The Subject Property, which is located at the southwest corner of Liberty St and Wolverine Dr, is approximately eight (8) acres. The property was incorporated to Aurora per O95-073 on September 19, 1995 and was assigned the current ORI zoning district. The Subject Property is zoned ORI, Office, Research, Light Industry. The Comprehensive Plan designates the Subject Property as Office / Research / Light Industrial, while the adjacent block of Liberty Street is designated as Arterial, and the adjacent block of Wolverine Dr is Local Street. The existing building is approximately twenty-nine thousand (29,000) square feet. There are one hundred, nine (109) existing parking spaces on the Subject Property.
The Petitioner, Wheatland Athletic Association, is requesting approval of a Final Plan for the property located at 2323 Liberty St. The details of the request include construction of an approximately fourteen thousand (14,000) square foot building addition on the southern end of the existing building, which will be utilized for continued athletic training facility usage. As a means to allow for the proposed building addition, the Final Plan also shows the existing parking lot, which is south of the building, as being relocated to the east of the building with one hundred, eleven (111) striped parking spaces. The relocated parking lot also includes construction of a new access point to Wolverine Dr. Located in the southern portion of the Subject Property is a new outdoor soccer field with turf and utilization of the existing light poles, as well as a wet bottom detention basin in the southwest corner, and a dry bottom detention basin within the northeast corner. The Landscape Plan indicates existing and proposed landscaping that satisfies the minimum requirements, while also continuing to screen the commercial property and its outdoor usage from the adjacent residential properties. The Building and Signage Elevations indicate the proposed building addition's exterior is to be metal wall panels, which is consistent with the existing building's material, as well as an Electronic Message Center sign, which is in compliance with the applicable Sign Code requirements, per the Municipal Code, Sec. 41.
Concurrently with this proposal, the Petitioner is requesting the establishment of a Conditional Use Planned Development on the property located at 2323 Liberty St. The details of the request include provisions allowing the Special Purpose Recreational Facility (5200), with up to a single accessory outdoor soccer field. Because the ORI zoning requires that all activities, except for off-street parking and loading facilities to be fully conducted within an enclosed building, the Plan Description includes a provision allowing the single designated outdoor soccer field. In addition, the Plan Description also modifies, along the Wolverine Dr frontage, the standard ORI setbacks to be ten (10) feet for the parking lot and the soccer field. The Plan Description also includes a provision that allows the existing and proposed building's exterior materials, which is to be comprised entirely of insulated metal wall panels, to exceed the maximum fifty (50) percent. Finally, the Plan Description proposes the minimum parking requirement to be one (1) space per four hundred (400) square feet of Gross Floor Area.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has reviewed the Final Plan petition and have sent comments back to the Petitioner based on those submittals. The Petitioner has made the requested revisions to these documents and they now meet the applicable codes and ordinances, with the exceptions of the items listed below in the Staff Recommendation.
Based on the proposal, Staff feels the proposal adequately considers the Petitioner's need to not only expand operations, but also brings the Subject Property's use and form into compliance with the City of Aurora's code requirements with minimal impact on the neighboring properties. The addition will provide batting cages for baseball hitting practice. In particular, the Petitioner has provided a detailed Qualifying Statement that outlines the sum of the proposal, in particular, the reduced minimum parking requirement. Many users of the facility are dropped off by their parents. The new parking layout with a two-way double access design will facilitate this drop off operation. The Zoning Ordinance's standard parking requirement for Recreational Facilities (Structure 2400) is one (1) space per two hundred (200) square feet of Gross Floor Area. If this minimum parking requirement is applied for this proposal, the minimum parking requirement for the existing and proposed building would be two hundred, fifteen (215) parking spaces. Applying the proposed minimum parking requirement one (1) space per four hundred (400) square feet, the minimum parking requirement is one hundred, eight (108) parking spaces.
The Petitioner's Qualifying Statement also includes a detailed parking study that shows the highest number of vehicles within the parking lot during the weekdays is typically thirty-two (32) parking spaces, while the highest number of vehicles within the parking lot during the weekend is typically fifty-two (52) parking spaces with a maximum of 61. Given that the highest number of visitors, prior to the proposed building and parking lot expansion, during the weekday is typically between six pm and eight pm, the highest number of visitors on Saturday is typically in the morning, and the highest number of visitors on Sunday is typically in the evening, it is anticipated that the proposed one hundred, ten parking spaces should be more than sufficient to contain excess parking.
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES:
The Staff's Evaluation and Recommendation are based on the following Physical Development Policies:
32.1 (3): To minimize the adverse effects of commercial activity on neighboring
development, particularly residential and open space areas through the provision
of buffering land uses and/or screening.
41.1 (2): To promote a balanced distribution of industries within the City.
51.1 (6): To promote the location and expansion of commercial activities within the City
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended CONDITIONAL APPROVAL of the resolution approving a Final Plan for the Property Located at 2323 Liberty Street for a Special Purpose Recreational Institution (5200) Use, with the following conditions:
1) That the light poles associated with the outdoor soccer field be turned off within thirty (30) minutes of the conclusion of the day's last scheduled outdoors activity, with the lights turned off by ten (10) pm at the latest.
2) That the Final Plan approval be contingent upon Final Engineering approval.
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit "A-1" - Final Plan
Exhibit "A-2" - Landscape Plan
Exhibit "A-3" - Building & Signage Elevations
Land Use Petition and Supporting Documents
Qualifying Statement
Existing and Proposed Floor Plans
Property Parcel Maps
cc: Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee:
Alderwoman Patricia Smith, Chairperson
Alderwoman Shweta Baid, Vice Chairperson
Alderman Michael B. Saville
Alderman William "Bill" Donnell
Alderman Carl Franco
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution Approving a Final Plan for the Property Located at 2323 Liberty Street for a Special Purpose Recreational Institution (5200) Use.
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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 July 2, 2024, Wheatland Athletic Association filed with the City of Aurora a petition Requesting the establishment of a Conditional Use Planned Development on the property located at 2323 Liberty Street. and related required documents as attached hereto as Exhibits "A-1" through Exhibit “A-3”; and
WHEREAS, the Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a hearing on August 21, 2024, reviewed the petition and recommended CONDITIONAL APPROVAL of said petition; and
WHEREAS, on August 28, 2024, the Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee of the Aurora City Council reviewed said Final Plan and the before mentioned recommendations and recommended CONDITIONAL APPROVAL 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 CONDITIONAL APPROVAL of said Final Plan with the following conditions:
1) That the light poles associated with the outdoor soccer field be turned off within thirty (30) minutes of the conclusion of the day's last scheduled outdoors activity, with the lights turned off by ten (10) pm at the latest.
2) That the Final Plan approval be contingent upon Final Engineering approval.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Aurora hereby adopts the Final Plan and related required documents, as attached hereto as Exhibit "A-1" Final Plan, Exhibit “A-2” Landscape Plan, and Exhibit “A-3” Building and Signage Elevations, along with any easement dedications deemed necessary by the Aurora City Engineer.