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Plan Commission Meeting Minutes
Date: March 5, 2026
Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street,
Council Chambers
PLAN COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Paul Luke - Chair
Sigalle Shpayher, Boyd Black, Scott
Berman, Cindy Franklin, Jeff Burman,
Dick Witry, and Ross Mathee
PLAN COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Talia Gevaryahu
STAFF PRESENT: Kate Portillo, Planning Manager, Kelsea
Nolot, Corporation Counsel, and Jose
Acosta, Planning Coordinator.
1. CALL TO ORDER
A quorum being present, Chair Luke called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M.
2. ROLL CALL
Attendance was taken by roll call.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion to approve the minutes of the February 15, 2026 meeting was made by
Commissioner Witry and seconded by Commissioner Jeff Burman.
Ayes: 8 Nays: 0 Abstain: 0. The motion passes.
4. NEW BUSINESS
a. 7450 McCormick Boulevard: Case 2026-01P: Planned Development
Site Plan Approval
Kate Portillo noted that the request was formally withdrawn by the petitioner on March 4,
2026 and would not be moving forward.
b. 7120 Laramie Avenue: Case 2026-02P: Site Plan Approval
Commissioner Shpayher made a statement that she has children who are students at
the school, but this would not influence her ability to hear the petition or vote impartially.
Corporation Counsel confirmed that proper notice had been provided for the case.
Jose Acosta presented the staff report for the case. Hillel Torah requests site plan
approval for improvements to the school. The property is zoned R-2 single family
residential and is located along Laramie Avenue, just south of Touhy Avenue. The
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school has operated at this location since the 1960s and was purchased by Hillel Torah
in 2012 after years of renting the space from the Hebrew Theological College. The
proposed improvements include a 2,485 square foot building addition along with facade
improvements visible from Laramie Avenue and landscaping improvements around the
outdoor playground on the northeast corner of the site. The project also proposes to
enclose two existing interior courtyards within the building and seal coat and restripe the
north parking lot. The school will provide 39 on-site parking spaces plus access to
approximately 60 additional spaces through an existing parking easement agreement
with the Hebrew Theological College. The existing driveway and student drop-off loop
will remain unchanged, and school operations will continue as before.
The addition will primarily accommodate administrative and security improvements,
including new office areas, a centralized reception area, and a secure vestibule at the
main entrance to improve visitor management and building security.
The petitioner requested two items of relief; from impermeable surface coverage
requirements to permit 68% coverage rather than the 50% maximum allowed in the R-2
district, and from bicycle parking requirements to allow parking for 2% of student
enrollment (8 spaces) rather than the required 10% (35 spaces based on current
enrollment of 355 students).
The existing impermeable coverage iss already approximately 67.2%, so the relief
would memorialize the existing condition. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
determined that no additional stormwater control measures are required. Staff found the
proposed amount of bicycle parking reasonable given that most students live more than
two miles from campus and arrive by private vehicle or organized drop-off
arrangements.
Commissioners asked if there were parking concerns in the area, and for confirmation
that the easement restrictions were intended to preserve shared parking access
between the school and college while not restricting perimeter fencing.
Stuart Brodsky and Jennifer Slaski of Wight & Company along with Larry Goldman
presented on behalf of Hillel Torah. They shared the school's long-term commitment to
the site and described the project as the final phase of ongoing improvements that have
included science labs, STEM facilities, and other upgrades over recent years. They
explained that the addition would fill in existing impervious paved areas and bring
administration to the front entrance for better oversight and security. The design would
extend the building's updated appearance across the front facade and improve
accessibility. The team also clarified that the existing courtyards are open-air concrete
structures used mainly for storage, with boarded-up light wells. The 800 square feet of
courtyard space would be fully enclosed with roofs and converted to office spaces and a
resource room for students.
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Chairperson Luke inquired about traffic management during drop-off and pickup times.
The school confirmed they currently use monitors and work with the Skokie Police
Department to control traffic flow, and this would continue.
Staff recommended approval based on positive findings that the use is appropriate for
the location, will have no adverse effects on adjacent properties, and is adequately
served by public facilities. The proposed improvements conform to zoning code
requirements except for the specific relief requested.
No members of the public spoke regarding the case.
A motion to approve Site Plan Approval Case 2026-02P with requested relief was made
by Commissioner Scott Berman and seconded by Commissioner Shpayher. The motion
passed unanimously.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
None
7. ITEMS FOR COMMUNICATION
Commissioner Witry provided the Illinois House and Senate bill numbers
currently under consideration related to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and
suggested Commissioners review prior to the next meeting. The Commission
discussed anticipated attendance and absences at the March 19, 2026 meeting,
with an interest in full attendance for the next ADU discussion. Staff advised that
the appropriate action would be another date certain continuation should the
Commission choose to do so at the March 19, 2026 meeting.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Jeff Burman moved to adjourn, and Chairperson Luke adjourned
the meeting at 7:59 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Kate Portillo, Planning Manager
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