Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Commercial Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plan commission approves Waterfall Plaza facelift, limits Mirage Coffee drive‑through hours to 9 p.m.
Summary
The Plan Commission voted to approve a site‑improvement plan for Waterfall Plaza and a special use permit for Mirage Coffee House’s two‑lane drive‑through, subject to staff conditions and a restriction that the drive‑through service window not operate after 9 p.m.; residents raised concerns about headlights, traffic and circulation.
The Orland Park Plan Commission approved an amendment to the Waterfall Plaza planned development and a special use permit for Mirage Coffee House’s restaurant with a two‑lane drive‑through, adding a condition that the drive‑through service window not operate after 9 p.m.
Attorney Nick Petrovski, representing the applicant, said the proposal modernizes building facades, updates landscaping and lighting, adds pedestrian and patio amenities, and includes a two‑lane drive‑through for the Mirage Coffee House tenant. Staff presented the project and recommended approval of three modifications to the land development code: allowing parking between the building and the street (an existing nonconformity), reducing required foundation plantings (the building is surrounded by pavement and a canopy), and permitting drive‑through circulation between the building and the street.
Staff also presented a traffic analysis by KLOA that concluded the drive‑through stacking (12 spaces proposed) would not materially degrade nearby intersections through 2031. The site plan includes new permeable pavers, added landscape islands, pedestrian walkways, upgraded lighting and relocation of driveway access at the south entrance to a right‑in/right‑out to reduce conflict points.
Several residents who live behind or adjacent to the plaza raised concerns about vehicle headlights and noise shining into existing multi‑story residential units due to the site’s grade, questioned driveway circulation, and said 150th Street/Orland Brook Drive traffic is already congested. One resident asked the commission to limit drive‑through hours; another said headlights would shine directly into windows. Staff and the applicant discussed possible reconfiguration of the rear exit and agreed to examine circulation and screening, including an 8‑foot fence and adjustments to landscape and trash‑enclosure locations.
Commissioners said the plaza needs improvement and supported the modernization while acknowledging neighbors’ concerns. Commissioner Ned Schuessler moved to approve the staff recommendation for the site improvements and for the Mirage Coffee drive‑through, adding that the drive‑through service window should close at 9 p.m.; motions were seconded and both items passed unanimously. Staff will work with the petitioner on final engineering, photometrics, and screening details before Village Board review.
