Convene into Executive Session (Closed Session)  -  5:30 p.m.  - Betty Cheever Council Chambers  - Convene into Executive Session pursuant to Section 2(C)(3) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act to consider the selection of a person to fill a public office which the Village Council is given power to appoint under law or ordinance. 

Reconvene into Open Session -  7:00 p.m.  - Betty Cheever Council Chambers - There will be a live broadcast of the meeting for the public.

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Provide public comment

Public comment received via the electronic rEmarks form opens at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before a Village Council meeting and closes at 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

Comments are forwarded to the Village Council prior to the meeting and published on the Village's website.

SUBMIT rEmarks

Supplemental Documents

• rEmarks received for this meeting.
• Council Questions for this meeting. No Council Questions were received for this week's meeting.
• Manager's Memo to Village Council for this meeting. No Manager's Memo to the Village Council was submitted for this week's meeting.

Meeting AGENDA

Call to Order

Roll Call

• A. Motion: Allowing for Electronic Participation for the October 8, 2024 Village Council Meeting.

Executive Session

• A. Convene into Executive Session Pursuant to Section 2(c)(3) of the Illinois Open Meetings Ace to consider the selection of a person to fill a public office which the Village Council is given power to appoint under law or ordinance.

Call to Order (7:00 p.m. - Reconvene into Open Session)

Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

Proclamations

• A. Fire Prevention Week
• B. Arts DuPage Month

Minutes of Council Meetings

• MIN 2024-10219 A. Minutes: Village Council Meeting Minutes - October 1, 2024

Public Comments

This is the opportunity for the public to comment on non-agenda items.

Consent Agenda

• BIL 2024-10249 A. Bills Payable: No 6830 - October 08, 2024

Active Agenda

• ORD 2024-10474 A. Ordinance: Authorizing a Special use for 3110 Woodcreek Drive to Permit a Trade School

Mayor's Report

Council Member Reports

Manager's report

• REP 2024-10486 A. Report: Comprehensive Plan and Related Projects - Comprehensive Plan Draft Vision
• INF 2024-10455 B. Information: Fairview Focus Area Implementation - Review Draft Zoning Regulations

Adjournment

1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call

Council Attendance (Present): Mayor Barnett, Commissioner Hosé, Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt, Commissioner Gilmartin, Commissioner Glover, Commissioner Tully, Commissioner Davenport

Council Attendance (Not Present): None.

Non-Voting: Village Manager Dave Fieldman, Village Attorney Enza Petrarca, and Village Clerk Rosa Berardi

3. Executive Session

A. Convene into Executive Session Pursuant to Section 2(c)(3) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act to consider the selection of a person to fill a public office which the Village Council is given power to appoint under law or ordinance.

MOTION: To convene into closed session pursuant to Section 2(C)(3) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, to consider the selection of a person to fill a public office as defined in the Act, including a vacancy in a public office, when the public body is given power to appoint under law or ordinance, or the discipline, performance or removal of the occupant of a public office, when the public body is given power to remove the occupant under law or ordinance. 

RESULT: Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Hosé SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt AYES: Commissioners Hosé, Sadowski-Fugitt, Davenport, Tully, Glover, Gilmartin, Mayor Barnett NAYES: None

4. Call to Order (7:00 p.m. – Reconvene into Open Session)

The meeting reconvened into open session and Mayor Barnett led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

5. Proclamations

A. Fire Prevention Week

After reading the proclamation Mayor Barnett presented the proclamation to Fire Chief Scott Spinazola. 

Chief Spinazola thanked the Mayor for the proclamation and spoke about the Fire Prevention Week campaign. He stressed the importance of having working smoke detectors. He invited all to the Night at the Firehouse event on Wednesday, October 9th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and the ceremonial Silent Parade on Friday, October 11th that honor all of those who have lost their lives to fires.  

B. Arts DuPage Month

After reading the proclamation Mayor Barnett presented the proclamation to Debbie Venezia, Director at Arts DuPage. 

Ms. Venezia thanked the Mayor for the proclamation and spoke on behalf of Arts DuPage about the festivals that celebrate the arts and the fine arts organizations in Downers Grove. She stressed the importance of art in the community.

6. Minutes of Council Meetings

MIN 2024-10219 — A. Minutes: Village Council Meeting Minutes – October 1, 2024

MOTION: To adopt The Meeting Minutes of the October 1, 2024, Village Council Meeting, as presented.  RESULT: Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Hosé SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt AYES: Commissioners Hosé, Sadowski-Fugitt, Davenport, Tully, Glover, Gilmartin, Mayor Barnett  NAYES: None

7. Public Comments

Clorinda Greco, business owner, questioned whether another parking study would be completed if the Council has future plans of removing parking spots in the community.

8. Consent Agenda

BIL 2024-10249 — A. Bills Payable: No. 6830 – October 8, 2024

MOTION: To adopt The Consent Agenda of the October 8, 2024, as presented.

RESULT: Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Hosé SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt AYES: Commissioners Hosé, Sadowski-Fugitt, Davenport, Tully, Glover, Gilmartin, Mayor Barnett NAYES: None

9. Active Agenda

ORD 2024-10474 — A. Ordinance: Authorizing a Special Use for 3110 Woodcreek Drive to Permit a Trade School

Summary: This ordinance authorizes a Special Use for 3110 Woodcreek Drive to permit a trade school. 

MOTION: To adopt AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A SPECIAL USE FOR 3110 WOODCREEK DRIVE TO PERMIT A TRADE SCHOOL, as presented. ORDINANCE 6061 RESULT: Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Hosé SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt AYES: Commissioners Hosé, Sadowski-Fugitt, Davenport, Tully, Glover, Gilmartin, Mayor Barnett NAYES: None

Village Council Comments/Questions

Commissioner Hosé shared that he was not present at the last Council meeting and he thanked his colleagues for their comments about this item. He said he is excited that this trade school is coming to Downers Grove and expressed that more construction trade schools are needed in the area, as there has been a shortage of construction workers across the country.

10. Mayor’s Report

Mayor Barnett spoke about the importance of having smoke detectors and testing them regularly. He also spoke of the arts in DuPage County coming in may different forms – like the Grove Fest and live music. The Mayor then spoke of Hurricane Helene and the next impending storm, Hurricane Milton. He shared information about VOAD, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, which is a co-op of different organizations that work together to help those in need during times of disaster. He shared that VOAD takes donations and encouraged those looking for a way to help during this time to check it out.

11. Council Member Reports

Commissioner Davenport spoke of the importance of replacing smoke detectors in houses that are more than 10 years old. He also shared information about WaterSmart, a Village toolkit that can send property owners notifications when there is excessive water use. He recommended residents sign up for it.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt spoke of Fire Prevention Month and thanked the Downers Grove Fire Department for their education efforts.

Commissioner Tully noted that Coffee with the Council takes place on Saturday, October 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and shared that it is an informal way to for anyone to have an informal conversation with the members of the Village Council. He also spoke of the storms that have hit the Gulf of Florida and North Carolina and said he hopes that Hurricane Milton does not bring further devastation.

Commissioner Gilmartin said he attended the Montrew Dunham Award ceremony for award winner Mary Ellen Young. He spoke of her past and current volunteer efforts, stating that she has touched his life (and those of the residents Downers Grove) without even knowing it.  

Commissioner Hosé thanked the Fire Department and echoed his colleagues on what a great job they do with their outreach to the community, including the Night at the Fire House. He encouraged all to attend. 

12. Manager’s Report

REP 2024-10486 — A. Report: Comprehensive Plan and Related Projects - Comprehensive Plan Draft Vision

Village Manager Dave Fieldman explained that the Council made it clear that the Comprehensive Plan Vision Statement needed to be that of the community, and not of the Village as an organization. He explained that Commissioner Tully pointed out some changes that needed to be made on the draft that was posted online with the Village Council materials, and those changes were made today and are not reflected online. 

Community Development Director Stan Popovich presented via PowerPoint. He went over the Comprehensive Plan schedule and shared the Vision Statement (below),. He pointed out the two items revised that day, as explained by Manager Fieldman. The most current changes included: Paragraph 5 – The word “similarly” had been reinserted; and Paragraph 6 – The sentence “The community will have an abundance of natural recreation areas, walking paths, trails and trees.” had been added.  Mr. Popovich them opened the discussion to the Council.

The Comprehensive Plan Vision Statement Draft 

Paragraph #1

Since its incorporation in 1873, Downers Grove has grown to become a diverse community of 50,000 people and a model community within Illinois. Over the coming decades, Downers Grove will be renowned for its strong sense of community, cultural diversity and the human connection among its residents. The community will continue its long tradition of excellence, known for its safe, distinctive and well maintained neighborhoods, premier regional and local commercial choices, a lively, vibrant Downtown, commitment to sustainability, accessible and attractive open spaces, safe connectivity for all road users, and an array of quality local government services and amenities. 

Paragraph #2

Downers Grove will be a vibrant and inclusive community where high quality, diverse housing options support residents throughout their lives. The community will foster a sense of place that preserves its rich housing history while embracing a variety of residential architectural styles, housing types and multipurpose development. Downers Grove’s neighborhoods will be walkable, welcoming, and reflective of the unique character that define the community.

Paragraph #3

Downers Grove's business-friendly environment will continue to attract businesses and investment. The attractive commercial areas will continue to improve, thrive, and grow as regionally recognized destinations and notable activity centers. Downers Grove will support new entrepreneurs and existing small businesses alike, both in the Downtown and throughout the community. The community will continue to draw major employers that create a variety of employment opportunities.

Paragraph #4

Downtown Downers Grove will continue to be the heart of the community – a place where neighbors and visitors gather, and businesses thrive. The success of Downtown will be expanded via a pedestrian and bike friendly connection to Fairview. The Downtown and Fairview will have innovative and sustainable streetscapes, art displays and public spaces resulting in an inviting, visually appealing, and culturally rich destination that attracts residents, visitors, and commuters alike.

Paragraph #5

Similarly, the Belmont area will be transformed into the Village’s third commuter rail-anchored node – a place for innovation, commerce, and residential amenities. Strategically positioned near I-355, the area will see sustainable and context-sensitive development.

Paragraph #6

Downers Grove will respect its natural resources by being a more sustainable and livable community that consists of permanently preserved open spaces, native landscaping and a green storm water management system. Downers Grove will be resilient in the face of intensifying climatological events. Sustainability efforts will be embraced throughout the community. The community will have an abundance of natural recreation areas, walking paths, trails and trees.

Paragraph #7 

Downers Grove will have a high-quality, pedestrian first transportation system that is easily accessible, safe for all users, and aesthetically pleasing. Neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and local amenities will be connected through an extensive mobility network, providing the opportunity to comfortably walk, bike, drive, or take the train or bus.

Paragraph #8

Downers Grove will continue to welcome residents, visitors, and new opportunities and will consist of a population diverse in age, race, and income. Downers Grove will be a hub for inclusiveness, acceptance, mutual respect and cultural excellence, fostering a strong relationship with community institutions to promote an excellent quality of life and community pride.

Village Council Comments/Questions

Commissioner Gilmartin said the changes that were captured were a good representation of what the Council was looking for at the last meeting. He pointed out the following:

• Paragraph 4 – The second sentence seems to be a very tactical extension of Downtown, and not in a way the Council is looking for the extension of the Downtown to Fairview to be portrayed - it is far beyond a bike and pedestrian pathway.
• Paragraph 5 - He thinks the paragraph is too specific to one area (Belmont) and should be broader, not calling out specific areas. He suggested that the paragraph read something like: “Similar to the Downtown and Fairview Focus Areas, the community will seek to transform other key locations across the Village. These sites will offer opportunities to create distinctive gateway and destination nodes, each unique in character and purpose, but aligned with the Village’s vision to provide diverse residential, commercial, cultural, resource,  recreational and natural amenities.”

Commissioner Tully said he appreciated Commissioner Gilmartin’s point to not focus on any particular areas, except for the Downtown. He said he wants Fairview to be referred to as the Fairview Focus Area, because Fairview is the name of a street, as is Belmont. He shared he thinks that the Fairview Focus Area and the Belmont Area need to be included in the statement because all three are uniquely tied together by their physical connection to the rail line. Commissioner Tully said he is sympathetic of the concerns that there are other areas in Downers Grove that may need attention and suggested rather than eliminating Belmont, or crafting a new paragraph, that the vision statement make mention of other Village plans that speak to the economic development and improvement enhancement of the entire community. He stressed that though he does not want to give up mentioning the Downtown, the Fairview Focus Area and the Belmont Station area, he would like to make reference to past Village plans that focus on other nodes throughout the community that are not connected to a rail line.  

Mayor Barnett said he agrees with Commissioner Gilmartin about the second sentence in Paragraph 4, and would be happy to have it removed. He said he wants to leave Belmont in the Vision Statement because it is the third commuter railway in Downers Grove. He suggested adding another paragraph along the lines of what Commissioner Gilmartin read. 

Commissioner Davenport said he agrees with the Mayor to include Commissioner Gilmartin’s comments in an additional paragraph. He said that would address any reservations has had about including Belmont in the Vision Statement. 

Commissioner Hosé said he agrees with a lot of what has been said. He shared that he thinks there is value to including Belmont in the statement because of the value of the rail line. He said he thinks that the Village’s revitalization efforts need to continue in the Ellsworth Business Park, adjacent to Belmont, so he thinks a spotlight should be placed on Belmont. The Commissioner said he does not think Belmont needs its own paragraph and suggested chopping the sentence down and attaching it to the previous paragraph. This way the paragraph would speak of the Downtown, Fairview and Belmont, all part of the rail corridor. He said he thinks this could capture the themes Commissioner Gilmartin was talking about, include the 3 focus areas, while still leaving the door open to other areas as well. 

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt said she agrees with Commissioner Hosé about adding all of the rail areas in one paragraph.

Commissioner Glover said he concurs with what has been said. He said the underpass was put in the Belmont area and then the area was forgotten about. He agreed with both Commissioners Hosé and Sadowski-Fugitt that Belmont should be mentioned in the same paragraph as the Downtown and Fairview. Commissioner Glover said he also agrees that the other areas in town should not be forgotten. 

Mayor Barnett directed staff to add the Belmont comments in Paragraph 5 to Paragraph 4 and draft up a new paragraph using Commissioner Gilmartin’s comments as the basis. 

Commissioner Tully agreed with the combination of the two paragraphs and suggested adding a couple of sentences to tie it all up. 

Manager Fieldman asked the Council to advise on the deletion of the verbiage “pedestrian and bike friendly connection” that was previously mentioned.

Commissioner Hosé asked Commissioner Gilmartin to provide reasoning for not wanting this part.

Commissioner Gilmartin explained that there is a place for “pedestrian and bike friendly connection” to be included and he thinks it should fall further down in document, in the goals and objectives. He said he thinks it currently limits the vision to just a connection to the Fairview Area and it does not encapsulate a lot of the other work that is going into 

the Fairview Focus Area. The Commissioner said he appreciates the feedback of his colleagues on Belmont, but he thinks by including Belmont in the vision, it seems that the Village is picking it as the next area that will be focused on. 

Commissioner Hosé said he likes the reference to increasing connectivity to the Downtown. 

Commissioner Tully said he thinks what Commissioner Gilmartin is trying to say, is that the sentence is very specific by using the words “pedestrian and bike friendly”.

Manager Fieldman recapped the Council’s comments and said the Council would like to see the combination of the Downtown/Fairview and Belmont paragraphs, a change from the specific reference to a bike and pedestrian connection to a general connectivity, and an additional paragraph, inspired by what Commissioner Gilmartin shared.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt said to be sure the quotation marks are removed from the word “green” in Paragraph #6.

Manager Fieldman assured Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt that they had been removed. 

Commissioner Gilmartin asked, with regard to Paragraph 5, if the I-355 reference would be removed. 

Manager Fieldman said that staff will strike “near I-355” from Paragraph 5.

Commissioner Tully shared his concerns that some words were used repetitively throughout the Vision Statement and explained that it is helpful to use the right words, in the right places, without changing the substance of the sentences. He expressed that he thought Manager Fieldman would address this in the next draft. Commissioner Tully suggested the following corrections: 

• Paragraph 1 – The word “community” was used 5 times. He suggested eliminating the use of community so many times and using the words Village and Downers Grove instead to be clear on whether the reference is to the people, the Village as an organization, or the geographic location in Illinois.
• Paragraphs 3 and 4 - The same change as above, to be more internally consistent and eliminate redundancy.
• Paragraph 1 - Change the sentence that begins with “The community will continue to…” to “The community will celebrate its tradition of excellence, safe, distinctive and well maintained neighborhoods, premier, regional and local, commercial choices….”
• Belmont and Fairview should be referred to as focus areas throughout the Vision Statement.
• Paragraph 6 - Combine the second and third sentences to read “Downers Grove will be resilient in the face of intensifying climate, climatological events, and sustainability efforts will be embraced throughout the Village.”
• Paragraph 7 - Change “take the train or bus” to “take public transportation”.
• Paragraph 8 - Change sentence one by removing “new opportunities” to read “Downers Grove will continue to welcome residents, visitors, workers, and students, and will consist of a population diverse in age, race, and income.”
• Paragraph 8 - Change the last sentence from “community institutions“ to “local institutions”. This is because the word community is used again later in the sentence. 

Mayor Barnett suggested that staff refer to the meeting from September 17th, when there was a discussion about using different words when speaking about the geography of the Village, the people of the Village, or the Village as an organization.  

Manager Fieldman said there will be an explanation in the Comprehensive Plan that will clarify the terms being used to the reader.  

Mayor Barnett explained to those attending and watching the meeting, that the words used in the Comprehensive Plan are very important. He further explained that some words may have more than one meaning, therefore there needs to be some differentiation in them. 

Commissioner Davenport asked if the consultants have been helping with the drafting of the Vision Statement

Manager Fieldman said that the consultants set staff up to begin the conversation, and from there staff has continued forward with the draft updates. Manager Fieldman then received confirmation from the Council to make the changes mentioned by Commissioner Tully. 

Commissioner Hosé suggested, with regard to Paragraph 7, changing the words “pedestrian first” to “pedestrian and bike friendly.”

Commissioner Davenport said he prefers to keep the pedestrian first language. He said making this statement is a way to emphasizes the importance of it.

Commissioner Gilmartin concurred.  

Commissioner Hosé said he does not think the Council plans on doing everything from a pedestrian first standpoint. He opined that it is exclusive of things like bicycle traffic, which is not intended but it reads that way. He shared that the meaning of pedestrian and bike are different to him. Commissioner Hosé shared that a lot of the feedback the Council has been getting from the public, is that people are still driving to and parking in a lot of different places. To him, by saying pedestrian first, it seems that it is only referring to walking. 

Commissioner Davenport said he was thinking about bikes to when hearing the word pedestrian, but now he sees it differently. 

Commissioner Glover agreed with Commissioner Hosé, and said if the vision is saying pedestrian first, he thinks of Ogden and Belmont and how this idea of pedestrian first may not apply to all locations – i.e. Ogden and Belmont.

Commissioner Hosé shared the Marriam-Webster definition of pedestrian first and said that it refers to walking. 

Mayor Barnett said he can see pedestrian first being problematic, but he is struggling with how else to say it. He said it is important to emphasize that when the Village is designing, maintaining or operating physical environments, it will first be run through the filter of what the best solution for non-motorized traffic will be. He said he does not like the word friendly because it does not show prioritization.

Commissioner Hosé said he is struggling with what Mayor Barnett is saying.

Mayor Barnett deferred to Commissioner Tully. 

Commissioner Tully said he needs to think about this because “pedestrian first” does have a legal meaning in Illinois. 

Commissioner Davenport said he wants to hear more about the legal meaning. 

Manager Fieldman asked the Council members if they are in agreement that there is a prioritization concept in this segment.  

The Council concurred.

Mayor Barnett clarified that this is not an elimination, just a prioritization.

Manager Fieldman asked for confirmation that the Council was talking about making sure that the reference is not only to pedestrians, but also to bicycles and other forms of non-motorized transportation. He said he has had many conversations with the Council about this, and he was confident that staff can figure out how to say it and get the concept of prioritization in it as well. 

The Council concurred.

INF 2024-10455 — B. Information: Fairview Focus Area Implementation - Review Draft Ordinance

Mr. Popovich presented via PowerPoint. He recapped past meetings on this topic and the next steps in the Fairview 

Focus Area Plan implementation process. He shared a map of the focus area and also of the designated existing zoning and rezoning classifications. He shared tables showing the Fairview Focus Area zoning key regulations (and corresponding notes) and the land uses of the potential zoning districts and those currently in the downtown. Mr. Popovich explained that the inclusive housing bonus, previously discussed by the Council, was written through a note in the Zoning Table. He spoke of extended family accessory housing and home occupation concepts in the Fairview Transition Area. He also opined that it may be a good idea to push the rezoning of the Pepperidge Farms area, currently zoned M-1 to a later time because it would need to be a PUD. Mr. Popovich then provided details about the next steps in the process of the project.  

Public Comment

Diane, a resident, asked if undeveloped land in Downers Grove has to be developed. She said there are a lot buildings that are empty and wanted to know why they could not be redeveloped or torn down. 

Clorinda Greco, returned to the podium, stressed the fact that the Downtown area sidewalks are a priority when it comes to the clearing of snow. She then expressed concerns about adding bike paths in other areas of town, where the sidewalks are not cleared and people end up walking or biking in the streets. 

Village Council Comments/Questions

Mayor Barnett asked if snow services in the Downtown are part of the Downtown Management contract.

Manager Fieldman said no, they are a Village service that are paid for by a Special Service Area (SSA) that encompasses the Downtown. He further explained that the SSA is a special property tax levied only on properties located within the geographic area of the Downtown, and is used for specific enhanced services, including snow removal and ice control.

Mayor Barnett explained that the Downtown taxpayers pay a special service tax that goes towards this. He also spoke about the Fairview Focus Area and said that there is no discussion of developing any undeveloped areas. The discussion is about future zoning requirements, or future uses, and whether those requirements should be more permissible or different than they are today.  

Commissioner Hosé asked, with regard to the affordable housing bonus, how the maximum number of five units, and one affordable housing unit, per every five housing units, was decided on.

Manager Fieldman explained one affordable housing unit, per every 5 units, was the concept that was used by the Community Development team. He explained that this was decided on, because earlier in the process the Council did not agree on the initial number of units suggested by staff and asked the team to take another look at the number. 

Commissioner Davenport said the Village is not in the business of developing land. He said the purpose of the Fairview Focus Area is to give people more options for redevelopment. He said he thinks that this item is at a good place. 

Mayor Barnett said the Council is working to create an environment for redevelopment. 

Commissioner Tully said the purpose of rezoning is to allow an area of possibility for property owners. He said some of the things the Council is talking about would create green space in areas that are currently concrete, and promote more environmentally friendly practices. He said the Village does not own any of the property in the area and is creating a canvass for the business owners to paint on. The Commissioner shared that he likes the way this has evolved and complimented the staff’s work on this. He said the community input has been good, and shared that he looks forward to more of that input, as it could continue to tweak things.  

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt echoed her fellow Commissioners and spoke of some of the discussions the Council has had. She said she is happy with how this has moved forward and thanked the staff for their work. 

Commissioner Glover spoke of the R-6 zoning being so compatible with the transition area. He asked about the area to the north, between Austin and Franklin, shown as two blocks that are zoned as R-6 and asked why they were not zoned as F-T.

Manager Fieldman referred to a slide from the presentation, and explained that the areas are actually R-6 and that some of the coloring on the map did not show correctly. He explained that the first block is where a creek runs through two parcels, and the other block is improved with multifamily development. He explained that staff would be supportive of making it all F-T.  

Commissioner Davenport asked if this section is currently in a floodplain.

Manager Fieldman confirmed yes, the one area that the creek runs through the two parcels.

Commissioner Gilmartin asked if there is a street that bumps up behind the R-6 areas referred to by Commissioner Glover, or if it is an alley. He further stated he asked because there had previously been a discussion to use streets as boarders. 

Commissioner Tully confirmed it is an alley. 

Mr. Popovich showed a map with the parcels and explained the aforementioned area includes the creek and an alley. 

Commissioner Davenport shared concerns about the flood plain affecting the value of the parcels. 

Manager Fieldman said because the R-6 zoning is already in place, and the properties to the west have a different single-family zoning classification, staff thinks it is sound zoning practice to go ahead and include those areas as F-T. He said there is a little more flexibility in the land use in the F-T than the R-6. He said with the limitations of the floodplain, that may help property owners.

The Council agreed to change this area from R-6 to F-T. 

Commissioner Gilmartin echoed his thanks to Village staff on their hard work. He said he is good with the naming convention of the 3 different areas: Fairview Core, Fairview Business, and Fairview Transition, and the inclusion of affordable housing. He questioned the slide showing F-T Home Occupations Concepts. 

Mr. Popovich explained that the J Concept is allowed throughout the entire Village and in F-T for home occupations, and Concepts K and L are only allowed in the F-T area and are not allowed Village-wide. He said the concept here is for the Fairview Transition area, J, K, and L would be allowed with new regulations, but then for the rest of the community, J would still be allowed, but K and L would not be allowed. The concept is that the F-T would be an incubator are.. 

Commissioner Gilmartin said there had been some discussion about implementing this throughout the whole Village. He said he would be interested in having that discussion, but understands that would be for another night. 

Manager Fieldman explained that the concept was floated around a couple times, but staff found a way to make this all work in the F-T District first.

Commissioner Gilmartin asked about the Fairview Focus Area and whether new Design Guidelines would be implemented or if the Downtown Design Guidelines would be used. 

Manager Fieldman said the Downtown Design Guidelines would be used as the basis for this, with a few additional tweaks. He said an ordinance on this would come forward to the Council in the future. 

Commissioner Gilmartin noted, with regard to Land Uses, that massage therapy was not a permitted use and said he thinks it should be a permitted use. He said he thinks there are already uses that are in line with massage therapy. 

Commissioner Tully said this provides both a challenge and opportunity. He said that legitimate licensed businesses should have the opportunity. He said there should be a special use connected to this, and if it is allowed, the challenge is how this would be done. Commissioner Tully shared that there were problems with this in the past and he does not want to have that happen again.  

Manager Fieldman asked if the Council members want to take the next steps to explore this. He said if so, staff could look at the language of the ordinance. 

Commissioner Hosé said he would like additional information on the licensing aspect and how stringent that would be before considering adding it. 

Mayor Barnett said the concerns are obvious and asked that staff develop this further before the Council considers it. 

Commissioner Gilmartin said that he wanted to be clear that Council is not painting the massage profession in a negative light.

Village Attorney, Enza Petrarca asked for clarification on if the Council is discussing the licensed massage therapy ordinance or the land use. 

Commissioner Hosé said that both were necessary. 

Mayor Barnett clarified that he would like to understand the ordinance before including this as a part of the land use. 

Manager Fieldman said for the purposes of the zoning discussion, the idea is exploring if message therapy would become a special use in one or more of the districts.  

Commissioner Davenport said to him this is a broader issue than just the Fairview Focus Area, and he does not want this to hold up this process because of it. 

Manager Fieldman explained this will not hold anything up and said that staff will provide the Council with some information. 

Commissioner Hosé thanked the staff for their work and said he looks forward to passing the zoning regulation.

Mayor Barnett asked the Council to consider holding off on the M-1 rezone. He said the rezoning of F-T in the southeast corner of the Fairview Focus Area gives him pause. He said if the Council wants to hold off on rezoning M-1, then they should hold off on rezoning the F-T area too. He provided the Council with his reasoning and asked that the Council take this into consider to discuss at a future meeting. 

Manager Fieldman said that the area is currently multi-family and single family detached there right now and is currently zoned R-6 and R-4.

The Council agreed with the Mayor. 

Manager Fieldman recognized Village staff members Stan Popovich, Jason Zawila, Flora Leon, Emily Hepworth, Enza Petrarca, Brandon Rissman and Jason Michnick for their hard work on this project.

Mayor Barnett invited public comments on the Comprehensive Plan Vision Statement.

Public Comment

Diane, resident, returned to the podium and asked when the next appointment to the Environmental Concerns Commission would be. She spoke of the Public Comment from the week prior about the Greenest Region Compact and CO2 emissions.

Mayor Barnett said he does not know about availability on the ECC, but shared that there are additional appointments that the Council is currently discussing on Village Boards and Commissions. With regard to the Greenest Region Compact, he asked her to review past materials on the Village website and the Village’s Sustainability Plan was still a work in progress. 

13. Adjournment

Mayor Barnett asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.

MOTION: To adjourn the October 8, Village Council Meeting.

RESULT: Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Hosé SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt AYES: Commissioners Hosé, Sadowski-Fugitt, Davenport, Tully, Glover, Gilmartin, Mayor Barnett NAYES: None

Mayor Barnett declared the motion carried by voice vote and the meeting adjourned at 8:46 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rosa Berardi Village Clerk