Park Ridge Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting - May 26, 2026

The Planning and Zoning Commission met on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 7:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The commission considered four development cases: a continuation of a special use for a personal services establishment, a new special use for a medical/dental clinic, a map amendment and special use for a hospital expansion, and a site plan review for the same hospital project. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (May 12, 2026): The commission unanimously approved the minutes as written. Chair Hanlon recused himself due to absence at the prior meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke on non-agenda items or any of the development cases.

Discussion Items

Case SU-26-05: Special Use for Personal Services Establishment (31 S Fairview Avenue) – Continued

• Applicant Bayar (manager/owner of Death Space) presented an updated floor plan showing approximately 800 sq ft of retail space (40% of 2,100 sq ft), as requested at the May 12 meeting. The business is relocating from across the street.
• Chair Hanlon noted the move would leave a vacancy but supported the application as an existing business expansion.
• Motion to recommend approval with no conditions passed 8-0.

Case SU-26-06: Special Use for Medical/Dental Clinic (31 S Northwest Highway)

• Applicant Mike Cogals (owner of Big City Optical) described the business as a retail-heavy optical store offering eye exams. 90% of revenue is from retail sales, and 50% of space is retail.
• Commissioner Papracky questioned whether the business should be classified as retail rather than medical/dental clinic. Planner Claudia Hampel explained that city policy consistently treats such businesses as medical/dental clinics, and a code amendment could be discussed separately.
• A brief discussion on sales tax rates for medical devices vs. standard goods occurred.
• Motion to recommend approval with no conditions passed 8-0.

Cases MA-26-03 (Map Amendment) and SU-26-07 (Special Use) – Hospital Expansion at 1700 Luther Lane

• The applicant (Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp.) proposed a 77,605 sq ft two-story addition to the Center for Advanced Care to create a Comprehensive Cancer Center ($99 million investment).
• Map Amendment: Request to rezone a portion of the property from HTZ1 to HTZ2 to make the entire block consistently zoned. The existing split zone creates an irregular boundary including part of the existing building. The HTZ1 district only permits surface parking. Staff noted no known reason for the original boundary.
• Special Use: Required because the addition increases the building's bulk by more than 10%.
• The project includes 44 exam rooms, 73 infusion bays, dedicated oncology pharmacy, phlebotomy lab, and survivorship center. Parking analysis: 107 additional spaces needed after credits; with the West Parking Garage expansion (approved previously) and reconfiguration of Lot E (226 to 117 spaces), a net gain of 147 spaces is projected, leaving 40 surplus spaces.
• Chair Hanlon expressed frustration that the parking plan relies on moving staff to the new garage top floor and noted the future reuse of vacated second-floor rooms could require additional parking. He suggested a two-level parking deck on the Lot E site was not pursued due to cost. Applicant representatives stated the project timeline accelerated unexpectedly, but sufficient parking exists campus-wide, including a gravel lot north of Dempster Street they plan to pave for 130 spaces if needed.
• Commissioner Shepherd favored the map amendment but cautioned about future expansion toward neighbors. Commissioner McMillan noted the rezoning is a no-brainer to clean up the zoning.
• Motion to recommend approval of map amendment (MA-26-03) with no conditions passed 8-0.
• Motion to recommend approval of special use (SU-26-07) with no conditions passed 8-0.

Case ZPR-06-06: Site Plan Review at 1700 Luther Lane

• The primary issue was the applicant's request for 24-foot light poles in the parking lot. The parking lot sits above underground stormwater detention tanks (storm traps) about 3 feet below grade. Applicant argued 16-foot poles could not be placed within islands due to detention and electrical duct banks, and would not meet photometric requirements. The commission discussed that dark-sky compliant LEDs and light trespass regulations still apply regardless of pole height.
• Staff noted the light pole height request is a condition of site plan approval.
• Motion to approve site plan review with condition that light poles not exceed 24 feet passed 8-0.

Key Outcomes

• SU-26-05: Approved (8-0) with recommendation to City Council, no conditions.
• SU-26-06: Approved (8-0) with recommendation to City Council, no conditions.
• MA-26-03: Approved (8-0) with recommendation to City Council, no conditions.
• SU-26-07: Approved (8-0) with recommendation to City Council, no conditions.
• ZPR-06-06: Approved (8-0) with condition that light poles not exceed 24 feet.
• The next meeting is scheduled for June 9, 2026 (subject to change).