[3:54] Mhm.
[5:09] » They are running up and running there,
Carl.
[5:11] » All right, yes. Whenever you're ready,
chair.
[5:13] » Okay.
[5:16] Uh good evening, everybody. Thanks for
coming out.
[5:20] Uh I'd like to call to order this
regular meeting of the City of of
[5:23] Highland Park's Plan and Design
Commission
[5:26] uh for August 18th, 2026.
Um
[5:33] Director Fontaine, could you please call
the roll?
[5:36] » Yes. Commissioner Incheck.
>> Here.
[5:39] » Commissioner Fettner.
Commissioner Henry.
[5:42] Commissioner Mantis.
>> Here.
[5:43] » Commissioner Moore.
>> Here.
[5:45] » Vice Chair Nannes. Here. Chair Kirsch.
Present. We have a quorum. I do want to
[5:50] recognize City Council Liaison Yumi Ross
is here as well as Corporation Counsel
[5:55] Marcus Martinez and student rep Chloe
Pilot. Thank you.
[6:00] » Terrific.
All right, first item on the agenda
[6:04] tonight is a consideration of the
minutes from the regular meeting of July
[6:08] 21st.
Um I have
[6:13] four corrections
to the votes that were taken.
[6:19] The minutes reflected all votes at that
meeting were voice votes
[6:24] although four of them were actually roll
call votes. Those were on items A, B, F,
[6:33] and G from that agenda.
Do you need me to um
[6:39] read what they what they were other than
that?
[6:42] That's okay. Okay, anybody else have
corrections or additions?
[6:49] If not, do I have a motion?
>> So moved.
[6:52] » Do Motion to
approve the minutes.
[6:55] » Uh amended.
>> I'll second.
[6:59] » Moved by Commissioner Nannis, second by
Commissioner Moore. All those in favor?
[7:03] » Aye.
>> Aye.
[7:04] » Any opposed?
No abstentions. Okay.
[7:09] Uh as become as is becoming my habit,
I'm going to ask the commission's
[7:13] indulgence here to uh the agenda. You know, there's
[7:18] only two items so number two is going to
go first, number one
[7:22] will go second if that's okay with
everybody.
[7:26] Um this So, the first item on the agenda
tonight is a public hearing SUP 2026
[7:32] -00012
for a special use permit and design
[7:37] review with variations for a storage
container at 581 Roger Williams Avenue.
[7:43] My understanding is this
item has been withdrawn by the
[7:48] petitioner. Is that correct, Planner
Bergsing and Planner Burhop?
[7:52] » Uh yes, so the applicant by email
withdrew this application and so it is
[7:57] not before consideration before the Plan
and Design Commission.
[8:01] Uh and they'll they'll then have to
proceed to come into compliance with the
[8:05] uh storage container regulations.
>> And thus, having been withdrawn, that
[8:12] means we have no action to take and
that item has been dismissed. I'm sorry
[8:18] if anyone was here to comment on that.
But it doesn't look like it. Okay.
[8:25] Next up is public hearing SUP 2026-00011
[8:31] to amend a special use permit for
non-conforming uses and design review
[8:36] with variations at 2132
Green Bay Road.
[8:42] Um
this is a new
[8:45] uh new public hearing, so
I am obliged to read these words.
[8:51] » [snorts]
>> Welcome to the regular meeting of the
[8:54] Highland Park Plan and Design
Commission. My name is Steve Kirch.
[8:58] Quorum of the Plan and Design Commission
being present, the members of the
[9:02] Commission will now introduce themselves
for the record starting from my far
[9:07] right.
>> Kristen and Chuck.
[9:09] » Danny Mansour.
>> Karen Moore.
[9:10] » Josh Nannis.
>> The Plan and Design Commission is
[9:13] charged with hearing applications for
rezonings, plan developments, and
[9:18] subdivisions under the zoning ordinance
and subdivision regulations of the City
[9:22] of Highland Park. In all matters, we
recommend to the City Council based upon
[9:27] the testimony presented
in the hearing. We are required to
[9:32] decide cases within 45 days after
receipt of the transcript.
[9:36] All testimony is under oath.
Both applicants and others who wish to
[9:42] speak on a particular case should
present specific evidence as to why a
[9:46] proposal meets or fails to meet the
standards uh
[9:53] standards for the relief requested.
For clarity of our records, only one
[9:58] person will speak at a time and all
questions will be directed through the
[10:02] chair. We ask that you make every effort
to not be repetitive in your testimony.
[10:07] Finally, we will make every effort to
adhere to the schedule prepared for
[10:11] tonight's hearing.
If additional time is needed on a matter
[10:15] matter, it will be continued until the
next available agenda. And with that, I
[10:20] open the floor for the staff of the
Planning and Design Commission to read
[10:24] into the record proof of publication and
ownership.
[10:28] » Proof of publication and ownership are
available for viewing at the offices of
[10:32] Community Development, 1150 Half Day
Road in Highland Park. Thank you, Mr.
[10:36] Chair.
>> [clears throat]
[10:37] » Thank you.
[10:41] Planner proceed your planner Burhop, are
you up? I believe I see only you here.
[10:46] » Yes, thank you, Chair.
[10:50] Just a brief presentation for this item.
Okay, so good evening, everybody. My
[10:56] name is Karl Burhop. I'm a senior
planner with the City of Highland Park
[11:00] in the Community Development Department,
the Planning Division. And so, this is a
[11:03] presentation for the
special use permit for this site.
[11:07] So, this is a corner lot on Green Bay
Road and I believe believe that's
[11:11] Glenview
Avenue to the south. Uh this is a public
[11:15] hearing. Staff recommend the commission
review this request to allow a different
[11:19] non-conforming use.
The commission may adopt findings of
[11:22] fact recommending approval if it chooses
that were in the packet. Uh staff did
[11:26] not have any conditions of approval in
the draft. The commission may also
[11:30] consider conditions as appropriate.
So, this is an existing building.
[11:36] Uh the request is to convert uh the
first floor of this two-story building
[11:40] to a personal training facility.
Uh several years ago
[11:44] the city council made a interpretation
uh through some specific regulation in
[11:50] article 4 of the zoning code uh that uh
personal training facilities are to be
[11:56] considered a medical office land use for
purposes of of regulation. Uh so, when
[12:01] staff reviewed this for parking, for
instance, we reviewed it to the medical
[12:05] office requirement.
The second floor will remain an office
[12:09] space, which is in line with its uh
current use and its approval from 2008.
[12:14] Property is currently vacant, but it was
previously used as a general office
[12:17] space.
Uh the overall footprint of the
[12:19] principal structure will remain. No
proposed changes to the exterior. So,
[12:23] this actually does not need design
review. There's no design review.
[12:26] They're not making any changes to the
exterior. This is purely an interior
[12:30] change of use uh request before the
commission.
[12:33] This is an aerial of the site. You can
see there's the parking lot there. I
[12:37] think there's 19 spaces on it. It's a
non-conforming parking lot, but it's
[12:40] existing and they're not proposing any
changes to that.
[12:45] Uh you may recall immediately to the
south
[12:48] uh this is going to become a town home
development.
[12:53] Background. So, back in 2008, the site
was approved. So, um the way
[13:00] non-conforming uses kind of work
at the time in 2008, presumably there
[13:07] would have been a legal non-conforming
use. Though at the time
[13:11] uh they had vacated for more than 2
years, and so
[13:15] uh the applicant at that time came in
and requested two things. They requested
[13:20] uh that the 2-year
uh abandonment clause or termination
[13:24] clause in article 9 be varied from this
site. That was a variation that actually
[13:28] had to go to the zoning Board of
Appeals. It was a comp area for all that
[13:31] goes to the zoning Board of Appeals and
the city council. Then it also had a
[13:35] special use permit
that
[13:38] through the Article 9 non-conforming
section which was a change of use.
[13:43] It was approved. It was approved and so
this site now has that variation to the
[13:47] two-year abandonment clause that runs
with the land and it has the special use
[13:52] permit but the special use permit is
only for general business office. And so
[13:56] this request amends that special use
permit to allow a medical office use
[14:00] which again they are they're asking for
a personal training facility.
[14:04] I think yeah, this new use does not
trigger any landscaping or lighting or
[14:07] design review. It's a
purely an interior type thing.
[14:12] They did provide a traffic study which
we which was sent to Civiltech and
[14:18] Civiltech did provide comments that were
in the packet. The applicant has since
[14:22] responded to those comments yesterday or
today.
[14:26] We will staff will send that to
Civiltech.
[14:30] Staff considers the Civiltech comments
to be minor in nature and more of a
[14:32] clarification.
Should the commission have concern, you
[14:37] can certainly adopt that as an
additional of approval. From a parking
[14:40] standpoint and this was in the report,
even with this proposed change of use,
[14:46] they will meet the off-street parking
requirements with I I don't remember one
[14:50] or two or three spaces
to spare. So they will meet the parking
[14:55] requirement.
I do have I do have one more comment
[14:59] here because this is the last slide.
There
[15:03] this was in the report.
The commission is supposed to use the
[15:07] special use permit standards of approval
but you're only using
[15:13] you're only using 1 2 4 and 9. So you're
only using four of the nine standards
[15:19] and and the the the they all all of
those standards matter, but I just will
[15:25] read and here it says that a
non-conforming use may be replaced by an
[15:30] equal or less intense non-conforming
use. And so that's really one of the
[15:34] critical findings that the commission is
making if you adopt the findings of fact
[15:39] that what's proposed is an equal or less
intense use. And there's there's
[15:44] different ways to get to that.
One way to get to that is is through
[15:49] off-street parking. Of course there are
other things to look at. And again staff
[15:53] will just point out that the site on its
own does comply with off-street parking
[15:57] with this proposed use.
Um with one or two spaces extra. I can't
[16:02] remember what it said in the report, but
it complies.
[16:04] Um and so that's it. I can take any
questions if there are any.
[16:09] » Questions for staff.
Commissioner Mendez.
[16:15] » Appreciate the background Carl on
uh considering this medical office cuz I
[16:20] was looking at the zoning code and it
looks like we've got something called
[16:23] sports training school, which felt like
the way that it's described is a little
[16:27] bit more
in line with what's being proposed than
[16:30] medical office. Is there any other color
as to why it's not a sports training
[16:36] school and why city council determined
to call it medical
[16:39] » Yes, so I can talk I can talk about this
a little more. So there was a whole
[16:42] resolution for this. Uh this was a few
years ago. There were multiple reasons
[16:46] why the city council made this uh land
use interpretation,
[16:51] uh but one of the primary reasons
uh
[16:55] uh
personal trainers are kind of like
[16:59] physical therapists physical therapy. Uh
and they and the applicant can speak
[17:04] more about their proposed use than than
I can, but my understanding is that you
[17:07] know it's it's sometimes just this
one-on-one or very small group oriented
[17:12] where you're it's it's very similar to
physical therapy. I I don't I mean
[17:15] that's
that's the gist of it and that's what
[17:17] staff thought several years ago. I I
really don't have
[17:20] more to more to say to that. There was
more to it when this was done a few
[17:23] years ago, but uh that's the main my
main takeaway and the main thing I
[17:27] remember. We thought those were very
similar. Physical therapist to personal
[17:30] training, and a physical therapist would
be a medical office.
[17:33] » That makes sense.
Thank you.
[17:38] » Any questions for staff?
[17:43] Uh would the petitioner like to
make a presentation
[17:47] or come up just to answer questions?
Welcome back, counselor. I hope we will
[17:52] not impose so much on your time at this
particular presentation
[17:56] » Always a pleasure to be here.
Thank you.
[18:01] » Would you like me to put up your
presentation?
[18:02] » If you don't mind, I'll be very quick.
Um so, good evening.
[18:06] » Uh I'm sorry. Do you swear to tell the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
[18:09] the truth?
>> I do.
[18:11] Um so, for the record, Katie Jenky-Dale
with the law firm of DLA Piper. Per
[18:15] usual, Carl uh senior planner perhaps
has stolen my thunder and done a very
[18:19] comprehensive um job
uh previewing the request. Um there were
[18:23] just a couple items I
figured I'd add on behalf of my client,
[18:27] the property owner, uh who's represented
here tonight by uh Leslie and Brian
[18:31] Berish. Um they acquired the site, which
uh as was just shown, is at the
[18:37] northwest corner of Green Bay and
Glenview Road uh Glenview Avenue,
[18:41] rather, um approximately 3 and 1/2 years
ago in December of 2022. Since that um
[18:47] and they bought it from who was then the
office tenant of the building um who
[18:52] vacated the building after they sold it.
Um since that time, they've been
[18:56] actively marketing it for the office use
it's already allowed with no luck um as
[19:02] you can probably imagine, office market
is not incredibly robust right now. Um
[19:07] and oftentimes when they found users
like this, a lot of times uh the users
[19:10] said, "Oh, it's not allowed. I'm just
going to move on and find something
[19:13] else." So, uh um um, in order to
they've, um,
[19:17] know this user, uh, this operator and
agreed with this, uh, use to, uh, take
[19:22] it upon themselves to get the use
approved, um, in hopes that they can,
[19:26] uh, finally re-tenant the building.
Like it was already covered, uh, before
[19:32] being an office, it was actually an auto
repair shop, which you can kind of tell
[19:35] when you, uh, see the floor plans.
Um, and typically, um, we expect and we
[19:41] know the traffic that we prepared, um,
kind of assumed conservatively, like
[19:46] worst case scenario as far as,
uh, trips to the site, but we really,
[19:51] um, expect mostly this is going to be
one-on-one training or maybe one-on-two
[19:55] training, uh, if a couple or, uh, you
know, two friends want to be trained
[19:59] together, about 1-hour sessions, um, but
quite limited as far as impact.
[20:05] Um, this is the, uh, floor plans. Again,
we're not, uh, like outlining we're not
[20:10] making any significant changes to, uh,
the building, but we are building out
[20:14] the first floor for that personal
training and physical therapy space and
[20:18] keeping office on the second floor.
And I think this actually, um, kind of
[20:22] illustrates better,
uh, you know, what that first floor
[20:25] personal training area would look like,
but don't ask me what you do with any of
[20:30] that equipment.
>> [laughter]
[20:33] » Um, and the one other thing that I know
is outlined in the staff report is we
[20:36] have worked with the tenant, um, and
have proposed, uh, have proposed signage
[20:41] as part of this, um, that's detailed in
the packet, one per frontage given that
[20:45] we're on a corner lot.
And you can kind of see the former use
[20:50] as an auto shop, uh, in the building.
[20:54] And then, I I get to add one fact, uh,
at this time. So, uh, the parking as
[21:00] outlined, uh, we do have two extra
spaces from what the, uh, what would be
[21:03] required per code and a very nominal,
uh, again, conservatively
[21:08] uh, estimated
traffic increase less than 1%.
[21:13] And then these are the four standards
that were just outlined that are
[21:17] applicable here and we've outlined those
in the packet as well as in the slide
[21:22] how we believe that we comply with it.
But with that, we're available for any
[21:27] questions. We respectfully request
favorable consideration and approval of
[21:31] this. Thank you so much for your time.
>> Questions for the petitioner.
[21:41] Seeing none.
Do we have any members of the public who
[21:45] would like to speak on this matter?
>> [clears throat]
[21:50] » I got no takers on anything tonight.
Man. [laughter]
[21:53] Uh
okay. Seeing that there are no members
[21:57] of public who wish to speak.
What is the will of the commission?
[22:04] Do you wish to discuss this? Do you wish
to make a motion?
[22:10] Or we can order pizza.
>> I'm I'm fine with this. So I'm I'm fine
[22:16] motioning to approve.
[22:19] » I would second that motion.
>> What was the motion?
[22:22] » It's a motion to approve the base.
>> [laughter]
[22:24] » What motion to approve and
>> I'll second.
[22:27] » So that's just a recommendation to
approve?
[22:29] » Right. Yeah.
>> The findings of fact as
[22:32] Adopt the findings of fact as presented
in the packet.
[22:36] Uh no conditions on that. Okay?
>> Nope.
[22:40] » Okay. That's been moved and
moved by Vice Chair Manis
[22:44] and seconded by Commissioner Mantis.
Um any discussion on the motion?
[22:51] Oh
that's a roll call. Sorry. I'm going to
[22:55] I was almost going to do it myself.
>> [laughter]
[23:00] » It's a location.
[23:05] » Commissioner will score all. Yeah, thank
you. Commissioner Incheck.
[23:08] » Hi.
>> Hi. Commissioner Mantis.
[23:11] » Hi.
>> Commissioner Moore.
[23:12] » Hi.
>> Vice Chair Nannis.
[23:14] » Hi.
>> And Chair Krush.
[23:15] » Hi.
>> The eyes have it. The motion carries and
[23:18] this item has been recommended for
approval.
[23:21] » Thank you.
>> Thank you everybody.
[23:24] » Okay.
>> Thank you. I'll I'll follow up with you.
[23:31] Thank you. God bless you.
>> Thank you.
[23:33] » See you in a mass.
>> [laughter]
[23:37] » I'll remember that.
[23:42] » Okay, moving on. Any information items?
Administrative design review updates.
[23:48] » I I do chair. I have two administrative
design review updates.
[23:54] Uh both on Roger Williams Avenue. So,
572 Roger Williams Avenue was approved.
[24:00] I believe they changed the color of the
awnings.
[24:04] And then 473 Roger Williams Avenue, a uh
design review on the front side for
[24:11] I believe it's new windows
uh along the sidewalk. And then on the
[24:16] back side uh I believe uh screening for
a mech unit on the roof and possibly
[24:21] also a refuse container on the back. So,
those are the two administrative design
[24:25] review updates.
>> Were those new new tenants in those
[24:29] spaces or
just changes?
[24:32] » I the 473 Roger Williams will be a a new
tenant and the other one I'm not sure. I
[24:38] think so, but I don't I don't recall
immediately.
[24:41] » You may recall planner one Anthony
Mistretta. He handles a lot of those.
[24:44] » Okay. Yeah, I should.
>> I just wish to report that those were
[24:47] approved.
>> Thank you.
[24:51] Uh next meeting is September 1st.
>> Regular meeting here at City Hall. do we
[24:56] have any preview?
>> Well, since nothing was continued from
[25:01] this evening, there will only be one
item for September 1st, and that will be
[25:06] a request from the city for zoning code
text amendment uh to look at doing I
[25:11] forget the technical term. It's rather
It's rather long in the land use table,
[25:15] but basically it's cell phone facilities
without towers. So, antennas, equipment
[25:22] boxes that go up on rooftops, looking
only at the B2RW overlay zone.
[25:28] » Thank you.
>> [snorts]
[25:31] » Uh any case briefings, Director?
>> Yes, Mr. Chairman. Um
[25:35] So, uh City Council met last night.
Um and one item on the agenda uh was
[25:42] with regard to the uh zoning text
amendment related to data centers.
[25:47] That was uh approved 6-0.
Um another item on the agenda uh
[25:54] had to deal with um 147 Central Avenue,
the planned development subdivision. Um
[26:02] that was uh staff was directed by
Council uh to draft uh approval
[26:08] documents for that to come back uh to
their next meeting.
[26:12] Um those were the two main items on on
the agenda um and there was uh
[26:18] another item on um
with regard to uh relief from fence
[26:23] height requirements um for the Albion at
Highland Park, uh 1850 Green Bay Road.
[26:30] Um that was part of a settlement
agreement and under the ordinance uh
[26:35] settlement matters uh related to that
involves zoning go directly to City
[26:39] Council, and the Council voted to
approve 6-0 to allow a 12-ft high fence
[26:45] uh absorptive absorptive absorptive
sound wall, if you will, fence for uh
[26:52] the uh length of about 100 ft between
the properties at 1850
[26:59] Green Bay Road and 1853 Sheean Court.
That's all I have to report.
[27:05] Thank you.
>> I I actually may I
[27:07] chair?
>> Yes, Councilwoman Ross.
[27:10] » Because I assumed
Director Fontaine would give an update
[27:15] about last night. I
am going to share that it was
[27:22] a five to one vote.
The mayor was out of town.
[27:26] And
[27:29] I was the one who
voted against the subdivision.
[27:36] And
there was a question about whether the
[27:39] whole site is landmarked and in fact
staff was very clear that it is all
[27:43] landmarked.
And
[27:48] I
stated I mean
[27:53] you know, I just feel it's a
And and so the obviously the
[27:57] preservationist that's an invaluable
probably one of the most historic sites
[28:01] in in in the city. It has the first
house ever built in Highland Park and
[28:05] it's just a beautiful site all together.
But I just thought to to to share that
[28:12] that that was what
unfolded and it
[28:17] um
I think another
[28:20] sort of striking
piece about it
[28:25] is that
but this is this is what is in I guess
[28:29] due course and it's going to go back to
HPC for a certificate of
[28:33] appropriateness.
Um
[28:36] in
if everything is approved the zoning
[28:40] allows up to a 15,300
sq ft
[28:45] house
uh story or two stories all together.
[28:49] Uh and um
I think I know there a whole series of
[28:53] of steps at at at this point.
Uh and as you know, they it was a
[29:00] approved last night. I wanted to
explain my part in it last night and uh
[29:07] thank you for listening to me.
Yeah.
[29:10] » Sure. Thank you.
>> So, that was for 147 Central
[29:12] » 147 Central, the Cornelia's
uh field house. Yeah.
[29:18] property.
>> Right.
[29:23] Okay.
Uh
[29:25] any business
from the public which was not addressed
[29:29] earlier? There was no public to address
any business
[29:33] and that leaves just one last item on
the agenda and it's adjournment.
[29:39] » So moved.
>> Second.
[29:42] » Moved by Commissioner Moore, seconded by
Commissioner Incheck. All those in
[29:46] favor?
>> Aye.
[29:47] » Aye.
>> Any opposed?
[29:50] Uh seeing none, we'll see you all
in a pre-Labor Day meeting
[29:56] of this year.