Village of Channahon Planning & Zoning Commission met June 14.
Here are the minutes provided by the commission:
1. Call to Order
Meeting called to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call
Commissioners Gray, Pershey, Warren and Chairman Ciarlette present. Commissioners Madding and Sullivan absent.
Others present – Mike Petrick, Director of Community Development; Karen James, Planner; and Mary Jane Larson, Inspection Coordinator.
4. Approval of Minutes – June 14, 2021
Motion to approve the minutes of May 10, 2021 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission made by Commissioner Gray. Seconded by Commissioner Warren. All Ayes, Motion Carried.
5. Public Hearing – Application for a Special Use Permit for Truck Termina in the I-1 Industrial District: Alliance Transportation & Logistics Systems, Channahon Industrial Park Unit 3 Lots 12 & 13 at 24261 S. Northern Illinois Drive filed by Yazour Group Systems, LLC.
Motion to open the public hearing made by Commissioner Gray. Seconded by Commissioner Pershey. All Ayes, Motion Carried.
Karen James presented the staff report.
Chairman Ciarlette asked the applicant if based on the building you are looking to construct you’re going to be doing mechanical work within the building. Will everything be based on the EPA regarding removal of any waste and oil.
The applicant, Ashraf Hasan, of Yazour Group Systems said they follow all the regulations required of the EPA and other government bodies on the disposal of waste and oil products.
Ciarlette stated since there are 17 bays do you plan on having the 17 bays open? Hasan said there will be 17 parking spots for trailers and 13 parking spots for tractors and 2 drive in bays for repairs. Ciarlette asked what is your current capacity now? Hasan said at his other facility he has 9 parking spots for trailers and 9 parking spots for tractors. They are also currently building another facility in Morris.
Commissioner Gray asked what are the hours of the mechanic shop. Hasan said the repair shop would operate between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Commissioner Warren said Hasan stated the majority of his refrigerated trailers are Thermo King Interior Whisper Units. He asked Hasan if he can quantify how many are not Whisper or quiet units and how soon does he plan to replace those units in the near future. Hasan said he still has about 15 units but they are based out of the Joliet facility and those units will not run out of the Channahon facility. Warren asked if all the trailers are air ride as well. Hasan said all the trailers are air ride.
Ciarlette asked how many employees will be working out of this facility. Hasan said there will be 4 employees consisting of a dispatcher, safety manager, his brother and himself. They plan on hiring 2 mechanics and an additional dispatcher once they are in the building.
Gray asked for clarification there will not be any reefer/refrigerated trucks parked and running during the night. Hasan said there may be refrigerated trucks running but you will not be able to hear the whisper units beyond 20 feet.
Warren asked about the possibility of fuel or oil going in to the retention ponds or the wetland areas. James explained in the engineering a filter and a trap to secure solids as a precaution from entering the retention area. Mike Petrick stated the parking lot is surrounded by curbs which keeps fuel and waste from going in to the grass area. The filtration system also keeps it out of the storm system.
Warren questioned if Northern Illinois Drive is built to handle the additional truck traffic. James stated there are no concerns as the road was built for industrial traffic.
Ciarlette opened the floor for public comment.
Ken Olvera is concerned his well and the water table will be affected by the building’s well. Ciarlette told Olvera this property will be on village water not a well. Olvera is also concerned about the truck noise and fumes. James confirmed the property will be public water though it will be on a private septic system.
Hasan agreed during daily operation hours there will be noise from the trucks but not after hours. Hasan offered the residents his cell phone number so they may contact him directly with any complaints once they open. Hasan said he will answer his phone day or night if needed.
Ron Haldeman asked the owner if he has another facility like this near here they may go to and view the operation. Hasan said he is more than welcome to come and see the facility at 23315 S Youngs Road in Channahon. Hasan stated the Youngs property is a huge open yard over 20 acres nothing compared to size of this new facility. Hasan said anyone is more than welcome to stop by and see their offices, shop and the yard.
Mary Johnson said she owns a property on Northern Illinois Drive. She has a question regarding the detention area under the proposed parking area and how it will work since it is by the wetlands. Other properties on Northern Illinois Drive have larger detention areas and she would like it explained how this will work for this property. James explained what is on the back of that letter is what they are proposing to build if it were to be approved which is different than what is on the aerial. That wet area is already existing. There would be an addition to that. It will release at the end of their improvement at a slow rate. They are trying to retain as much as possible on the property so it will be released at a slower rate. It would eventually make its way there but it has to be detained. The underground component of it has a system where they place structures under the pavement and water will go to that area and is detained under there until it can be released at a much slower rate. It goes underground first with some being infiltrated in to the ground before being released. There is detention you will not see. Johnson asked if the water will run north. Petrick said the water will run the same as it is today. He stated the storm water ordinance requires it to be released at a rate the same as it is today and in the same direction also.
Laura Halderman’s concern is for the wildlife and water. She said there were natural springs in the marsh area that came up from the ground. Her question is the things that are going under the ground which are closer to the building and how are they going to affect the natural springs and that water. She’s confused because there is so much water coming up is the ground area surrounding this going to be able to support all of this? With this being the wetlands has the EPA or anybody environmentally taken a look at this? Petrick said as far as the storm detention what happens aboveground or underground it will still have to have a clay or concrete liner using whatever material specified by engineering containment system is going to be irrelevant to it leaching in to the ground. It is designed to do that at a certain rate and certain ponds will and the whole idea of it is to do it the way it now. James stated the area they are working on now is not in a flood plain.
Halderman stated again she is very concerned about the wildlife. Petrick pointed out where this project is being developed it is at the low land grass field bounded by human activity. The wildlife is more up the hill in the wooded area vs the acreage they are planning to develop. Halderman stated she does not trust the whole thing and she feels in a year or two development will be allowed to be done up to the back of their properties. Petrick stated as was mentioned earlier if there is any expansion beyond what is approved in the special use permit they would need to amend the special use permit and we would be right back here doing this again for that. Now from the economic side of things if they wanted to relocate wetlands it would not be cost effective especially if they have other property in Morris or Youngs Road they could develop that does not have wetlands. Halderman is all for small businesses but she doesn’t want the wildlife to be compromised. Halderman asked Hasan if there would be fuel tanks underground and he said no only aboveground.
Jake Lipke asked Hasan how many tractors and trailers does he has over all of his properties? Hasan stated he has 45 trailers. Lipke feels even though he is only allowed 17 trailers at this property at once it doesn’t mean during a day double that amount will go in and out throughout the day increasing the truck traffic. Lipke feels they should just use the Morris or other properties instead of developing this property. Eddie Hasan stated the other properties are leased. They own this property and it makes more sense to develop and improve land they own.
Terri O’Brien does not want this to go through. She does not agree that the noise, lights and fuel smells will not affect her property. Every day 24/7 her and her neighbors deal with Blue Rhino’s business and she expects this business will be the same.
Hasan said his property will be 400-500 feet away from her home and the lights will be facing down not toward her home and many of the lights will be motion detection and not on at all times.
Petrick did point out that Blue Rhino is open 24 hours operation. This business will close in the evening. James asked Hasan if he would be willing to review the landscape plans and possibly add some evergreen trees.
Warren asked if there are standards for light industrial noise pollution? Petrick said there are the OSHA standards and the Illinois Pollution Control Board set the standards that we adopted by reference. The village has been with working with the police department and code enforcement to measure some of the sound coming out of Blue Rhino. The problem with measuring sounds is it is unpredictable and you need to be there at the right time with the noise reader ready to record it. Just hearing the noise does not work very well or for us to try and say you’re violating without the noise readings.
Lana Sexton feels there are other places this business could go instead of right there. She wants the village to not allow this project to go through. She wants the village to remain a small town and quit bringing in trucking companies.
Debbie Spesia said she is unable to enjoy her deck or have the windows open because of Blue Rhino. She feels this business with the added trucks and their brake noises will add to the problem. Her concern is more the noise than the lights.
Hasan offered to build a privacy fence versus an open fence to help with the noise from Blue Rhino. Eddy Hasan also stated that he understood the concerns but that most of them seemed to not be for their business and with another existing business.
Barbara Bernier asked how many letters were actually sent out because she is surprised there are not more residents in attendance to oppose this project. Petrick stated the village follows state statutes which a letter is sent out to every property within 250 feet of the subject property, as well as the sign that goes on the property and is posted in the newspaper. James said they sent out 28 letters which includes industrial properties. Bernier also stated that opposes the addition of industrial business and noise not the applicant of this request.
Motion to close the public hearing made by Commissioner Pershey. Seconded by Commissioner Gray. All Ayes, Motion Carried.
Petrick provided the public in attendance with summary of the process and next steps in review at the village board.
The Commission discussed the addition of conditions for evergreen species versus deciduous trees and switching the fence to a solid style as the applicant has agreed to.
6. Review and Recommendation – Special Use Permit for Truck Terminal in the I-1 Industrial District: Alliance Transportation & Logistics Systems, Channahon Industrial Park Unit 3 Lots 12 & 13 at 24261 S. Northern Illinois Drive filed by Yazour Group Systems, LLC.
Motion to recommend approval of the Special Use Permit for Truck Terminal in the I-1 Industrial District: Alliance Transportation & Logistics Systems, Channahon Industrial Park Unit 3 Lots 12 & 13 at 24261 S. Northern Illinois Drive filed by Yazour Group Systems, LLC subject to conditions in the staff report on pages 7 & 8, changing out trees to evergreen trees, 8-foot privacy fence, and final engineering made by Commissioner Gray. Seconded by Commissioner Pershey. All Ayes, Motion Carried.
7. Review and Recommendation – Site Plan: Alliance Transportation & Logistics Services, 24261 S. Northern Illinois Drive filed by Yazour Group Systems, LLC.; to allow for the construction of an approximate 8,000 square foot one-story maintenance and office building and associated vehicle and truck parking improvements.
Motion to review and recommend approval of the Site Plan: Alliance Transportation & Logistics Services, 24261 S. Northern Illinois Drive filed by Yazour Group Systems, LLC made by Commissioner Gray. Seconded by Commissioner Warren. All Ayes, Motion Carried.
8. Public Comment
None
9. Other Business
Petrick wanted to mention the village has put out notification they are looking for interested applicants for the Planning and Zoning Commission. There is one vacant seat and a couple commissioners have indicated their time with us may be limited in the future. We are trying to get together any interested parties from the public. Additional information may be found at Channahon.org or on our social media sites. There is a letter describing the process on what the Planning and Zoning Commission does as well as an application and how to contact and send the information to the Mayor. If you know anyone who may be interested in to look in those places for information.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn made by Commissioner Gray. Seconded by Commissioner Warren. All Ayes, Motion Carried. 7:42 p.m.
https://www.channahon.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_06142021-345
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