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A Presentation by Opticos Design, Inc. Regarding Missing Middle Housing Zoning Recommendations and Direction Authorizing Staff to Refer the Recommended Zoning Changes for the Plan Commission for Review
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Introduction
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Opticos Design, Inc and their consultant team will present recommendations for modifications to the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance incorporating Missing Middle Housing standards and regulations.
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Recommended Action
Receive and direct staff to refer proposed zoning changes to the Plan Commission.
Prior Board Action
The Board has taken the following prior actions:
• On February 6, 2023, the Village Board approved a Professional Services Agreement between the Village of Oak Park and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to initiate the Strategic Vision for Housing Plan process.
• In December 2023, the Village Board adopted village-wide goals related to missing middle and affordable housing.
• On March 19, 2024, the Village Board adopted the Strategic Vision for Housing Plan
• On August 5, 2025, the Village Board approved a Professional Service Agreement with Opticos Design, Inc. to initiate the Missing Middle Housing Update to the Zoning Ordinance.
• On June 16, 2026, the Village Board approved an amendment to the Professional Services Agreement between the Village of Oak Park and Opticos Design, Inc for economic feasibility testing, community outreach, and the zoning comparison tool development.
Background
On January 23, 2024, the Village Board adopted a Goals, Priorities, Key Projects, and Initiatives work plan. Within that plan, the chapter on Vibrant Diverse, Connected Neighborhoods outlines the goal of advancing affordable housing. Key projects and initiatives in achieving that goal include: (c, i) evaluating single-family zoning and missing middle housing opportunities, and (c, iii) considering additional housing types beyond ADUs and ways to allow additional units within the single-family zoning districts. This project directly relates to the adopted 2024 Board Goals, and is reaffirmed in the adopted 2026 Village Board Goals. This initiative also supports key recommended strategies from the Strategic Vision for Housing plan relative to housing in business districts, missing middle housing, and the relationship between housing and parking.
Prior to the Village Board goals adoption, the Village engaged the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus in February 2023 to begin an update to the 2012 Homes for a Changing Region Report. This resulted in the adoption of the Strategic Vision for Housing Plan in March 2024. After the completion of this Plan, the Village was accepted into the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’ Missing Middle Housing Peer Network, supported by Opticos Design, Inc. This network consisted of a consortium of 19 Chicagoland communities that met regularly regarding missing middle housing, zoning regulations, development tools, communication, advocacy, and implementation techniques.
Prior to the aforementioned Metropolitan Mayors Caucus engagements, the Village began updating the Zoning Ordinance with recognized zoning reform initiatives that increased opportunities for more affordable housing options, such as Accessory Dwelling Units and adaptive reuse opportunities within abandoned churches. Later, the Village Board approved a dual-use provision for Places of Worship, which will allow the incorporation of multiple-family dwellings into and with an existing place of worship.
Based on these initiatives, the Village Board directed staff to research and actively pursue changes to residential zoning classifications, which would increase density, diversity, and equity within residential and commercial zoned areas. The Professional Services Agreement with Opticos Design, Inc. supports the Village Board’s direction.
The Strategic Vision for Housing Plan (“Housing Plan”), adopted on April 11, 2024, provides strategies to implement the Village Board’s key projects and initiatives regarding single-family zoning and missing middle. To implement the Housing Plan and achieve Board goals, staff prepared several single-family residential zoning district variations that include missing middle housing options for consideration. The options included are based on a combination of Board direction, best practices nationwide, and creative solutions developed by Development Services staff. Zoning and housing reform considerations are on the rise in the United States and abroad. Many eastern and western coastal cities and states have already embraced this concept.
While the Envision Oak Park Comprehensive Plan does not anticipate the elimination of single-family zoning classifications, it encourages housing variety in each neighborhood that responds to specific needs of residents of various ages, incomes, and levels of mobility.
The Village Board approved a Professional Services Agreement between the Village of Oak Park and Opticos Design, Inc., which conducted a study (Shape Oak Park) on Missing Middle Housing and associated parking regulations as it relates to zoning within the Village. Shape Oak Park is led by Opticos Design, a team of urban designers, architects, and strategists who believe in the transformative power of beautiful, sustainable, walkable communities for all. Opticos principal Daniel Parolek coined the term “Missing Middle” in 2010 to describe a range of multi‑unit or clustered housing types-compatible in scale with single-family homes-that help meet the growing demand for walkable urban living. Opticos is joined by All Together, a design studio specializing in placemaking, community branding, and engagement, and Sightline Planning and Zoning, an urban planning firm dedicated to guiding development so communities can grow stronger. Each company has offices in the Chicago area and multiple team members reside in Oak Park.
The consultant team kicked off the project in September 2025 by developing messaging and community engagement strategies. A dedicated Shape Oak Park webpage was launched within Engage Oak Park to give the public an overview of the project, its purpose, and the ways to offer feedback. The page also hosted a survey that received 215 submissions between November 2025 and January 2026. In addition, a steering committee of 12 Oak Park community members was formed and, together with Village of Oak Park staff, was tasked with guiding the consultant team’s progress and serving as an essential litmus test for a wide range of issues. The committee consisted of members of the Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Housing Programs Advisory Committee, and Historic Preservation Committee, as well as additional members, including experts in real estate, housing, and affordable housing development.
The consultant team also conducted a series of stakeholder meetings with subject matter experts and community-based representatives, who were invited to share candid insights on Oak Park’s housing landscape-from emerging opportunities to persistent challenges. These subject matter experts and community-based representatives included Village departments, community institutions, faith-based groups, neighborhood organizations, housing agencies and renters, senior citizens and advocates, sustainability advocates, non-profit housing developers, realtors, and architects.
Complementing these meetings, the consultant team hosted pop‑ups at several outdoor holiday events, meeting residents where they were already set to gather. Through a variety of engagement activities, they collected feedback on residents’ housing ideas and concerns, as well as reactions to specific Missing Middle Housing typologies and where those types might be most appropriate in Oak Park.
These engagement activities provided valuable insight into residents’ priorities and concerns, which in turn informed simultaneous analysis of Oak Park’s built environment (ranging from the historical impact of zoning and where middle housing exists today to lot widths and building height), its existing policy framework, and the community’s most pressing housing issues. A zoning code assessment identified five overarching barriers to enabling Missing Middle Housing:
• Use Restrictions
• Further Enabling Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Development
• Development Standards
• Parking & Landscaping
• Design Standards & Process
The project team also developed “test fits” to evaluate what could be built on a series of typical lots within relevant zoning districts (residential and housing on primary corridors) under the current code-and what might be possible if key provisions, such as density or parking requirements, were modified. Findings from these exercises, combined with community input, are now informing a set of projected scenarios. For example, the consultant team is considering the impact of consolidating districts to improve equity and enable more predictable outcomes for all areas of Oak Park. Key aspects of these scenarios were presented for public feedback during two Community Workshops on March 2 and March 4, 2026.
The Village Board has provided additional funding towards public engagement, which will occur in late August 2026, and an economic feasibility study and comparison tool, both due for delivery in August. Opticos has also provided a report on non-conforming parcels and units, both existing and what would remain if the new zoning districts were implemented. Based on their analysis, of all the residential parcels in the Village, 4% are considered non-conforming due to density vs. underlying zoning. If the proposed zoning districts are adopted, it would be reduced to only 1% of the existing parcels. This 1% represents those larger developments that would not typically want to be built in lower-density residential areas due to their scale, height, and need for parking. If such a building were allowed, there would have to be lot consolidations to accommodate the structure. A key point of the recommendations is to allow density but maintain the scale and integrity of its surrounding area.
Opticos has also provided a comparison to the BUILD Act, a state-initiated zoning reform, as it relates to the missing middle housing initiative. Many of the provisions suggested in the BUILD Act mirror those recommended by Opticos, with a few exceptions, such as front yard setbacks. The BUILD Act indicates there should be 10-foot front yard setbacks in residential areas, whereas Opticos recommendations support keeping the front yard setback requirements currently in place. If the BUILD Act requirements were in place, it would create an inconsistency with neighborhood setbacks creating visual barriers for existing residences.
A series of six (6) community meetings will be held in late August and early September. The meetings will be designed to feature both a brief presentation and an open house that allows attendees to access the Zoning Comparison Tool and provides a forum to collect information, ask questions and receive answers. The proposed schedule for the community meetings is as follows:
• Thurs., Aug. 29 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Community Recreation Center
• Sat., Aug. 29 | 10 a.m.-noon | Farmers’ Market
• Sat., Aug. 29 | 1-3 p.m. | Main Library
• Sun., Aug. 30 | 2-4 p.m. | Oak Park Conservatory
• Sun., Aug. 30 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Concert in Scoville Park
• Thurs., Sept. 3 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Virtual meeting
Following the community meetings, a public hearing will be held before the Plan Commission on Thurs., Sept. 17. If necessary, a second public hearing will be held on Thurs., Oct. 8. The item is expected to be returned to the Village Board on Oct. 20, at the earliest.
All of the project information is available on the Engage Oak Park website found here: <https://engageoakpark.com/shape>.
Timing Considerations
If the Village Board directs staff to pursue amending the Zoning Ordinance, additional public outreach will occur at the end of August. A public hearing would be held before the Plan Commission, which would be held in mid-September, with the possibility of an additional hearing being held on October 8th, with a return to the Village Board in late October for consideration.
Financial Impact
There is no budget impact associated with this item.
Operations Impact
If this item is advanced, staff will be supporting the public engagement process, attending the Plan Commission hearings and Village Board meetings. The item aligns with the department’s core service delivery.
To date, staff from Development Services, Neighborhood Services, Communications, the Village Manager’s Office and Legal have been involved in this project. Staff has spent 4 hours per week for the first 9 months, totaling 144 hours; then approximately two hours per week in June and July, totaling 16 hours. To date staff has spent approximately 160 hours on the project.
DEI Impact
This item, if implemented, could have positive impacts on housing diversity and affordability.
Community Input
Public input has been provided through community meetings, focus groups, steering committee meetings, email and phone communications, online surveys, Village Board meetings, and personal interactions.
Staff Recommendation
Staff supports the recommendations as they align with Village Goals and the Strategic Vision for Housing Plan
Advantages:
• The recommendations support the Village’s goals and objectives for missing middle housing
• The recommendations would allow for a mix of housing types throughout the community
• Once more affordable housing programs and initiatives are in place, these housing types would become more financially feasible for more people.
Disadvantages:
• Development in Oak Park is expensive. This could hamper affordability.
• Parking is expensive. Reduced parking would reduce costs, but there are limited opportunities off-site.
Alternatives
Alternative 1: The Board can reject the recommendations
Advantages:
• This would conclude the project, reducing staff, the public, and Village Board’s involvement and time.
• This would allow for a reevaluation of missing middle housing and affordable housing opportunities.
Disadvantages:
• There would be an unrecognized potential for additional housing types in established zoning districts.
• This action could impact interest in development opportunities.
• When affordability becomes associated with development, it would potentially reduce affordable housing opportunities.
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Alternative 2: The Board can delay the acceptance of the recommendations.
Advantages:
• This would allow additional public engagement through neighborhood meetings, meetings with the Housing Taskforce, and public hearings.
• This would allow time for a Housing Taskforce to be formed and begin work on developing affordable housing programs and/or initiatives to support missing middle housing.
Disadvantages:
• This could delay the public hearing process and return to the Village Board.
Anticipated Future Actions
It is anticipated that this matter will return at the end of October after the Plan Commission holds the public hearing(s) with a recommendation on proposed zoning ordinance modifications.
Prepared By: Craig Failor, Development Services Director
Reviewed By: Jack Malec, Assistant to the Village Manager
Approved By: Kevin J. Jackson, Village Manager
Attachment(s):
1. Recommendation Report
2. Proposed Zoning Map
3. Current Zoning Map
4. Build Act Alignment Report
5. Non-Conforming Analysis Report
6. Strategic Vision for Housing 2024 Plan
7. Presentation
8. Zoning District Overview
9. Zoning Conversion Guide and Cheat Sheet