Plainfield Plan Commission - July 7, 2026

The Plainfield Plan Commission met on July 7, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Village Boardroom, 24401 W. Lockport Street, Plainfield, Illinois. The commission approved prior meeting minutes, received a development report, and held one public hearing on a request to annex and rezone 15707 S. Route 59 from default R-1 (Low Density Single-Family Residential) to BT (Business Transition). The commission recommended approval of both requests.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the June 16, 2026 Plan Commission minutes by voice vote; no corrections or changes were offered.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public came forward during the public comment period.
• During the case public hearing, no audience testimony was offered beyond the applicant's presentation.

Development Report

• Village Board staff reported that the Village Board met the previous night. It directed staff to prepare ordinances for an industrial project with a commercial component at the northwest corner of Ridge Road and Johnson Road; the direction received four votes, but annexation would require five votes, so further work remains.
• The Village Board approved a development agreement and final plat for the Noble Court residential subdivision at 127th Street and 248th Avenue.
• Staff noted that the Plan Commission's annual report was accepted by the Village Board, and Trustee Kiefer expressed gratitude for the commission's work.

New Business / Public Hearing: Case 2135-052926.AA.REZ

• Applicant 15707 S. Route 59 LLC, represented by Tiffany Thompson of KGG LLC, requested annexation and rezoning for the property located east of Illinois Route 59 between Norman Avenue and Fort Beggs Drive, PIN 06-03-15-301-009-0000, in Will County. The property is currently under county jurisdiction and would default to R-1 upon annexation.
• Staff recommended approval, stating that Village boundaries abut the parcel on all sides, making annexation a logical extension of the municipal boundary. Staff also stated the requested BT district is appropriate for converting an existing residential structure to low-intensity professional office use and that the findings of fact for the map amendment were demonstrated.
• Staff confirmed that notices for the public hearing were published and posted as required.
• The applicant team was sworn in before testifying. The applicant testified that the property would house the corporate office of Little Learners Children's Academies, which currently leases space in Plainfield near Domino's. Four daycare facilities currently operate, with a fifth under construction. The proposed office use would not provide child care on the property and would involve about three to four employees.
• Staff corrected an earlier report statement: any future commercial redevelopment of the site would not necessarily be a Little Learners facility.
• Commissioner questions covered the business use, expected employment level, lot access, and utility plans. The existing driveway access would be maintained, and the applicant requested to keep well and septic service until the systems fail or the property is redeveloped.
• Commissioner Heinen expressed support for the business remaining in Plainfield but raised concerns about precedent and code compliance. He said that if the well or septic system fails, the property owner should be required to connect to municipal water and sewer. He also discussed fire-suppression requirements and encouraged village staff and the fire district to make the appropriate decision.
• The applicant stated it would seek a variance from the fire district's sprinkler requirement because retrofitting the existing home would be costly; a residential sprinkler system may be possible without connecting to Village water.
• Staff said its initial position has been that connection to municipal water and sewer is important, while the applicant has asked for relief in the annexation agreement.
• A commissioner asked whether the annexation agreement could make connection mandatory once the systems fail. Staff replied that the annexation agreement had not yet been drafted and that any relief would need five of seven Village Board votes; options could include a compromise or phasing plan. Staff noted that a medical office to the south was annexed in the late 1990s or around 2000 without a water connection or fire suppression, and a neighboring commercial property to the south had extended a water main; state statute allows cost recovery for shared roadway, water main, or sanitary sewer improvements.
• The applicant said they chose annexation rather than seeking a county use change because the parcel is surrounded by Plainfield. No current plan exists to make the property a daycare location.

Discussion Items

• A commissioner raised ongoing parking and stored-vehicle concerns at Bartels auto repair near the Meyer subdivision and the new Aldi, describing potential fire-access and aesthetic issues. Staff agreed to contact code enforcement about the property.
• Staff provided an update on the unified development ordinance. The next sections to be reviewed are zoning districts, permitted uses, and definitions, with Plan Commission review anticipated in September or early October. Staff said the goal is to align development standards with current trends so fewer planned unit developments and variances are needed.
• A commissioner asked whether agenda reports could be distributed earlier. Staff acknowledged that the current packet arrived late in the week before the meeting, partly because of the holiday week and multiple commission meetings, and said the feedback would be shared.
• Reminders were noted for upcoming meetings, including the July 21 Plan Commission meeting and a Wednesday, August 5 meeting because of National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the June 16, 2026 Plan Commission minutes by voice vote.
• Opened and closed the public hearing for Case 2135-052926.AA.REZ by voice vote; no public testimony was heard from audience members.
• Recommended approval of the annexation of 15707 S. Route 59 as a logical extension of the Village boundary. The motion carried by roll call with yes votes from all voting members present.
• Recommended approval of the rezoning from R-1 to BT and adopted staff's findings of fact as the commission's findings. The motion carried by roll call with yes votes from all voting members present.
• The case will advance to the Village Board, which will consider annexation terms, water and sewer connection requirements, and the requested BT zoning. Village Board action on annexation would require a supermajority of five of seven votes.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:36 p.m.