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Planning Commission recommends 130-unit Caledonia apartment plan despite noncompliant clubhouse roofing
Summary
The Planning Commission voted to recommend Village Board approval of a 130-unit, five-building apartment development by Caledonia LLC at Fourmile Road and North Green Bay Road. Staff noted the clubhouse north facade uses roofing materials outside the village's approved list and the traffic study flagged a problematic left-turn movement; the commission approved the plan with those issues noted for follow-up.
The Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Village Board approve a building site and operations plan for a 130-unit, five-building apartment development and clubhouse at the southeast corner of Fourmile Road and North Green Bay Road, submitted by applicant Nick Chung on behalf of Caledonia LLC.
"The applicant is proposing 130 residential units distributed among five apartment buildings," planning staff member Natalia said, describing the project's layout, exterior materials and landscaping. She told commissioners the buildings meet district setback and height requirements and that the development provides 266 parking spaces where code requires 260.
Natalia also said the clubhouse's north facade uses roughly 60% roofing materials (asphalt shingle and metal) that are not on the village's acceptable materials list and exceed the 35% maximum allowed by code. "The planning department recommends approval of these materials since most of the building is composed of acceptable exterior materials, and a three-quarter majority vote of the plan commission is necessary to approve this proposed exterior," she said.
Ryan, the engineering staff member who summarized the traffic-impact analysis, said the TIA found nearly all movements meet the village's level-of-service C standard, but the westbound left turn from Green Bay Road onto Fourmile Road currently and in the build-out scenario produces higher delays. "All movement operations meet level of service C or better, with the exception of one left-hand turn movement," Ryan said, adding that projected peak-hour delay at that movement could increase from roughly 63 seconds to as high as 79 seconds and generate queues of three to four vehicles.
Ryan told commissioners a traffic signal was not warranted and a roundabout would impose high costs and may displace a nearby business (the Mosquito Inn). Staff said the practical mitigation for the access would be geometric changes such as a dedicated left-turn lane or other TID-funded improvements or traffic-calming elements (medians, landscaping) to be explored with the developer.
Commission discussion touched on a handful of operational details: the need to add street-edge landscaping in front of Building 3 to meet tree-spacing rules; residents' potential walking distance to the three proposed dumpster enclosures; and the planned 5-foot concrete sidewalks, which staff said are constrained by existing right-of-way, roadside ditches and culverts to the east but are designed to allow a future connection if the adjacent parcel grants easements.
Commissioner Fred moved that the Planning Commission recommend approval of the site plan to the Village Board, citing that the proposed use is permitted by the zoning district and is consistent with the 2035 comprehensive plan for high-density residential; another commissioner seconded. After discussion the motion carried on a voice vote.
Next steps: the recommendation will be transmitted to the Village Board for final action; the village staff noted the clubhouse exterior materials and the left-turn traffic movement as items for further review and potential conditions or design revisions by the Village Board or in a subsequent permitting process.
