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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORDINANCES-1974-088-O-74Revised January 6, 1975 Amended January 20, 1975 88-0-74 AN ORDINANCE Granting the Application of the City of Evanston and Washington National a Insurance Company for a Planned Dev- elopment to Permit Construction of a Five -Level Parking Structure with Al- lowances on the property.at 1717 Chicago Avenue, an R7 General Residence District WHEREAS, on August 20, 1974, t`he Zoning Board of Appeals con- ducted a public hearing upon the application of the City of Evan- ston, as owner, and the Washington National Insurance Company, as prospective tenant, .for a planned development to permit construc- tion of a five -level parking structure with allowances from the floor area ratio, building lot coverage, gross lot coverage, front yard, rear yard, side yard, aisle and driveway provisions of the Evanston Zoning Ordinance on property located at 1717 Chi- cago Avenue, an R7 General Residence District; said public hear- = ing.having been conducted pursuant to notice and publication thereof as provided by law; and WHEREAS, the Zoning Board of Appeals has recommended that said application for a planned development be granted; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Evanston has made the following findings of fact, to wit: 1. The subject property is located in an R7 General Resi- dence District and consists of a lot with an area of 80,932.091 square feet, which has a frontage on Church Street of 170.66 feet, and a frontage on Chicago Avenue of 474.23 feet. Applicant's proposal consists of a request to construct a five -level parking structure containing up to 986 parking spaces with the following allowances from the district requirements: a) Floor area ratio of 3.43 instead of 3.0 b) Building lot coverage of 85,6% instead of 50% Amffelav -2- c) Gross lot coverage of 8.7.8- instead of 6506. d) Front yard of 5 feet instead of 27 feet. e) Rear yard of 1.5 feet;instead of 25 feet. • f) North side yard of 7.5 feet at stair tower, 17.5 feet for the balance of the structure in- stead of 17.6 feet. g) South side yard of 17.5 feet at stair tower in- stead of 20 feet. h) Aisle width of 14 feet instead of 16 feet. i) Driveway width of 47 feet on Chicago Avenue and 34 feet on Church Street instead of 25 feet. 2. The proposed structure is so designed, located and pro- posed to be operated that the public health, safety, and welfare will be protected. There was no evidence that the public health would be affected by the proposal. The safety aspects were reviewed by memorandum from Messrs. Liebe, Gillespie and Schumer, attached to exhibit 7, with which the City Council concurs. Additional con- ditions have been attached to improve safety and the opera- tion of the facility. Although the design significantly exceeds the permitted bulk and yard regulations, the.City Council is of the opinion that a lower parking structure is superior for the subject site to a higher structure which conforms to the bulk and yard requirements. 3. The proposed parking structure will not cause appre- ciable injury to the value of other property in the neigh- borhood in which it is located. While many aesthetic objections were raised at the hearing, a higher building would be more detrimental than applicant's proposal in this transitional zone. 4. The proposal will not subvert or defeat the primary purpose of the Zoning Ordinance, or of the zoning district or area in which it is proposed when its effect is con- sidered in conjunction with the cumulative effect of the number of various special uses of all types already located in the adjacent area and in the City as a whole. r- -3- Persuasive evidence on this point was submitted in • applicant's Exhibits 3.Q, 3.R, and 3.S. 5. An automobile parking structure is listed as a special use in the R7 General Residence District, in which the property is located, in Section VI.G.2.c. of the Zoning Ordinance. 6. The Committee finds that the proposed planned develop- ment is compatible with the development allowed under the basic provisions of the Zoning Ordinance in the area in which it is proposed and is not of such a nature in height, bulk or scale as to exercise any influence contrary to the purpose and intent of the Zoning Ordinance as specifically set forth in Section II of the Zoning Ordinance based on the facts that: The subject property is located in a transitional zone with a Business District to the south and southwest, Uni- versity District to the north, and Residential District to the'.east. The proposed building height of not more than 50 feet above the existing grade is substantially less than the height allowed in the district; and The subject property is separated from adjacent prop- erties by streets or alleys, except for one directly abut- ting lot to the north which is City owned. In order to ensure compatibility, a condition requir- ing landscaping is required. 7. The proposed use and development plan are compatible with and implement the planning goals and objectives of the City, as contained in the Comprehensive plan and other per- tinent policy resolutions particularly in terms of: • a. The proposal will implement land use policy since it will allow further development of Washington National P� 88-0-74 -A- Insurance Company's property, and also will allow more intense utilization of a piece of City owned properLy. b. The preponderance of evidence demonstrates that 1 the proposal, while increasing land use intensity with re- j spect to coverage and set -back; still implements the objec- tives of the City with respect to the central business .1 district. C. The proposal, on balance, will have a neutral effect on housing goals. d. The proposal, on balance, will not affect popula- tion policies. e. The evidence presented demonstrates that the pro- posal will reduce on -street parking in the area. f. The impact on schools is highly favorable, one of the strongest side benefits of the whole proposal. Without adding any school children to the system, the parking garage. would generate new revenue to the school districts through returning the land to the tax rolls and taxes on the struc- ture itself. The total Washington Dlational office expansion, which is dependent upon the parking, would yield substantial additional tax revenues for the school districts. g. The proposal will not alter the essential charac- ter of the neighborhood since the subject property is al- ready being used for off-street parking. h. This project will help implement planning goals by contributing to rejuvenation of the central business.area, generating new tax revenues to strengthen the tax base for schools and City agencies, and improving parking for shop- pers and employees on the periphery of the central business district as recommended by the Plan Commission and adopted in the Comprehensive General Plan. I 4 -5- i. The proposal will cause both the land and proposed structure to be placed on the tar, rolls, including that part • occupied by Washington National Insurance Company and that part occupied by the City of Evanston. 8. The proposed development can be completed in accordance with the time schedule approved herein. 9. The proposed development will not overburden the streets adjacent to the project, once the modifications required by the conditions imposed as part of the ordinance have been met. 10. The existing utility services are adequate for the pro- posed development on the basis of the evidence presented in Mr. Von Huben's memorandum, which is a part of Exhibit 7. 11. Applicants' Exhibit 3.L demonstrates adequate financial resources to assure completion,of the development. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EVANSTON, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS: 9'. SECTION 1: That the City of Evanston, as owner, and -Washing- • ton National Insurance Company, as prospective tenant, be granted approval for a planned development to permit the construction of a five -level parking structure on the property lo- cated at 1717 Chicago Avenue and legally described as follows: The South 12 feet of Lot 3, and all of Lots 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in Block 14 in Evanston, in Section 18, Township 41 North, Range 14, East of the Third Prin- cipal -Meridian in Cook County, Illinois, with the following allowances: a. A floor area ratio of 3.43; b. building lot coverage of 85.60; c. gross lot coverage of 87.8%; d. front yard of five feet; e. rear yard of 1.5 feet; f. a north side yard of 7.5 feet at the stair tower, and 17.5 feet for balance of the structure; g.. a south side yard.of 17.5 feet at the stair tower; h. aisle widths of 14 feet; i. driveway width on Chicago Avenue of 47 feet and 34 feet on Church Street; I ;W 5 88-0-74 subject to.compliance-with all other provisions of the Zoning Ordi- nance, other applicable laws, and the following conditions: • 1. The subject property and proposed structure shall be placed on the tax rolls; 2. A police and fire telephone shall be installed near the main entrance; 3. All stairways shall be constructed in a manner to allow them to be viewed from the street, and the glass to be in- stalled on both stairwells is not to be of a dark type and will be of the high impact resistance type; 4. A public telephone shall be installed on the premises to serve the public area; 5. Washington National Insurance Company shall use its best efforts to encourage maximum utilization by its employees of the parking spaces under its control; provided, that if Wash- ington National Insurance Company shall establish charges for parking spaces under its control, such charges shall not ex- ceed the median rate charged by the City of Evanston for monthly daytime parking in any covered or open lot in the area; bounded by Sheridan Road, Emerson Street, Ridge Avenue, and Lake Street. 6. An additional vehicular exit shall also be installed'on Chicago Avenue at the north end of the structure. This exit shall be designed for use by Washington National Insurance Company and/or City of Evanston; 7. Final approval shall not be given and no permit(s) ex- cept foundation and underground utilities permits shall be issued until Washington National Insurance Company has sub- mitted the plans and programs set forth below for review by is the City staff, and said plans and programs have been approvec. j -7- by the Planning and Development Committee of the Evanston City Council. Any work done 1y Washington National Insurance Company on the following four listed items, prior to approval by the Planning and Development Committee, is done at its own risk. a. A landscaping and screening plan for the Church Street and Chicago Avenue frontages of the property, including possible redesign of the existing sidewalks to complement said plan, with the cost of implementing the approved plan to be paid by Washington National Insurance Company; b. A lighting plan for all floors of the structure pro- viding the adequate lighting for safety, with a minimum number of light sources being visible from the street; C. A security plan and program developed in conjunction with the City sufficient to meet the needs of the public and corporate users of the structure; d. A sign plan for the interior and exterior of the structure. 8. The north and east elevations of the proposed structure shall be designed and built to conform in materials, finishes, and general configuration to those shown and specified in doc- uments submitted for the south and west elevations which are a part of Exhibit 3B. 9. The planned development shall conform to the application as presented to the Zoning Board of Appeals unless otherwise modified by the Planning and Development Committee or the City Council, as reflected in the documents identified below: ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS EXHIBITS, as modified and approved by Planning and Development Committee and initialed by its Chair- man on January 6, 1975. 4 0 • 3A - Site Plan, Ground Floor Plan and General Drainage, Sheet A-1; dated October 1, 1974. 3B - Floor Plans and Elevations A-2 through A-8, dated October 1, 1974. 3H - Rendering of Proposed Structure dated October 1, 1974. 3J - Plat of Survey and Consolidation dated July 11, 1974; by B.H. Suhr & Co. 9. - W.N.I.C. Outline Specifications dated July 5, 1974. S - Proposed Development Schedule, dated December 23, 1974. SECTION 2: The Director of Inspections and Permits is hereby ordered and directed to grant such permits as shall be required to effectuate the provisions of this ordinance. SECTION 3: All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. SECTION 4: This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval in the manner provided by law. Introduced Adopted ATTEST: City Clerk Approved as to form: Approved 11 1975 , 1975 Mayor Corporation Counsel , 1975