05Special - The Village of Glen Ellyn

PLAN COMMISSION
MINUTES
FEBRUARY 5, 2009
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Julie Fullerton at 7:35 p.m.
Commissioners Craig Bromann, Todd Buckton, Linda Dykstra, Jeff Girling, Julie
McCormick, Ryan Potts and Ray Whalen were present. Commissioners Eva
Bongiovanni and Jay Strayer were excused. Also present were Planning and
Development Director Staci Hulseberg, Village Attorney Julie Tappendorf, Village
Planner Michele Stegall, Police Chief Phil Norton, Village Consulting Engineer Bill
McGurr and Village Consulting Traffic Engineer Tom Adomshick.
Chairman Fullerton stated that the only item on the agenda was the continuation of the
Diamante Montessori School at 625 Hillside Avenue.
PUBLIC HEARING – DIAMANTE MONTESSORI SCHOOL, 625 HILLSIDE
AVENUE
PUBLIC HEARING WITH DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION AND RECOMMEN-
DATION REGARDING A REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF A SPECIAL USE
PERMIT TO ALLOW THE EXISTING BUILDING AT 625 HILLSIDE AVENUE TO
BE USED AS A PRESCHOOL. THE SUBJECT SITE IS LOCATED AT THE
SOUTHEAST CORNER OF HILLSIDE AVENUE AND PARK BOULEVARD IN
THE R2 RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
(Ronald and Elizabeth Repking)
Chairman Fullerton informed those present that although she had left the January 22,
2009 meeting early for personal reasons, she had read the transcript from that meeting.
She then explained how the continuation of the meeting would proceed and stated that the
attorney for some residents in opposition to the special use request has been granted the
right to cross examine witnesses, which is not the usual procedure of the Plan
Commission.
Persons in Favor of or in Opposition to the Petition (continued)
Steve Kondogianis, 628 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois stated that he does not
believe there is another intersection in Glen Ellyn like the one at Park and Hillside where
traffic is busy and doesn’t have a four-way stop. Mr. Kondogianis stated that during high
traffic times, the stop signs at Duane and Park and Hill and Park meter the traffic in and
out of sync. Mr. Kondogianis stated that while watching traffic as one waits to enter
Park, sometimes the last people one sees are pedestrians and that another driveway added
close to the intersection will increase the danger at that location. Mr. Kondogianis added
that he witnessed an accident involving bodily injury at the intersection of Park and
Hillside. He also stated that he does not believe Village records accurately reflect the
danger at that intersection and felt that someone injured at that intersection would have a
very clear case against the Village in a lawsuit. Chairman Fullerton referred Mr.

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Kondogianis to an updated Traffic Crash Summary that included the accident he had
referred to that indicated that there was personal injury involved.
Carl Cepuran, 629 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois stated that his three children
attended Montessori schools and that there is a bond between his family and Montessori.
Mr. Cepuran stated he is head coach for the Glen Ellyn Speed Skating Club that includes
young children and that his family loves children and wants to keep the neighborhood
safe and kid-friendly. Mr. Cepuran added that his family is immediately impacted by
activities at the subject site due to the location of their home (next door). Mr. Cepuran
clarified that the traffic counts for the increase and the usage from the previous church
history to the proposed school usage presented by his wife, Marilyn Cepuran, at the
previous meeting were for cars that would actually cross the parkway, cross the sidewalk
and enter the site. In response to an observation by Commissioner Buckton at the
previous meeting that the building on the subject site was basically an empty structure for
the last five to seven years, Mr. Cepuran stated that the church was thriving for a number
of years until the final 18 months. Ms. Stegall verified for Mr. Cepuran that the Plan
Commission has received all information, including e-mails, regarding the subject special
use.
Mr. Cepuran stated that he was in attendance at a Plan Commission meeting when the
property at 10 North Park Boulevard was being discussed and that the petitioner and staff
were in error regarding the direction of an alley. Mr. Cepuran also stated that a church
applied for a special use permit in 2007 at a commercial site in Glen Ellyn and did not
receive information from the Village about the availability of the subject site. Ms. Stegall
clarified that the church was occupying their space for a number of years without a
special use permit having been granted and when the Village fire inspector discovered the
violation, the church applied for and was granted a special use permit.
Regarding the subject special use request, Mr. Cepuran stated that the proposed school
doesn't fit the subject site and that the request is 8 square feet short from requiring best
stormwater management practices. He also stated that a retaining wall has been designed
so that it doesn’t have to abide by as stringent of a setback requirement than the retaining
wall would have to if it was over 3 feet in height. Mr. Cepuran stated that the survey of
the subject site contains serious errors and omissions. Mr. Cepuran stated that
landscaping proposed for the site to act as a buffer will cause sight line problems and
create safety issues. Mr. Cepuran stated he has seen no information regarding the interior
of the subject building nor an opinion on DCFS. Mr. Cepuran stated that if the proposed
driveway is installed, three driveways will then be within 18 feet of each other which
creates a confusing and dangerous situation. He added that he was unable to find a
driveway with this type of configuration in any other location in the R2 Single-Family
Residential zoning district in Glen Ellyn. Mr. Cepuran commented that the area between
his house and the subject building acts as an echo chamber that will accentuate noise
from traffic driving through. Mr. Cepuran also expressed a concern regarding water runoff
from the roof of the subject building because an existing swale that was used to drain
water will be carved out and paved over. Mr. Cepuran stated he had letters from five
realtors stating that the Montessori school will cause a negative economic impact to

PLAN COMMISSION -3- FEBRUARY 5, 2009
homes in the subject area and, at Chairman Fullerton’s request, Mr. Cepuran stated he
will provide copies of those letters to the Plan Commission. Mr. Cepuran expressed his
unhappiness regarding the proposed special use as he feels his family will be very
negatively impacted by the type of development proposed and the traffic that will be
generated by the use. He also stated that the proposed plan will illegally overburden his
easement rights. Mr. Cepuran showed some video footage of traffic at St. Mark’s that
indicated eight cars in a queue and video footage of traffic backed up at the Park and
Hillside intersection. Mr. Cepuran stated that no parking is allowed on Hillside Avenue
east of Park Boulevard for 60 to 70 feet for a reason and that space should not be utilized
for overflow and queuing for the proposed school.
Commissioner Potts asked Mr. Cepuran why the neighbors didn’t address their concerns
to the petitioners prior to the public hearing, and Mr. Cepuran replied that the only
information he has ever received has been through the Village at his request. Mr.
Cepuran stated that when he met with Mr. Repking on a few occasions prior to the
meeting, no specific plans were available. Commissioner Dykstra asked Mr. Cepuran if
he received a letter from the Repkings’ in December, 2008, and Mr. Cepuran replied yes.
Jim Killham, 377 North Park Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, Illinois stated that he lives four
doors down from the subject property. He stated that his back yard borders Lot 3 at 625
Hillside Avenue which he had always assumed was his neighbor’s back yard. Mr.
Killham stated that he is concerned regarding safety at the intersection of Park and
Hillside and had once witnessed an accident at that location. Mr. Killham presented
slides, one of which showed financial records from the Diamante website. Mr. Killham
stated that the neighbors worked with the congregation on a plan to help them remain in
the chapel. Mr. Killham stated that he never saw a For Sale sign on the property but that
a limited liability company purchased the property in 2008. In closing, Mr. Killham
displayed a slide that showed four non-profit pre-schools that do not have separate
facilities and two for-profit pre-schools that have their own separate facilities.
Hanno Lorenzl, 155 Sunset Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois stated that his children attend
Diamante and he was supportive of the proposed special use request. Mr. Lorenzl felt it
would have been beneficial for the opposition to visit the school to see what an asset it is
to the community. Mr. Lorenzl also stated that the only reason a special use is being
requested is because of the young ages of some of the children. Mr. Lorenzl stated that
the subject property has had very little use for the last few years and the yard has
basically been a public park on private property, however, change will come and the
proposed use will provide as limited of a change as possible to the site.
Robert Cassey, 445 North Park Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, stated that he is a deacon
at St. Petronille Church but was speaking as a private citizen. Mr. Cassey expressed
support for the petitioners, stating they are people of impeccable integrity. Mr. Cassey
did not understand how the proposal threatens the preservation of the neighborhood and
that in the five years he’s lived in his condominium, he has not experienced problems
getting into his driveway because of a traffic back-up. Although Mr. Cassey appreciated
the efforts of those people soliciting signatures on petitions, he felt that some signatures

PLAN COMMISSION -4- FEBRUARY 5, 2009
were from people who signed their names without much concern about the issue. Mr.
Cassey commented that the possibility of housing values in the neighborhood being
impacted is a legitimate concern. Referring to a question a Plan Commissioner had asked
Ms. Cepuran at a previous meeting regarding whether or not she would oppose a
Montessori school at the subject site if operated by the former pastor of the church, based
on her answer, Mr. Cassey concluded that her opposition is not based on the use being
inappropriate for the subject space.
Marcia Lamoureaux, 660 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois stated that she often takes
an alternate route to avoid the intersection of Park and Hillside. Ms. Lamoureaux also
stated that cars will often speed up when approaching the intersection of Park and Duane
in order to cross the tracks before a train comes through. Ms. Lamoureaux was
concerned that water conditions in the area will increase if the school adds more
impervious surface by building a parking lot on the site. She also expressed concerns that
cars exiting the site will not see or hear ambulances coming up/down Park Boulevard and
that an ambulance would have difficulty accessing the site due to traffic back-ups.
Michael Land, 393 Montclair Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois represented his parents who
live at 397 North Park Boulevard and are currently out of town. Mr. Land read from a
statement prepared by his parents, Walter and Phyllis Land. Upon retirement, Mr. and
Ms. Land chose to remain in Glen Ellyn at their home of 38 years because of the
harmony and diversity of the community they enjoy. Mr. and Ms. Land stated that the
quality of life in their home will be negatively impacted by the loss of open space and
trees, increased traffic and a reduction in their property value. They also stated that all of
the churches on the subject site were good neighbors and maintained the facility. Mr. and
Ms. Land were disappointed that the subject property was sold without the neighbors or
other churches being given the opportunity to purchase the land. Mr. and Ms. Land feel
that the proposed school is the wrong plan for the site, the current location works well
and the subject building should be returned to its historical use as a church.
Lauri Reeves, 618 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois lives directly across the street
from the subject property. Ms. Reeves expressed a concern that the study conducted by
the petitioners’ traffic engineer was done on a Thursday, which is the second lightest day
of traffic at the school. Ms. Reeves displayed a table showing the Park/Hillside
intersection ratings from the school’s traffic study. She described those findings and
pointed out that the noon time drop-off and pick-up times which she believed to be the
period with the highest volume of traffic were not included in the report. Ms. Reeves did
not believe the school’s traffic study accurately reflected current traffic and, therefore,
stated that criteria 6 of the special use standards has not been satisfied. Ms. Reeves also
did not feel that criteria 7 was satisfied as the proposed driveway will change the
essential character of the area. She displayed the site engineering plan and stated that
some important information was omitted such as other driveways nearby and an alley
across from the existing driveway that will be another source of traffic. Ms. Reeves
stated that since westbound Hillside vehicles will have difficulty entering the proposed
driveway, 100 percent of traffic will gain access to the school via the Park/Hillside
intersection and affect the proposed intersection rating. Ms. Reeves added that the

PLAN COMMISSION -5- FEBRUARY 5, 2009
proposed school traffic will increase traffic by 54 percent in front of her home thereby
concluding that criteria 7 of the special use standards has not been satisfied. Ms. Reeves
stated that criteria 3 which requires that the use will not be disturbing to existing
neighborhood uses has not been satisfied because homes in the area as well as people
driving through will be impacted by pre-school traffic vehicle line-ups with idling cars
and the direction cars will be required to travel will create safety issues. Chairman
Fullerton requested a copy of a referenced petition with 167 signatures, and Ms. Reeves
agreed to provide that petition.
Beth Cipriano, 620 Duane Street, Glen Ellyn, Illinois stated that she worked at a
Montessori school for two years. She stated that the school grew during that time and
that because extra activities involving families were held at the school, she believes that
the proposed school may have parking needs beyond the four spaces designated. Ms.
Cipriano referred to a memorandum from Daniel Schoenberg of James J. Benes and
Associates dated October 13, 2008 which commented on pedestrian access from the
gravel lot, and she expressed a concern regarding the children’s safety if there is no
sidewalk to access the building. She was also concerned about the proposed curve in the
drop-off and pick-up area. Ms. Cipriano also stated that Mr. Schoenberg wrote that an
emergency passing lane is desirable from a traffic standpoint. Regarding vehicle
queuing, Ms. Cipriano stated that there are always uncontrollable factors that can create
traffic back-up problems and that the traffic at the proposed site is further complicated by
freight train traffic and the absence of a 4-way stop at Park/Hillside/Phillips. Ms.
Cipriano stated that criteria 6 has not been satisfied because of inadequate parking,
pedestrian access concerns and the absence of an emergency passing lane at the site. Ms.
Cipriano questioned the petitioners’ willingness to accept a cap on enrollment and stated
that a cap of 100 students would require additional requirements. Ms. Cipriano also
questioned if the petitioners intend to expand the building in the future and felt that the
current building is too small for its current enrollment. Ms. Cipriano felt that the
proposed school use at the subject site is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan
regarding encouraging the provision of open spaces because a road will be constructed
around the building and future expansion of the building is a possibility.
Laura Lee, 639 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois referred to a letter forwarded to the
Plan Commission and displayed photographs of water on his property that looks like a
river, water that crosses onto other lots, and a pond located on his and his neighbors’ lot
lines. Ms. Lee also displayed a photograph of water ponding on Lot 3 that is owned by
the petitioners and expressed a concern that additional paving will create additional water
problems on properties in the area. Ms. Lee asked that the Plan Commission consider
that the Village in the past invested in an alley to keep cars from four homes off of Park
Boulevard and that now the Village is being asked to consider adding possibly 157
additional car trips in the area.
Michelle Carlin, 599 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois expressed opposition to the
proposed special use permit request and stated that she shares the same concerns as other
individuals who spoke previously. Ms. Carlin stated that she witnessed a young girl
struck by a car at the intersection of Park and Hillside and does not want to see any

PLAN COMMISSION -6- FEBRUARY 5, 2009
increase in danger at that location. Ms. Carlin displayed a photograph of the easterly
view from her property and stated that the subject property is not unlike a single-family
home and that adding an access road, parking lot and handicap ramp changes the
character of the vicinity, affecting her general welfare. Regarding testimony from
neighbors who live near St. Mark’s who have not been disturbed by the school, Ms.
Carlin stated that they purchased their homes in the business district but that she
purchased her home in a residential neighborhood.
Nancy Perlman, 124 Exmoor Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois spoke in favor of the proposed
special use request. Ms. Perlman’s son has attended Diamante for the last four years and
stated that she, like most other parents, access onto and off of Park Boulevard. Ms.
Perlman stated she has rarely encountered traffic back-ups due to the train or any other
reason. She added that the drop-off and pick-up process at Diamante is very efficient and
safe and that the school is an incredible asset to the community.
Brad Faris, 311 Anthony Street, Glen Ellyn, Illinois expressed strong support for
Diamante Montessori School’s special use request and stated that he has three children
who attend Diamante. Mr. Faris emphasized the importance of Diamante for families of
the school and stated that Diamante has unique and very special attributes that make the
school an asset to the community. Mr. Faris felt the special use should be recommended
for approval because the location is zoned for a school, there’s no demonstrable adverse
impact and the school has satisfied the standards for a special use permit.
Richard Dunn, 470 Fawell Boulevard, Unit 112, Glen Ellyn, Illinois stated that some
residents in the subject area asked him to review the special use request and that copies of
his comments have been distributed to the Plan Commission. Mr. Dunn opposes the
special use request, stating that he is receiving no compensation for his input and is a
concerned citizen and professional planner. Mr. Dunn summarized why the proposed
Montessori school does not meet the criteria for a special use permit as follows: 1. The
proposed school and site will be less harmonious with the Comprehensive Plan because
there will be additional construction, traffic and stormwater issues within a residential
area. 2. The proposed project will be less harmonious with the existing character of the
residential area because the school will change the neighborhood by having five days of
increased hours of schooling and traffic with additional parking and open space usage. 3.
The proposed use will be less harmonious with the existing and future neighborhood uses
because it may discourage future potential buyers of single-family homes in this area. 4.
The proposed project has the potential to contribute negatively to essential public
services, including stormwater management, because there will be an increase in the
impervious surface and traffic will increase as a result of additional students, staff and
delivery/service vehicles. 5. The proposed project has the potential to contribute
negatively to the economic welfare of the downtown because the school staff and parents
will be farther from the downtown and they will be less likely to use the goods and
services in the downtown. 6. The proposed traffic has the potential to contribute
negatively to the general welfare because of the increased traffic with the associated
fumes and noise. 7. The proposed project has the potential to create an undue
interference with vehicular traffic because of the intersection to the northwest which

PLAN COMMISSION -7- FEBRUARY 5, 2009
lacks 4-way stop signs. 8. The proposed project has the potential to contribute negatively
to localized flood damage because of increased impervious and reduced pervious areas.
Mr. Dunn added that the proposed project does not appear to prevent a loss to historic
structures.
Steve Horvath, 655 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois was opposed to the special use
permit request. Mr. Horvath stated that although staff believes the church occupying the
building previously placed their trash on the curb for pick-up, he feels that the proposed
pre-school will generate much more trash than the church did. Regarding snow removal,
Mr. Horvath requested that the petitioners point out that snow would need to be removed
from the proposed surface area. He displayed photographs of piles of snow on or near
properties that removed the snow and stated that the proposed use will not be harmonious
with the characteristics of the site because there will be no space to store the snow on the
site. Mr. Horvath listed several childcare facilities in DuPage County and stated that the
Montessori schools located in DuPage County are all either surrounded by or adjacent to
or in relation to some type of business district. The site at 625 Hillside is surrounded by
R2 zoning. Mr. Horvath stated that a staff report regarding the special use permit granted
at St. Mark’s for a pre-school described the surrounding zoning uses as commercial, and
he displayed an invoice from that application stamped by the Village with the fees for a
daycare. Mr. Horvath displayed a copy of 14 petitions regarding the St. Mark’s preschool
special use request and stated that the subject special use permit request has 980
petitions opposing the project. Mr. Horvath referred the Plan Commission to a staff
prepared Report and Recommendation from the St. Mark’s special use public hearing that
contained information that St. Mark’s has ample parking for parents and staff. Mr.
Horvath stated that he was informed by Village Planner Michele Stegall that she had
recommended the subject site to the petitioners which he felt was not an example of
community representation. Mr. Horvath felt that Ms. Stegall should have explored other
options before recommending the site to a business that would need to apply for a special
use permit. Mr. Horvath was unhappy that the subject of the easement was not to be
considered by the Plan Commission. Mr. Horvath stated that he was shocked to learn
that the church use at the subject site was no longer in effect after the building was vacant
for 180 days. Mr. Horvath expressed concern that staff (in an email) was unclear
regarding the period of time someone would need to wait to reapply for a special use on a
property if an application is denied. Mr. Horvath shared a personal experience that
involved a planning director who assisted a church that was having financial difficulties.
After Mr. Horvath spoke, Village Planner Michele Stegall clarified some statements
made during their meeting. Ms. Stegall stated she informed Mr. Horvath that she had met
with the petitioners and informed them that if they wanted to move into a property they
were looking at that was zoned C3, approval of a text amendment or zoning map
amendment would be required. She also stated that she informed the petitioners that the
subject property was available. Ms. Stegall stated there has been no effort on staff’s part
to interpret the code in favor of the applicants as stated by Mr. Horvath. Mr. Horvath
responded that Ms. Stegall stated she had different interpretations of the code than
planning consultant Joe Abel.

PLAN COMMISSION -8- FEBRUARY 5, 2009
Rinda Allison, 537 Hillside Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois stated that her husband appeared
before the Plan Commission regarding this special use request at a previous meeting and
stated that they suffer no ill effects from the Diamante school being next door to their
property. Ms. Allison agreed with her husband’s comment but added that Mr. Allison
had stated the students were 70 to 80 feet away and she clarified that the students are no
more than 20 feet away. Ms. Allison stated she has never seen a back-up at the current
Diamante site at St. Mark’s. She also stated that St. Mark’s next door has many
meetings/events weekly and on weekends that could also occur at the subject site if
another church moved in. Ms. Allison was surprised to hear that realtors feel that values
of homes near Montessori schools decline. Ms. Allison invited those present to her home
to see how peaceful it is on her back deck on a Montessori school day.
Len Swanson, 116 Sunset Avenue, Glen Ellyn is currently a member of the Glen Ellyn
Plan Commission however, recused himself from participating in the special use process
for the proposed Diamante Montessori school for personal reasons. Mr. Swanson
described the function of the Plan Commission which includes reviewing material
submitted by the Planning Department and added that the Plan Commission is not bound
to follow the recommendations or advice of staff. Mr. Swanson took issue with Mr.
Horvath’s comments implying that staff acted improperly with recommendations or
suggestions to the petitioners. Mr. Swanson stated that the Plan Commission makes
decisions in an objective manner after reviewing all material presented and makes a
recommendation to the Village Board who then makes the final decision regarding a
petition.
Attorney Ruffalo then requested that Mr. Swanson’s statement be stricken from the
record on the basis that Mr. Swanson is a Commissioner who is interested in the
proceeding. Mr. Swanson responded that he made no comments with respect to the
proposed petition. Village Attorney Julie Tappendorf stated that Mr. Ruffalo’s objections
can be added to the record, that Mr. Swanson’s comments were not relevant to the
petition and that, as a citizen, Mr. Swanson is entitled to speak at the hearing.
Motion
Due to the lateness of the hour, Commissioner Bromann moved, seconded by
Commissioner Buckton, to continue the public hearing to February 12, 2009. The motion
carried unanimously by voice vote.
There being no further business before the Plan Commission, the meeting was adjourned
at 11:05 p.m.
Submitted by:
Barbara Utterback, Recording Secretary
Reviewed by:
Michele Stegall, Village Planner