Plan Commission — Skokie, IL
Date: 2017-11-16

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STAFF REPORT 2017-44P: Alley Vacation
Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, November 16, 2017


To: Paul Luke, Chairman, Skokie Plan Commission
From: Mike Voitik, Planning Technician
Re: Alley vacation bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Arcadia Street,
 and Laramie Avenue

General Information
Location Unimproved alley, as follows:
 The north-south alley in an area bounded by Church
 Street on the north, Terminal Avenue on the east,
 Arcadia Street on the south, and Laramie Avenue on the
 west.
Purpose To vacate approximately 119.75 linear feet of unimproved public
 alley.
Petitioner Village of Skokie
Size of Site The alley totals approximately 119.75 feet in length and 16 feet
 in width. The total area of the alley is approximately 0.043 acres
 (1,910.41 S.F.).
Existing Zoning & R2 Single-Family and M2 Light Industry – unimproved public alley
Land Use
Adjacent Zoning & North B2 Commercial – accounting service
Land Use
 South R2 Single-Family – detached residences
 M2 Light Industry – financial institution


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 East M2 Light Industry – automotive repair facility, gutter
 cleaning service, vacant industrial space
 West R2 Single-Family – detached residences
Comprehensive Plan The alley is designated as single family detached residential and
 manufacturing/service employment.


PETITIONER’S SUBMITTAL
The Village is requesting the vacation of the north-south alley in an area bounded by
Church Street on the north, Terminal Avenue on the east, Arcadia Street on the south,
and Laramie Avenue on the west. At the present time, the alley is unimproved and
contains trees, a portion of a gravel-paved driveway, overhead utility lines, and a 12-
inch underground combined sewer main. An asphalt-paved apron is present to the
south of the alley and provides access from Arcadia Street to the gravel driveway that
leads to the parking lots behind 9140-9144 Terminal Avenue. The remaining east-west
alley within this block is not proposed to be vacated at this time. The alley provides
access to the parking lot at 9142-9144 Terminal Avenue and the property owner at
5142 Arcadia Street plans on paving the west end of the alley in order to provide access
to a garage that he intends to construct at the north end of his lot.
The Community Development Department is continuing to implement its alley vacation
program which vacates unopened and unimproved residential alleys in the Village that
are unnecessary for Village transportation and access needs. In the past, property
owners were required to petition the Village to vacate an alley and pay all associated
costs involved in the process. In some instances, where the land from the alley
increased the street frontage of a lot or its development potential, residents were
required to pay for the alleys. The alley proposed to be vacated in this case does not
fall under this category.
While this alley spans residentially- and industrially-zoned land, the Village Manager has
determined that the alley qualifies under the existing program because the alley has
little redevelopment value for the owners of the adjacent industrial properties (other
than being able to expand the existing parking lot westward into the east half of the
vacated alley) due to the presence of overhead and underground utilities.


STAFF ANALYSIS
Comments
Staff Comment and Review sheets were sent to all pertinent departments. In addition
to the Planning Division comments, staff comments were received from the Forestry
and Water and Sewer divisions of the Public Words Department. All other departments
either had no comment or were in favor of the proposed vacations.

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 Forestry Division
 The Forestry Division approves the granting of the requested alley vacation. Several
 trees will need to be removed or pruned by the Village prior to the recording of the
 plat of vacation.

 Water and Sewer Division
 An easement for the full width of the alley will be required to accommodate the
 existing 12-inch sewer main.

 Planning Division
 The Planning Division staff supports the proposed alley vacation. There are many
 similar unopened and unused alleys within the Village. Although they are still Village
 property and may contain utilities, the Village has no intent to open or pave the
 alleys. Thus, the Village requests to vacate these alleys and return the property to
 the adjacent property owners.
 A utility easement over the entire right-of-way will be required in order to allow
 access for utility companies to continue to maintain their existing overhead facilities.
 An easement for ingress and egress shall be established within the south 25 feet of
 the west half of the vacated alley in order to preserve vehicular access to the
 parking lot behind 9140 Terminal Avenue. The property owner of the residence at
 5142 Arcadia Street understands the need for this easement and has agreed to
 allow it to be placed across a portion of his property.
 Once the alley is vacated, the adjacent property owners will be sent a copy of the
 Plat of Vacation. The adjacent property owners may use the additional land as they
 would any other part of their property, with the exception that structures other than
 fences may not be constructed in the easement area.
 The alley is listed as part of group number 94 in the Comprehensive Plan as a
 potential vacation site.


STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the petitioner’s request to vacate the north-south alley in an
area bounded by Church Street on the north, Terminal Avenue on the east, Arcadia
Street on the south, and Laramie Avenue on the west be APPROVED subject to the
conditions listed below:

RECOMMENDED VACATION CONDITIONS
1. The property shall be vacated pursuant to the Plat of Vacation <insert date of final
 approved plat>, and as may be further revised with the approval of the Village
 Manager, or designee, and Corporation Counsel.
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2. An easement shall be reserved for all Village and Village-franchised public utilities
 over the entire area to be vacated.
3. An easement for ingress and egress shall be established within the south 25 feet of
 the west half of the vacated alley in order to preserve vehicular access to the
 parking lot behind 9140 Terminal Avenue.
4. Property owners shall not alter the grade or change the drainage pattern in the
 easement area without a permit from the Engineering Division.
5. Other than a fence, no structures or trees shall be constructed or planted within the
 easement area.
6. 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, November 9, 2017
3. Land Use and Zoning Map




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