The Homewood Planning and Zoning Commission on April 9 approved a special use permit and site plan review for the expansion of Signature Smiles dental office at 18114 Gottschalk Ave.
According to Noah Schumerth, Homewood assistant director of economic and community development, the project, proposed by Stefano Fazio of Domani Builders on behalf of Signature Smiles Dentistry, includes the construction of a 1,347-square-foot addition to the north side of the building. The expansion will increase the size of the medical office from approximately 2,293 square feet to 3,640 square feet, allowing for additional dental procedure rooms, expanded waiting and lobby areas, and new office and employee spaces.
The building, constructed in 1950, was long occupied by Knoll Insurance before being converted into a dental office in 2006. Signature Smiles opened there in 2024. Renovations over the years, including updates in 2006 and 2013, resulted in the building’s current cream-colored brick exterior with Art Deco accents, Schumerth said.
Vice Chair Seth Bransky and commission member William O’Brien suggested keeping the Art Deco design of the building during the process. The entrance and stone design will remain the same and will be replicated for the side entrance, Fazio said.
Because medical offices larger than 2,500 square feet in the village’s B-2 Downtown Transition zoning district require a special use permit, the applicant needed to seek approval from the commission, Schumerth said.
The site currently includes five parking spaces accessible from the public alley north of the property. One space will be removed to accommodate a new Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible space. To meet the village’s parking requirements, the applicant secured an off-site parking agreement for 10 additional spaces at the American Dance Center building at 1933 Ridge Road. Combined with on-site parking, the development will provide 14 dedicated parking spaces, exceeding the 10 spaces required by the zoning ordinance, Schumerth said.
Plans also call for updated landscaping around the new addition, including shrubs and an ornamental tree, as well as the replacement of a dying honeylocust tree in the public parkway along Gottschalk Avenue. The proposed landscape plan is under review by the village arborist, Schumerth said.
From a design standpoint, the addition will feature smooth-face brick and precast stone materials intended to match the existing structure. The project includes a new picture window facing Gottschalk Avenue, additional windows on the north and east elevations, and an employee entrance on the north side connected to the rear parking area. Two rooftop heating, ventilation and air conditioning units will be screened by a parapet designed to mirror the existing building, Schumerth said.
The Appearance Commission previously granted conditional approval for the project on April 2, recommending an alternative elevation design with white-painted brick and black building accents, he said.
Engineering plans include the replacement of the existing lead water service line with a new Type K copper line connected to the village water main. The project will also maintain existing drainage patterns while adding gutters to direct roof runoff, Schumerth said.
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the requests with several conditions, including the addition of bicycle parking, verification of utility connections, modifications to lighting fixtures to meet appearance standards, and the installation of an additional shielded security light on the west façade. The approval also allows the director of economic and community development to grant a waiver from the village’s façade transparency requirement, as the design provides transparency to the extent feasible, he said.
Village staff determined that the expansion meets the special use standards and is consistent with the goals of the comprehensive plan, Schumerth said.
“I think it’s a wonderful plan,” O’Brien said.
According to Fazio, it will take approximately six months to complete the project.
