CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Pass the ordinance granting a variance to Section 6-7D-4 of the Naperville Municipal Code to permit a General Service use on the first floor at 47 E Chicago Avenue - PZC 24-1-132
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Adam Beaver, AICP, Community Planner
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) considered PZC 24-1-132 at their January 15, 2025 meeting and voted to recommend approval of the request (approved 7-1). Staff concurs.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property is located at the northeast corner of East Chicago Avenue and South Washington Street in Downtown Naperville and consists of a three-story multi-tenant commercial/office building.
The Naperville Municipal Code restricts general service uses in the B4 district to the second floor or above while commercial services are permitted on the first floor. Financial institutions are considered to be a general service and therefore not permitted on the first floor, while more traditional walk-in-customer focused retail banking locations are considered to be commercial services, which are permitted on the first floor in the B4 district. This requirement aims to support the development of a walkable retail/commercial focused downtown district at street level.
DISCUSSION:
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC is requesting a variance to Section 6-7D-4 of the Naperville Municipal Code to open a location at 47 E Chicago Avenue. The petitioner is proposing to occupy approximately 2,437 square feet of first floor space in addition to a larger second floor office space. The financial institution/general service use is permitted on the second floor, and the variance approval is only required for the first floor portion of the proposed business.
The petitioner states that the first floor of the space will be used as for retail designed to attract and serve walk-in customers in addition to serving as the entrance to the second-floor offices. On the first floor, walk-in customers would have the ability to work with Fidelity employees to make deposits, complete account related documentation, and complete account transactions. Based on the petitioner’s existing Naperville and Geneva locations, they anticipate approximately 70-90 walk-in clients per day, constituting one third to one half of all visitors to the location.
Due to the stated walk-in and retail services provided on the first floor, staff does not oppose the proposed general service use on the first floor.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Approving a Zoning Variance can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff agrees with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends their adoption by the City Council.
Planning and Zoning Commission Action
The Planning and Zoning Commission conducted the public hearing for PZC 24-1-132 on January 15, 2025. Mary Lou Wehrli provided public testimony on the request expressing concerns with the proposal. Commissioners Wright, Robbins, Castagnoli, and Van Someren provided comments and clarifications in support of the request. Commissioners Bansal and McDaniel provided comments expressing concerns with the request. After discussion, the PZC closed the public hearing and voted to recommend approval of the petitioner’s request (approved 7-1) with Commissioner Bansal dissenting. Staff concurs.
Key Takeaways
• The petitioner requests approval of a variance to permit a general service use to occupy a first-floor space at the subject property. The Planning and Zoning Commission and Staff support the request.
Related Files
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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