Dupage Policy Journal

City of Elmhurst Development, Planning, & Zoning Committee met Aug. 25

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. Call to Order

Chair Jensen called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

2. Roll Call

Present: Jensen, Veremis, Nardini

Absent: None

Staff Present: Franz, Gal, Johnson (part)

Elected Officials: None

3. Receipt of Written Communications

One item was posted to Boarddocs.

4. Public Comments

At the beginning of the meeting no public comment was provided. The public comment period was reopened after all agenda items were discussed to accommodate late arrivals.

Therese Altergott commented on water use in Elmhurst and questioned whether sight triangles and review by the DPZ Committee for variations are included in the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite.

Joan Joji commented on the proposed project at 117 W. Virginia with concerns on the impact to schools and the increased traffic.

Ellen Greer commented on newer apartment buildings being poor quality and less desirable as they age.

5. Business Before the Committee

A. Development, Planning & Zoning Committee Meeting Minutes August 11, 2025

Alderman Veremis made a motion to approve the minutes of the DP&Z Committee on August 11, 2025.  Alderman Nardini seconded. Voice Vote. Motion passed.

B. Planned Unit Development Concept Meeting - 117 W Virginia Street

CP Franz summarized the PUD process and noted that a neighborhood meeting was already held for the project. The neighborhood meeting and presentation to DPZ Committee take place prior to applications being filed with the City as an opportunity for the applicant to gather feedback on the project. The applicant is proposing a 40-unit apartment building with a mix of 2 and 3 bedrooms at 117 W. Virginia Street. Viktor Jakovljevic, developer, presented the proposed plans. Chuck Westphal, partner, and Tom Moore, attorney, were present to address questions from the Committee. The site development allowances being requested include the front and rear yard setbacks and overall building height. Mr. Jakovljevic described the amenities including front and rear balconies, workout room, rooftop dog run and common rooftop for all tenants. Regarding the building height, the ground floor workout room was moved to the roof to accommodate more parking, and they raised the ground floor building height to accommodate car lifts.

Alderman Veremis asked about guest parking. Mr. Jakovljevic stated that 2 parking spaces in front of the building could be used for guests, delivery or maintenance. There is also a parking garage behind the project site.

Alderman Nardini asked about the neighborhood meeting and who would manage the property. Tom Moore stated that at the neighborhood meeting there were no issues with the building design and primary concerns were related to parking and traffic. The applicant has made changes to accommodate as much parking as possible onsite and would like to secure additional parking in the Adelaide parking deck, if possible. The building will be managed by the developer along with 70 other properties they own and manage in Chicagoland area.

Alderman Nardini complimented the building design and stated that the east elevation will be exposed to York Street and asked the developer to consider adding additional accents. The developer agreed to improve the east and west elevations.

Alderman Jensen appreciated the off-street loading area and asked about stormwater management for the project. Mr. Jakovljevic stated that underground detention will be provided and that the project will require replacing the water main on Virginia Street. It was also noted that there is an existing retaining wall on the east property line due to a grade change between the adjacent properties.

The Committee discussed the use of the Adelaide parking garage and noted that it is well used particularly for commuters and employees.

AJ Schmitz, Elmhurst resident, asked about the parcels involved and encouraged the City to consider selling needed spaces to the developer.

The Committee did not note any issues that would prevent the applicant from moving forward with their application.

C. Zoning Ordinance Update - Review of draft language for data centers

At the direction of Chair Jensen, City staff asked the consultant to provide some language on data centers for DPZ to review and consider. Because the consultant is close to completing the public hearing draft, proposed language could be incorporated if desired. The consultant stated that most communities require a conditional use permit.

The Committee agreed that the proposed language on data centers was appropriate and recommended including it in the draft ordinance as a conditional use in the I1 district. It was noted that through the CU process, the City could consider the external impacts including water use, light, sound, noise, etc.

6. Other Business

ACM Johnson stated that earlier this year, the City consolidated all business grants under a single policy that was adopted by the City Council. However, the recent grant application from LC’s Diner revealed that the new policy language may not have been drafted as intended and requires review by five individuals listed in the new policy. Although this was not part of the intended policy change, which combined three prior different grant review processes, the City will convene the five reviewers as stated in the new policy and provide a more detailed draft Committee report outlining this unique process. Moving forward, after the LC’s Diner grant is considered by the Committee, the policy will be amended by staff (with proposed redlined changes to reflect the intended review process in place since the grant policy was first adopted) and the topic will be presented to the Committee at a future meeting for consideration.

The Committee also asked for reports from the ABC Commission with future façade grant requests to better understand the decision-making behind their recommendations. It was noted that the ABC Commission had already reviewed this request last month.

Chair Jensen stated that he will join the next meeting remotely due to family medical leave if permissible.

7. Adjournment

Alderman Nardini made a motion to adjourn at 8:00 p.m. Alderman Veremis seconded. Voice Vote. Motion passed. Voice Vote.

Meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

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