CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Pass the ordinance amending Chapter 11 (Comprehensive Plan) of Title 1 (Administrative) of the Municipal Code to approve the downtown streetscape standards
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Louden, Deputy Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
The Downtown Advisory Commission guided the development of the updated standards with input from the Downtown Naperville Alliance, Advisory Commission on Disabilities, Accessible Community Task Force and Senior Task Force.
BACKGROUND:
Streetscape has long been used to establish the pedestrian environment and enhance the aesthetic appeal of downtown Naperville. The Downtown Plan (2000) identified the need to establish a downtown design standard to create a cohesive look to the City’s downtown streetscape. In 2003, the City adopted the Downtown Naperville Streetscape Standards, the first set of unified standards, to guide future streetscape improvement projects. The Naperville Downtown2030 plan, adopted in 2011, recognized the importance of streetscape in enhancing the urban environment and identified the need to update the standards, create new standards for alleys and festival/flexible spaces, and develop a comprehensive plan for updating aging streetscape throughout downtown.
DISCUSSION:
At the end of 2015 the City contracted with a consultant to complete a downtown streetscape study. The consultant’s scope involved reviewing existing streetscape conditions, developing updated standards through a public process and identifying priorities for improvements. Review and recommendation of revisions to the downtown streetscape standards is one of the Downtown Advisory Commission’s duties; therefore, the commission was very involved in the process. However, because streetscape influences the experience of all downtown users, many stakeholders and the public were invited to participate in the process. The following meetings were held to gain input on the standards:
• May 5, 2016 - Downtown Naperville Alliance
• May 12, 2016 - Downtown Advisory Commission
• July 13, 2016 - Public Open House with Online Survey
• September 8, 2016 - Downtown Advisory Commission
• October 13, 2016 - Downtown Advisory Commission
• December 8, 2016 - Downtown Advisory Commission
• January 12, 2017 - Downtown Advisory Commission
• May 11, 2017 - Downtown Advisory Commission
• August 2, 2017 - Advisory Commission on Disabilities
• September 11, 2017 - Downtown Advisory Commission, Advisory Commission on Disabilities, Accessible Community Task Force and Senior Task Force
While the standards development was completed in 2017, completion of the document was delayed until this year due to staff turnover. The project manager for this project left the City and remaining staff were not able to allocate resources to this project due to competing priorities.
Downtown Streetscape Standards
The resulting product of the public process is a new streetscape standard that places an emphasis on pedestrian comfort through a clearly defined pedestrian area constructed of concrete, including through the corners. Aesthetic enhancements are provided through an amenity area that includes pavers, landscaping and street furniture. Recommended street furniture is similar to existing furniture located throughout downtown for consistency. To achieve a more comfortable pedestrian environment, several areas of angled parking are proposed to be converted to parallel stalls to provide added sidewalk width. The widening areas include the south side of Jefferson Avenue between Webster and Main Streets, resulting in a reduction of approximately six stalls, and the east side of Main Street from Jackson Avenue to the Van Buren Lot entrance, resulting in a reduction of approximately seven stalls.
The standards are summarized in the attached Naperville Downtown Streetscape Standards document, which is consistent with the draft document included in the March 5, 2019 agenda, Item J1.
Implementation
The document does not provide a plan for each block of the downtown; but rather establishes the standards that will guide all future streetscape improvements, whether as part of a redevelopment or a comprehensive block-level project. Streetscape improvements and upgrades to current standards have traditionally been required with downtown redevelopments. The property owner is responsible for engineering and installing the improvements at their cost. For example, Jefferson & Main LLC is currently implementing the new standards with the redevelopment of 41 W. Jefferson Avenue.
Block-level implementation projects would be led by the City and programmed in the Capital Improvement Program. These projects would follow the prioritization established by the Downtown Advisory Commission, reflected in Appendix B of the document, and coordinated with other capital projects occurring within the downtown area, such as the Washington Street Bridge reconstruction.
City Council conducted the first reading of the ordinance on May 21, 2019. No concerns were raised nor were any modifications requested.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with adopting the new downtown streetscape standards. Block-level streetscape implementation projects will be programmed in the Capital Improvement Program and a funding source will need to be identified. The first implementation project will be in portions of blocks 429 and 430. Special Service Area (SSA) 30 has been proposed for these improvements. On March 5, 2019, the City Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance for SSA 30 reflecting a 60% City and 40% property owner cost share.