Board refers three development proposals to Planning Commission: daycare, bank drive-through, wireless renewal

The Village Board voted Aug. 12 to refer three preliminary land-use proposals to the Northbrook Plan Commission for formal review: a special permit request for a child daycare at 755 Hewell Road, a special permit and site-plan review for a Huntington National Bank drive-through at 40 Skokie Boulevard, and a five-year renewal for a personal wireless services facility on a tower at 180 Annette Drive.

Planning staff said the 755 Hewell Road application seeks to reestablish a child daycare use at a property that previously housed a daycare; staff recommended Planning Commission review of the special permit. Trustees agreed and referred the item.

For the Huntington Bank request, staff presented a preliminary site plan that would remove roughly 15 parking spaces at a developed office property and locate a drive-through unit at the edge of an existing parking area in the O3 general office zoning district. Trustees discussed broader ideas about reimagining underused parking and said they would welcome plan-commission review of the bank’s special-permit and site-plan request.

Finally, the application from Crown Castle requesting a five-year renewal for personal wireless service antennas on a tower at 180 Annette Drive was also referred to the Planning Commission. Trustees noted the item had come before the board previously and that the referral is for routine renewal review.

All three referrals were approved to move to the Planning Commission with motions and affirmative board votes; each item will return to the board after the commission’s recommendation and any required public hearings and conditions.