Crest Hill plan commission backs revised special use to allow asphalt for proposed Renwick Road storage facility

The Crest Hill Plan Commission voted at its March 27 special meeting to recommend approval of a revised B-3 special use permit allowing a proposed self-service storage facility at the southwest corner of Renwick Road and Boreal Drive to be constructed with asphalt drive aisles rather than the concrete specified in the original approval.

The commission’s recommendation, approved by roll call, will be forwarded to the City Council for final action. The commission attached 12 conditions to the recommendation, including requirements for landscaping, fencing and a photometric lighting plan.

Ron Metzger, the city’s community and economic development consultant, told the commission the project’s original special-use approval dated from the summer of 2023 and that a new developer interested in buying and building the project identified pavement material as a change they wanted to make to reduce costs. Metzger said the applicant updated design drawings and that staff supports the revised special use with the recommended conditions.

Steve Goldin, an entitlement consultant representing A and D Storage, said the only requested change from the original approval is "from concrete to asphalt" and that the applicant will "meet all the conditions that were set forth in the staff report." Goldin also confirmed the applicant will reinstate a landscape parking island that had been omitted from the revised plans.

Commissioners and members of the public questioned site details. A member of the public asked how the change from concrete to asphalt would affect stormwater and the nearby detention ponds. Goldin replied that impervious-surface calculations treat concrete and asphalt the same for stormwater design and said staff-engineering requirements will be followed. Metzger added for the record that city engineers had confirmed the existing detention facility adjacent to the site "is sized properly to accommodate all the stormwater runoff from this site." The commission noted that final engineering must show on-site collection and conveyance into the existing detention pond.

On lighting, Goldin said the facility will use wall-pack fixtures rather than pole-mounted lights and that a photometric plan will be submitted to meet Crest Hill ordinance limits on light spill to adjacent residential properties. The commission referenced specific conditions: condition number 6 requiring the photometric plan, and condition number 8 requiring new street trees planted with a minimum height of 6 feet and a minimum 2.5-inch caliper at planting.

Fencing details on the landscape plan call for an 8-foot vinyl fence on the site’s south side; the plan report also references a previous discussion of decorative iron fencing but the revised drawings identify vinyl. The commission confirmed fencing specifications are on Sheet 1 of 2 of the landscape plan and recorded the applicant’s agreement to the 8-foot vinyl fence.

A motion to grant the revised B-3 special use was made by Commissioner Angelo DeCerio and seconded by Commissioner Ken Carroll. The roll-call vote recorded the following "yes" votes: Angelo DeCerio, Ken Carroll, John Stanton, Marty Flynn, Jeff Peterson and Bill Thomas. The motion carried and the commission’s recommendation will go to the City Council for consideration of the ordinance.

The commission also opened and later closed the public hearing as part of the process. Commissioners noted that the property’s B-3 zoning permits a range of commercial uses without additional approvals and reiterated that the Plan Commission’s recommendation is advisory; final approval rests with the City Council.

The Plan Commission reminded members that its next special meeting is scheduled for April 24 and that there will be no regular meeting on April 10.