EDC Minutes 2005 06-16-05 APPROVED 7/21/05
UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
YORKVILLE CITY HALL CONFERENCE ROOM
THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005
The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m.
ATTENDANCE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF: Aldermen Marty Munns and Joe Besco;
and Alderwoman Valerie Burd; Mayor Art Prochaska; City Attorney John Wyeth; City
Administrator Tony Graff; and Anna Kurtzman, building department. OTHERS: Lynn
Dubajic, YEDC; Tony Scott, Record Newspapers; Scott Mai, Smith Engineering; Craig
Chesley, ComEd; Allan Armstrong, ComEd; and Bill McCue.
1. Minutes
None.
2. Feasibility of Relocating Overhead Power Lines to Underground
Allan Armstrong, external affairs manager with ComEd, said he's aware of the city's
effort to relocate power lines along Route 47 and added that ComEd is required by the
federal government to recover costs from relocating overhead wires underground.
Rider 28 in the federal provisions allows municipalities to redistribute the cost among
residents as a certain line item on their electric bill. Other municipalities have paid the
cost on their own. Armstrong said ComEd isn't concerned about how it's paid, but the
Federal Commerce Commission demands the company recovers its cost.
Craig Chesley, manager for public relocations, said moving overhead wires underground
can get quite complicated.
Graff said according to the Illinois Department of Transportation District 1, which
includes much of the northern suburbs, many communities are burying cables along their
major thoroughfares. Chesley said over the last 1.5 years, there has been a big push to
relocate cables underground in that area. Generally, he said if municipalities identify their
desire to install the cables underground early, it's beneficial. That way, the work can be
done as IDOT is repairing roads. Usually, he said, IDOT doesn't like to support overhead
to underground.
Alderwoman Valerie Burd said her ward is the downtown area where redevelopment is
encouraged. She said there's a nice park along the river and she wondered if the lines
along the river could be buried. Chesley said the lines near the river are sub transmission
lines that are 34,000 volts. Those can be put underground, but special equipment is
necessary and it's much more expensive.
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When communities are interested in relocating lines, Chesley said ComEd would provide
a ballpark figure of the cost. Communities are then asked to provide a non - refundable
deposit and then a more specific cost estimate is done.
City Administrator Tony Graff asked how the utility company handles other utility
companies that hang from the same poles. Chesley said cost estimates are for ComEd
costs only. He said ComEd informs communities of what other utilities are using the
poles and those costs are separate. The utilities, however, try to work together to relocate
the lines and coordinate installation to save costs.
Alderman Joe Besco asked if it's harder to locate and repair outages when lines are
underground. Armstrong said they're not more difficult to locate, but they are more
difficult to repair.
Armstrong said growth in the county is staggering and the trend he's noticed is for
developers to pay for locating lines underground near their developments. Alderwoman
Rose Spears said that's the approach she's pushing for.
Burd asked if the city could recover costs of relocating wires in the downtown area with
the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district. Graff said if the current system works, the
costs wouldn't be recoverable. However, if changes are necessary to meet the ordinance,
the costs could be recovered through the TIF.
Graff said one developer asked if costs could be shared for lines buried along a state
highway. For instance is the developer pays for costs because of a development on one
side of the road, the developer on the other side gets a free ride. He said that's an issue
City Attorney John Wyeth would have to look at.
Burd asked if the cables are safer underground because they're not exposed to the
elements. Armstrong said they're typically more reliable than overhead lines. Chesley
commented that in the booming areas, cable hits are more common and costly. Graff said
one community he knows of is considering installing protective fencing around the lines
while developers are building.
Graff said the city is trying to get sample ordinances from other communities regarding
relocation of lines. Burd suggested the Economic Development Committee recommend
buried cables in the downtown area and along Route 47 and encourage developers to put
lines underground as well.
Chesley said it sounds as if the community is well ahead of the curve and said the utility
company will help in any way it can. Armstrong said the greatest amount of lead -time
possible is extremely helpful.
3. PC 2005 -08 Blackberry Woods Preliminary PUD Plan
The developer said a question was raised about a possible bridge over Blackberry Creek.
The only creek access the developer has is on the very southeast side of the development
and the developer is trying to preserve trees in that location. That location also lines up to
the School District property.
Graff said Smith Engineering suggested a second access to the high school by putting a
bridge across the creek to connect to Cannonball Trail. Environmentally, however, he
said this isn't the best site. If a bridge ever were constructed, it would be better south of
the high school.
Meanwhile, Bill McCue said the Plan Commission is concerned there's only one access
to the property. He said he's working with the county to get an emergency access road
installed to connect with the county property.
4. PC 2005 -17 Fox Hill Unit 6 Lot 1 Final Plat
Graff said the Plan Commission recommended approval subject to engineering. Graff
said some easement issues have been worked out and there's also a possibility of
connecting to Route 34 if necessary for a right in, right out. The EDC decided to move
the request forward to the Committee of the Whole.
5. PC 2005 -04 Lincoln Prairie Yorkville Special Use Request
John Duggan said the petitioners are seeking a special use request for an asphalt plant on
15 acres of property inside the south portion of the planned industrial park on Eldamain
Road.
At the public hearing, a resident who lives about 1/ mile from the planned facility asked
about what types of odors the plant would produce. The Plan Commission asked the
developer to do provide an engineering report on the smells. Duggan said volatile gases
cause the odors and new plants all have volatile gas recovery systems. The systems are
installed to prevent nuisances and to make the process more effective.
Committee Chairman Marty Munns asked about noise. Duggan said asphalt plants are
particularly noisy. At full capacity, the plant could produce 1,200 tons per hour.
However, he said if the plant reaches 60 percent capacity, he would be happy.
Graff said the truck traffic likely would be about 16 to 20 trucks per hour.
Spears asked if there's something the city could do to limit operational hours of the
facility. Besco, however, said if the plant had a big project it needed to finish, he'd hate
to have the hours restricted.
The committee decided the request should return to the EDC in July when the
engineering report on odors is finished.
6. Building Permit Reports for May 2005
The reports were approved and moved forward to the C.O.W.
7. Proposed Zoning Text Amendment for Drive - Through Facilities
Anna Kurtzman with the building department asked if the committee wanted to look at
the issue of stacking vehicles at drive - through facilities. She said the staff is
recommending that the Zoning Code be amended to address two concerns: the location of
the drive - through in relationship to the public right -of -way and the amount of stacking to
be provided per use.
The proposed changes would require drive - through facilities to be oriented away from the
public right -of -way. Also, stacking requirements would be imposed limiting the number
of stacking spaces. For instance, on an automatic car wash, there would be 10 spaces
required for cars entering the wash and two required for cars exiting the wash.
Graff said the ordinance is mostly geared toward banks. He said the city has asked banks
to locate the drive - throughs so that they're not in the front.
Burd said she doesn't mind seeing a drive - through, that way she knows were to go. She
said she's more interested in the space requirements so that there is room on the property
to serve customers and she would like to see buildings made attractive.
Besco agreed. He said as long as the building looks nice, it doesn't matter where the
drive - through is located.
Kurtzman said she'd redraft the proposed ordinance to keep in the stacking space
requirements. But she said it sounded like the committee would prefer to rely on the
appearance code regarding aesthetics. She said she'd bring the revised ordinance back to
the committee for review.
8. Resolution Providing for a Feasibility Study and Report with Respect to the
Designation of the Downtown Area as a TIF Redevelopment Project Area
Graff said the city needs to pass a resolution for intent to designate the downtown area as
a TIF district. Also, he asked if the city should hire URS again to do a feasibility study.
Burd asked if the islands would be included. Graff said IDOT thinks they're already
included.
The committee agreed to go ahead and bring a resolution to the C.O.W.
9. Discussion of Future Incentive Programs to Attract Commercial/Industrial
Business to Yorkville
Regarding last months presentation on the county incentive program, Munns suggested
the committee members go though the grading process and see how it could be adjusted
to fit the city.
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Dina Gipe