Plan Commission — Skokie, IL
Date: 2018-10-04

STAFF REPORT 2018-34P: Street Vacation
Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, October 4, 2018


To: Paul Luke, Chairman, Skokie Plan Commission
From: Mike Voitik, Associate Planner
Re: 2018-34P: Street Vacation
 Main Street

 Related Case – 2018-22P: Site Plan Approval

General Information
Location Unimproved street, as follows:
 A triangular-shaped portion of Main Street north of and
 adjacent to 5255 Main Street.
Purpose To vacate approximately 135.23 linear feet of unimproved public
 street.
Petitioner Niles Township Board of Auditors
Size of Site The street’s dimensions are 147.62 feet on the northeast, 135.23
 feet on the south, and 60.44 feet on the west. The area of the
 street is approximately 4,108 square feet (0.094 acres).
Existing Zoning & NX Neighborhood Mixed-Use – unimproved public right-of-way
Land Use containing grass, trees, landscaping, a ground sign, and a flag
 pole
Adjacent Zoning & North B1 Service Commercial – off-site parking lot for 5214
Land Use Main Street, grocery store, dental laboratory
 B2 Commercial – construction management company
 South NX Neighborhood Mixed-Use – legislative and executive
 functions, community food services
 East NX Neighborhood Mixed-Use – services to the elderly
 and disabled
 West B2 Commercial – multitenant office building
 R2 Single-Family – detached residences
Comprehensive Plan The site is designated as retail/service employment


PETITIONER’S SUBMITTAL
Niles Township Board of Auditors is requesting the vacation of a triangular-shaped
portion of Main Street north of and adjacent to 5255 Main Street in an NX
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Neighborhood Mixed-Use zoning district. At the present time, the street is unimproved
and contains grass, trees, landscaping, a ground sign, and a flag pole.
The Village intends to vacate the street and convey it to Niles Township at no charge.
The township has maintained the subject site for many years as part of its facility at
5255 Main Street. During the Village’s recent review of the petitioner’s request to
replace its existing ground sign with a new LED sign (as part of site plan approval case
2018-22P) Planning staff noted that the sign is located within Main Street, a Village-
owned right-of-way, and placed a condition that a petition be filed to vacate the street
prior to the hearing of the case before the Board of Trustees.

STAFF ANALYSIS
Comments
All pertinent departments and divisions were offered an opportunity to comment on this
case. Other than the Water & Sewer Division and Planning Division comments below,
all others approved the request without comment.

 Water & Sewer Division
 An easement must be established for the full extent of the vacated street to
 preserve access to all underground public utilities.
 Planning Division
 The Planning Division staff supports the proposed street vacation. Niles Township
 has been maintaining the area within the subject site for many years and vacating
 the street will place the petitioner’s sign onto its own property. Main Street used to
 run through the subject site and Lockwood Avenue used to connect with Lincoln
 Avenue, creating an odd-shaped 6-way intersection. The intersection was
 redesigned sometime between 1966 and 1972, resulting in the closure of Main
 between Lincoln and Lockwood and the blocking of access to Lincoln from Lockwood
 south of Lincoln.
 A 12-inch water main runs through the north end of the subject site. A 27-inch
 combined sewer main runs through the middle of the site and a storm sewer line of
 unknown width runs between a catch basin on the subject site and a manhole within
 Lincoln Avenue.


STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the petitioner’s request to vacate a triangular-shaped portion of
Main Street north of and adjacent to 5255 Main Street in an NX Neighborhood Mixed-
Use zoning district be GRANTED subject to conditions listed below.




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RECOMMENDED VACATION CONDITIONS
 1. An easement incorporating the full extent of Main Street must be established on
 the plat of vacation in order to enable continued access to the underground
 public utilities present within the subject site.
 2. The property shall be vacated pursuant to the Plat of Vacation, dated October
 12, 2018, and as may be further revised with the approval of the Village
 Manager, or designee, and Corporation Counsel.
 3. Upon the passage of the ordinance by the Board of Trustees, the Mylar of the
 Plat of Vacation shall be submitted to the Village with all signatures other than
 Village staff or elected officials.
 4. The vacation shall be effective upon the recording of a Plat of Vacation by the
 Village in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Cook County, Illinois.


ATTACHMENTS
1. Site Photos
2. Plat of Vacation, dated September 20, 2018
3. Land Use and Zoning Map




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