Submitted By
David Mann, Plan Commission Chair through Tammie Grossman, Development Customer Services Director
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
Motion to Concur with the Plan Commission’s Recommendations to Adopt a Revised Oak Park Zoning Ordinance and a Revised Oak Park Zoning Map and Direct Staff to Prepare the Necessary Ordinance
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Overview
Overview
After referral by the Village Board, the Plan Commission opened the public hearing regarding a comprehensive revision to the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map on November 16, 2016, and continued it to December 1, 2016 and January 5, 2017. The Commission approved their Findings of Fact report on February 2, 2017.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
This is a motion to accept the Plan Commission’s recommendations. Staff will then prepare an Ordinance for adoption at a subsequent meeting.
Body
Staff Recommendation
Approve the Motion.
Fiscal Impact
The Village Board authorized two contracts with the planning and zoning consultant Camiros, LTD. The first was in the amount of $34,220.00 regarding the development of an expedited MS Madison Street zoning district for the Madison Street Business District. The second in the amount of $142,400.00 regarding revisions and updating of the full Zoning Ordinance and Map.
Background
Village staff began the process of seeking the services of a planning consultant to assist in the revision and update to the Zoning Ordinance by issuing a Request for Proposals in January 2015. Proposals were received by March and candidates analyzed and interviewed in early April. Staff interviewed three leading candidates and determined unanimously that Camiros Ltd. was the top consultant based on their experience, expertise and zoning knowledge. After contract approval in May 2015, the Consultant began in earnest collecting data and meeting with the key stakeholders from the community, businesses and staff.
The Plan Commission was selected as the advisory body with whom the consultants and staff worked with on a regular basis. Key draft versions of the Zoning Ordinance document were reviewed and discussed with the Plan Commission throughout the revision process. Many other public outreach and input opportunities occurred throughout this process. The consultants and staff held keyperson interviews, focus groups, open houses, public presentations, and public meetings with the Plan Commission. In addition to these, staff met, one-on-one, with various Business District representatives, cultural facility operators and representatives from Rush Oak Park Hospital and West Suburban Medical Center. Staff also provided direct emails to taxing body key staff. Multiple notifications were provided generally through the village’s FYI newsletter, Twitter, Facebook, e-blasts, news releases, website postings, direct emailing to board and commission chairs and members. Discussions also occurred at other commission meetings or with other commission representatives. From the start, our consultants created a publicly accessible website (www.oakparkzoning.com) which houses all of the presentation materials, reports, notifications, dates, coming events, etc. Curtesy letters regarding the public hearing were sent to multiple property owners whose zoning classification was recommended for change, mainly for those changing from a business or commercial district to a residential district and those changing from a residential district to an Institutional or Open Space district.
This process has resulted in a revised Zoning Ordinance integrating current planning policies, goals, and objectives where appropriate consistent with the Envision Oak Park Comprehensive Plan as well as best industry practices and standards. The Zoning Ordinance provisions have been influenced by community development, community design, transit-orientation, energy and green building (including life-cycles of materials), housing, transportation, public facilities, historic preservation, land use planning, economy, public safety, diversity, sustainability, public health, arts and culture, tourism, parks and recreation, and public property. The revised ordinance will replace the current Zoning Ordinance. The Ordinance includes laymen language text, plans, charts, graphs, diagrams, drawings and other applicable graphics to illustrate the regulations. The Zoning Ordinance is more user friendly with clear and concise language that affords its reader clear expectations with regard to any type of local development or planning activity. The end result provides for a more streamlined and improved document where unnecessary and contradictory standards have been removed and more opportunities for creative development consistent with Regional Plan goals and policies have been facilitated.
Other goals for the Zoning Ordinance were to ensure proper zoning districts are in place or created so development is appropriate in context to the district and surrounding districts. It was important to incorporate sustainability concepts/regulations throughout the code such as, rain gardens, solar panels, green roofs, bicycle parking, urban agriculture, etc. Whether mandatory or optional these and other innovative solutions have been assimilated into the text of the Zoning Ordinance in a holistic and thoughtful manner.
Alternatives
1. Adopt the Zoning Ordinance and Map as recommended by the Plan Commission.
2. Adopt the Plan Commission’s recommendation with additional modifications.
3. Remand the Zoning Ordinance and Map back to the Plan Commission for further consideration.
4. Overturn the Plan Commission’s recommendation and deny the Zoning Ordinance and Map.
Previous Board Action
May 18, 2015 - The Village Board approved two Resolutions for contracts with Camiros, LTD for the Madison Street District and for the full Zoning Ordinance and Map.
December 7, 2015 - The Village Board referred the expedited MS Madison Street District draft zoning regulations to the Plan Commission for public hearing.
February 16, 2016 - The Village Board adopted the expedited MS Madison Street zoning regulations.
November 7, 2016 - The Village Board approved a referral of the full draft Zoning Ordinance and draft Zoning Classification Map to the Plan Commission for public hearing.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
After three evenings of public hearings, the Plan Commission, with a 7-0 vote, is recommending approval of the revised Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map as depicted in the attached “adoption” draft Zoning Ordinance and draft Map as referenced in the Findings of Fact report. Also attached to this agenda item is a memorandum which details the key discussion points between the first and final drafts. The consultants will highlight these key discussion points for the Village Board as part of their presentation.
Public participation at the public hearing was regarding the following topics;
North Avenue- height, land use and lot coverage relative to storm water control; The Plan Commission was of the opinion that any zoning changes to this area should wait until the Village has had an opportunity to engage the larger community within and surrounding the North Avenue Business District via the development of a Plan which has an approved budget for 2017.
West Suburban Medical Center - zoning relative to height and setbacks: The Plan Commission received several emails and some attendance at the public hearing regarding nearby and abutting resident’s concerns over the currently allowed height (125 feet) and setbacks within the H-Hospital District. Up until this time the Plan Commission and consultant had not suggested any change to the height or setback for this District which has been in place since at least the 1980’s. The Plan Commission asked staff to discuss the neighbor’s concerns with both hospitals as any changes would impact both. The outcome was that both hospitals agreed to some concessions regarding height and building setbacks abutting the residential zoned properties. The specific Zoning Ordinance changes are addressed in the consultant’s memorandum and Plan Commission minutes as well as reflected in the draft document.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
N/A.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
Zoning and land use matters are unique to Village government within the corporate limits of Oak Park and therefore, intergovernmental cooperation opportunities do not exist.
Performance Management (MAP) Alignment
A Governance Priority established for the Development Customer Services Department -Planning Division is Land Use Regulations.