PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing to consider 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
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
1. A variance to Section 6-7D-4 of the Municipal Code to permit a General Service use on the first floor in the B4 (Downtown Core) District.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for PZC 24-1-132 was published in the Naperville Sun on Sunday December 22, 2024.
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 their space will be used as a retail space 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, or 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 Planning and Zoning Commission.
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. Staff supports the request.
Related Files
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