City of Warrenville Community Development Committee of the Whole met Sept. 13.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
A. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Weidner called to meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., explaining the virtual meeting protocol according to the Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/7(e), and the Governor’s Disaster Proclamation.
B. ROLL CALL
Physically Present: Chairman Bill Weidner
Virtually Present: Mayor David Brummel, and Aldermen: Jay Anderson, Stu Aschauer, Clare Barry, Kathryn Davolos, Leah Goodman, Jeff Krischel, and Robert Wilson
Absent: None
Also Physically Present: City Administrator John Coakley, Assistant City Administrator Cristina White, and Community and Economic Development Director Ron Mentzer
Virtually Present: Public Works Director Phil Kuchler, Senior Civil Engineer Kristine Hocking, Management Analyst Kristin Youngmeyer,
City Clerk Julie Clark, and Executive Assistant and Deputy City Clerk Dawn Grivetti
Also Absent: None
C. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Chairman Weidner led the Pledge of Allegiance.
D. CITIZENS COMMENTS
There were no comments from the public.
E. OFFICIALS AND STAFF COMMENTS
Mayor Brummel thanked Fire Chief Dina and the Warrenville Fire Protection District for the 9/11 Remembrance ceremony on September 11, at the fire department. He also commented on the residential development tour and grand opening he attended last week at Warrenville Horizon and Everton Flats respectively. Mayor Brummel also reminded everyone of the upcoming document shredding and electronic recycling event on September 18 at Bower Elementary School.
Ald. Anderson stated he met today with two gentlemen interested in re-establishing the Kiwanis Club. Their first meeting will be Tuesday, September 14, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Irene’s Church.
Ald. Davolos thanked the Fire Protection District for the 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, and reminded everyone Art on the Prairie takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18.
Ald. Goodman reported the director of Fermilab has announced his plans to retire. An active search for his replacement is underway.
CA Coakley reported on today’s DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) COVID-19 briefing by stating the vast majority of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in DuPage County are among unvaccinated people. He echoed the DCHD statement that everyone should be vaccinated. He added that vaccines are the only known way to safely move beyond this dangerous pandemic and the risk to health and life – for children, elderly, and those with a compromised immune system. More information about vaccine safety and locations to receive vaccines can be found on the DCHD website.
CA Coakley commented on Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order #87, issued August 26, 2021, that requires everyone to wear a face covering when indoors in all public places in Illinois. He stated Chairman Weidner and staff are following the order by wearing face coverings throughout the meeting, although the Order allows workers to temporarily remove face coverings if they maintain a sustainable minimum of six feet of separation from one another. He encouraged everyone again to get vaccinated to beat the virus and return to normal.
F. BUSINESS OF MEETING
1. Consideration of Homes for a Changing Region Warrenville Housing Action Plan Community and Economic Development Director (CEDD) Mentzer stated one of the many strengths of Warrenville is the quality of the City’s existing housing stock, adding recent policy changes and housing developments reflect the City’s commitment to the continued diversification of the community’s housing stock. However, almost all of the new residential housing can be classified as either luxury or relatively expensive, which has caused some City officials and staff to question what types of housing gaps might exist in the community.
CEDD Mentzer stated, at the direction of the Council, staff has been working with the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus (MMC), the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), elected and appointed City officials, community leaders, and interested stakeholders, to analyze the City’s evolving demographics and housing stock, and identify specific actions the City can take to address any identified housing issues and provide a more diverse housing stock that meets the evolving needs of the community.
CEDD Mentzer introduced Kyle Smith, MMC, Nancy Firfer, MMC, and Enrique Castillo, CMAP, who gave a brief overview of the Homes for a Changing Region program and presented the summary results for the Warrenville study.
The team identified four key trends in the City:
∙ The population is aging in place, with half of all homeowners being above 55
∙ The City recently permitted roughly 950 new rental housing units
∙ Three out of 10 households struggle with housing costs higher than 30% of their income
∙ Warrenville has neighborhoods with moderately priced homes but they need investment
There was discussion regarding the lifestyle of the average Warrenville resident and the “missing middle” type of housing stock that could provide needed housing for the aging senior population and low to moderate-income households. CEDD Mentzer added there are three characteristics that define the “missing middle” housing, including the form, the location, and the price that is attainable by those with a household income between 60% and 120% of the median household income in the area. This type of housing could meet the needs of early career professionals. He acknowledged that key provisions of the City’s zoning ordinance are somewhat antiquated and complex and do not effectively allow for this type of housing to be built in the community.
The short-term recommendations of the research team included exploring additional rental options for missing middle and senior housing by hiring an additional consultant to perform a more detailed market analysis of the local housing market. A second recommendation is to evaluate local building and zoning regulations to eliminate overly restrictive regulations that prevent new missing middle type housing from being developed. A third recommendation is to follow an action plan to promote a consistent vision for residents and developers. The final recommendation is for the City to work with surrounding communities and/or DuPage County to secure and then distribute special funding available through the Illinois Housing Development Authority that can be used to rehabilitate aging subdivisions and improve home accessibility.
Several Aldermen thanked the presenters for the extensive amount of work that went into this research and preparation of the action plan.
There was further discussion on the quality and quantity of housing types that would fill the gap of the City’s “missing middle” housing, the definition of “knowledge jobs,” and the housing needs of this type of professional resident.
There was concern by some Alderman of the recommendation to hire more consultants to perform a more detailed market study, however, many were interested in the recommendation to evaluate local building and zoning regulations. Ms. Firfer recommended the City first determine what types of housing to pursue, then review the building and zoning codes to see if those types are allowed and if not, look to implement code revisions that make it possible for them to be built.
Funding options for the rehabilitation of aging subdivisions was also discussed, including the opportunity to partner with the City of Naperville, DuPage County, and the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Mayor Brummel reiterated the importance of having a diverse and quality housing stock to help attract young families to the community as possible renters, and convince them to stay and raise their families as permanent residents. However, he recognized one of the problems in providing moderate to low-priced housing is finding a developer willing to finance and build such a project.
ALDERMAN GOODMAN MADE A MOTION, seconded by Ald. Davolos, to recommend City Council (i) endorse the findings contained in the August 31, 2021, Warrenville Housing Action Plan prepared by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Council, and (ii) authorize staff to pursue opportunities to implement its recommendations within the context of existing and future Community Development Department Work Plan priorities.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
Aye: Alds.: Goodman, Anderson, Weidner, Wilson, Krischel, Barry, Aschauer, and Davolos
Nay: None
MOTION CARRIES
2. Consideration of Warrenville Park District lease extension for Harding Field Management Analyst (MA) Youngmeyer stated, in 2000, the City entered into an agreement with the Park District allowing the District to lease and use a portion of City property located just south of the City’s Public Works building for park uses. She noted, the original agreement expired in June 2020, and the revised agreement provided with the agenda backup materials extends the lease to the Park District until June 14, 2027. MA Youngmeyer confirmed the Warrenville Park District approves of the agreement. She added, staff intends to initiate the transfer of the property to the Park District before the lease agreement expires, in accordance with the original intention of the City Council in 2000.
ALDERMAN GOODMAN MADE A MOTION, seconded by Ald. Wilson, to recommend City Council approve the amended and restated intergovernmental agreement between the City of Warrenville and the Warrenville Park District regarding the lease of City property for Harding Field.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
Aye: Alds.: Wilson, Davolos, Barry, Krischel, Goodman, Anderson, Weidner, and Aschauer
Nay: None
MOTION CARRIES
3. Informational update on Illinois Prairie Path Trailhead project
Senior Civil Engineer (SCE) Hocking stated at the July 19, 2021, City Council meeting, the Council approved the preferred Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) Trailhead Redesign Option, which included moving the restroom pavilion to the southeast, and the IPP Heritage Display to the northeast area of the project due to restrictions within the existing ComEd easement. She presented the final draft plans displaying the trailhead project limits and the new location for the restroom pavilion, sidewalks, butterfly garden, and the heritage display, and added, the gazebo will also become ADA compliant with ramp access.
SCE Hocking stated, because of the redesign, project costs have gone down. Estimated construction costs decreased by $170,000, and construction engineering fees went down as well. She stated, because of the delay in approval by ComEd, the City was able to secure additional Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds resulting in a project cost share that will be 75% grant funded, and 25% locally funded.
SCE Hocking stated the City will need to update the project agreement with IDOT soon. She added, due to scheduling and the need for ComEd approval, the City will likely not meet the January letting date, and is now contemplating an April 2022, letting date, which will result in construction occurring in the fall of 2022, following Summer Daze.
Several Aldermen thanked SCE Hocking for her efforts in consulting with ComEd and for saving the citizens money on the project by securing additional federal grant funding. There was further discussion of the design and placement of the bathroom pavilion.
NO COMMITTEE ACTION WAS TAKEN NOR REQUESTED
4. Informational update on Old Town Redevelopment Site #2
CEDD Mentzer gave an update on the City’s progress on cleaning and redeveloping the Old Town Redevelopment Site #2 (OTRS #2), formerly referred to as the Citgo property.
He reported the City received approval of the leaking underground storage tank (LUST) removal from Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and work to remove the tanks has been completed. A reimbursement request has been submitted to the IEPA. CEDD Mentzer stated the City has also received IEPA approval of the next phase of LUST related site investigation and reporting, and plans to work with the City’s consulting environmental engineer to complete this work in the coming month.
CEDD Mentzer stated the City has been working concurrently with the IEPA Office of Brownfields Assistance to finalize the intergovernmental agreement for the revolving no-interest loan to fund the required demolition and environmental cleanup of the site. He summarized the key revisions that were made to the agreement since the pre-final version of the agreement was presented to the City Council in May 2021, and anticipates the final version of the agreement will be presented for Council approval at the next City Council meeting. He added, if the City complies with all the terms of the agreement, a maximum of $200,000, of the final loan amount will be dismissed by the State.
CEDD Mentzer stated staff has been working with an advisory group on the development of a preferred preliminary site redevelopment plan for the property, which will be presented at a future Community Development Committee of the Whole meeting. He noted, this plan will allow the City to design and implement a cost effective remediation plan for the site and begin marketing the property to a desirable end user for final development. He briefly discussed the results of the traffic analysis performed at the intersection of Warrenville and Batavia Roads for the possible modification of the intersection and the potential for adding new on-street parking near the site.
CEDD Mentzer added staff is currently working with the City’s environmental engineer to prepare a bid package for the asbestos remediation and demolition of the building, which is planned for completion before the end of calendar year 2021.
NO COMMITTEE ACTION WAS TAKEN NOR REQUESTED
5. Consideration of Terracon Consultants Inc. task order for additional OTRS #2 environmental investigation services
SCE Hocking stated staff has negotiated a task order with the environmental engineering firm, Terracon Consultants Inc., that has been assisting the City on addressing the environmental contamination issues on the OTRS #2 site for the next step, Stage 1, of LUST related site investigation and reporting. She noted, a majority of the cost of this work will be reimbursed by the IEPA LUST program.
ALDERMAN WILSON MADE A MOTION, seconded by Ald. Davolos, to recommend City Council pass a resolution approving Task Order No. 3 with Terracon Consultants Inc. for LUST Stage 1 site environmental investigation services for OTRS #2 in an amount of $43,600.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
Aye: Alds.: Aschauer, Krischel, Davolos, Weidner, Aschauer, Wilson, Barry, and Goodman
Nay: None
MOTION CARRIES
6. Informational update on Rigi Road and Barclay Drive
Public Works Director (PWD) Kuchler provided an update on the status of the proposed Rigi Road and Barclay Drive public road easements. He stated staff is working with consultants and the City Attorney to prepare individual easement agreements for the 10 property owners. Once the agreements are fully executed and recorded, staff will present a proposal to design the roadwork for possible inclusion in the 2022 Road Program.
PWD Kuchler noted the cost to draft the agreements was under-estimated at $5,000, and staff now anticipates the cost to be $26,200, with roughly half going toward surveying and the other half to cover title commitments.
There was discussion regarding the two roads being added to the long-term Capital Maintenance and Replacement Plan (CMRP). PWD Kuchler replied staff’s plan is to initially use Motor Fuel Tax money to resurface the roads and then add them to the CMRP for long-term maintenance. Ald. Goodman stated the impact to the CMRP should be considered and noted when costs such as these are presented to Council for consideration.
NO COMMITTEE ACTION WAS TAKEN NOR REQUESTED
7. Consideration of 2022 Road Program engineering design contract
PWD Kuchler stated the FY 2022 Budget includes a $30,000, expense for “East Side north of Galusha Design,” which will constitute the entire 2022 Road Program. He described the poor condition of the roads in this area, and stated the goal for next year’s road program is to improve the road pavement to hold up for 15 years until its next scheduled maintenance.
PWD Kuchler stated staff did not have a construction estimate when the $30,000, expense was proposed for the FY 2022 Budget, and staff has since estimated construction will cost approximately $850,000, resulting in design engineering service costs of $46,650.
ALDERMAN WILSON MADE A MOTION, seconded by Ald. Aschauer, to recommend City Council pass a resolution approving a contract with Engineering Resource Associates, Inc. for design engineering services for the 2022 Road Program in the amount of $46,650, plus reimbursable expenses.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
Aye: Alds.: Weidner, Aschauer, Anderson, Barry, Davolos, Krischel, Goodman, and Wilson
Nay: None
MOTION CARRIES
8. Review and file Community Development Department FY 2022 Work Program update The updated Community Development Department FY 2022 Work Program was presented for review. There were no comments.
NO COMMITTEE ACTION WAS TAKEN NOR REQUESTED
9. Review and file Commercial Space Vacancy Report
The Commercial Space Vacancy Report was presented. Ald. Goodman requested that future reports be printed in color or the colors in the graph be more contrasting for better review.
NO COMMITTEE ACTION WAS TAKEN NOR REQUESTED
10. Review and file bi-monthly Code Enforcement Activity Report
The bi-monthly Code Enforcement Activity Report was presented for review. There were no comments.
NO COMMITTEE ACTION WAS TAKEN NOR REQUESTED
G. MISCELLANEOUS
There were no miscellaneous items discussed.
H. ADJOURN
ALD. WILSON MADE A MOTION, seconded by Ald. Davolos, to adjourn.
MOTION ADOPTED VIA UNANIMOUS ROLL CALL VOTE.
The meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m.
https://www.warrenville.il.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_09132021-1016
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