PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing to consider variances to permit a wall sign for Charles Schwab at 19 W. Chicago Avenue - DEV-0133-2025
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Anna Franco, AICP, Community Planner
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
Approval of a variance to Naperville Municipal Code Section 6-16-5.2.1.1 and a variance to Section 6-16-6:3.1.1.1 to permit a wall sign on a façade that is not adjacent to a public or private street, sidewalk or alley, a parking lot, or the DuPage River.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for DEV-0133-2025 was published in the Naperville Sun on Sunday, November 2, 2025.
BACKGROUND:
The 2,731-square foot subject property is zoned B4 (Downtown Core District) and is improved with a two-story brick and stone building, located between The George at 245 S Washington Street and Einstein Bros. Bagels at 22 Jackson Avenue in downtown Naperville. The building has frontages on both Chicago Avenue and Jackson Avenue with the main entrance to the building located on Chicago Avenue. The north and south façades of the building feature windows, lighting, wall signage and other design features, and the east and west facades are windowless. The east and west facades are viewable over the one-story The George and Eisenstein Bros. Bagel buildings from Washington Street and Main Street.
DISCUSSION:
The petitioner, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., has leased the entire building for approximately 20 years and is considering a lease extension and renovation to its Downtown Naperville branch to host events for clients and the general community to foster educational programming and community engagement. As part of this renovation effort, Charles Schwab will replace the existing signage on the Chicago and Jackson Avenue facades with new signage to reflect the updated Charles Schwab branding.
Charles Schwab is also proposing to install a thirty-six (36) square foot, illuminated wall sign on the upper portion of the east façade of the building, which will be the same type and sign size as those to be installed on the Jackson Avenue and Chicago Avenue facades, to address ongoing business identification issues. According to the petitioner, Charles Schwab’s customers find it difficult to locate the Charles Schwab branch due to its midblock location and often circle the block to find the branch and become frustrated with downtown traffic patterns. The petitioner feels that the lack of adequate identification of the building creates these issues and that the problem will only worsen as Charles Schwab expands its community education programs and invites more clients to visit their downtown branch.
The sign regulations for commercial wall signs as outlined in Section 6-16-5.2.1.1 of the Naperville Municipal Code state that wall signs are only permitted “for facades with street frontage (public or private) and facades adjacent to an off-street parking area where customer access is also available”. Further, sign regulations for wall signs in the Downtown Central Business District as outlined in Section 6-16-6:3.1.1.1 of the Naperville Municipal Code state that wall signs are only permitted for facades “facing public and private streets, sidewalks, and alleys, the West Branch of the DuPage River, and parking lots.” The proposed wall sign requires a variance since the east façade of the Charles Schwab building does not meet one of these requirements and is therefore not a qualifying façade for signage.
Findings of Fact
Staff recognizes the need for Charles Schwab to improve wayfinding for its business and finds the proposal in harmony with the purpose of Title 6, Chapter 16 (Signs) of the Naperville Municipal Code to “advance the economy of the City by recognizing the need for adequate site identification through promoting the reasonable and objective display of signage, and to encourage effective communication between signs and the public.” The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Zoning Variance are attached. Upon review, staff generally agrees with the petitioner’s findings and recommend their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Key Takeaways
• Charles Schwab is proposing a wall sign on the east façade of the existing building. The proposed wall sign requires a variance since the east façade is not a qualifying façade for signage.
• Staff finds the proposal to be in harmony with the purpose of Title 6, Chapter 16 (Signs) of the Naperville Municipal Code.