Hoffman Estates committees adopt 2025 zoning map, approve auction of surplus property, traffic rule and $130,000 testing agreement

Members of Hoffman Estates committees met March 10 and approved four substantive items: an ordinance adopting and publishing the village's 2025 zoning map; an ordinance authorizing the auction sale of surplus village personal property; an amendment to the Hoffman Estates Municipal Code prohibiting left turns from Moon Lake Boulevard into Autumn Drive for a new apartment development; and a contract for inspection and materials testing with Applied Geoscience Incorporated not to exceed $130,000.

The zoning-map ordinance set the village's official land-use map for 2025 and passed on a roll-call vote during the Planning, Building and Zoning Committee. The change to the municipal code to prohibit left turns was introduced in the Transportation and Road Improvement Committee after staff said the restriction is intended to prevent queuing that could block the driveway for Fire Station Number 22 and delay emergency vehicle response.

Alan, a village staff member who presented the traffic item, said the Seasons apartment development at Moon Lake and Higgins increased the expected queue of left-turning vehicles into the new driveway. "The police department can't enforce this until it's incorporated into the village's municipal code, so we recommend approving an ordinance to do so," Alan said. He added the restriction will be reevaluated after Fire Station Number 22 is moved north of Higgins.

Trustees clarified how drivers will access the complex if left turns are banned; one trustee described options including turning into an adjacent office driveway and then accessing the complex or making a U-turn at the next break in the roadway median. When asked about existing signage, Alan said, "The sign was installed as part of the development, so that would have been up last year." He also noted the driveway is signed as right-in, and that the exit is a full-access exit for vehicles leaving the complex.

The committee also approved an inspection and testing services agreement with Applied Geoscience Incorporated of Schaumburg, Illinois, covering material testing for multiple infrastructure projects in 2025. Alan said the contract consolidates project testing needs rather than negotiating on a project-by-project basis, that the village has used Applied Geoscience for several years without service issues, and that the proposed "not to exceed" amount is below budget. The contract passed on a roll-call vote.

An ordinance authorizing the sale of surplus personal property at public auction also passed after a brief staff explanation that the village periodically disposes of certain items through auction and sought board authorization to proceed.

Votes at a glance: - Ordinance adopting and publishing the 2025 zoning map: approved (roll-call: all voting members present recorded "Aye"). - Ordinance authorizing sale of village personal property (auction): approved (roll-call: all voting members present recorded "Aye"). - Ordinance amending Hoffman Estates Municipal Code to prohibit left turns at Autumn Drive from Moon Lake Boulevard: approved (roll-call: all voting members present recorded "Aye"). - Inspection and testing services agreement with Applied Geoscience Inc., not to exceed $130,000: approved (roll-call: all voting members present recorded "Aye").

The committees also received routine monthly reports from planning, code enforcement, economic development, transportation and other departments; those reports were filed with no further action. Trustees asked staff for follow-up on a previously discussed White Castle property improvement; staff said two planning staff had conflicts for the meeting and that they would follow up after the meeting.

Taken together, the actions finalize the village's zoning map for 2025, add a traffic restriction tied to a specific development and fire-station location, provide a mechanism to dispose of surplus village property, and secure a multi-project testing contract intended to streamline project delivery. Staff indicated at least one traffic restriction will be revisited once Fire Station Number 22 relocates.