CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Receive the staff report for 1151 E. Warrenville Road (Northwoods of Naperville) - PZC 24-1-130 (Item 1 of 4)
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Sara Kopinski, AICP
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) considered PZC 24-1-130 on February 19, 2025, and voted to recommend approval of the petitioner’s requests (approved 6-0). Staff concurs.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property consists of approximately 12.18 acres located at 1151 E. Warrenville Road. It is currently zoned RD (Research and Development District) and is improved with a three-story office building owned by Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA). The subject property is a flag lot, with minimal frontage or visibility along Warrenville Road. Access to the property is provided via a shared private road through the adjacent property. The petitioner indicates that IHA has implemented an alternative workplace strategy which reduces its space needs by almost 50% and, as a result, IHA has elected to sell the subject property (but maintain Naperville lease of space at 1120 E. Diehl Road).
M/I Homes is the contract purchaser of the subject property proposing a new residential community consisting of sixty-four (64) townhomes. The proposed development will target young professionals and empty nesters seeking a low-maintenance community.
The City’s Land Use Master Plan (LUMP) designates the subject property as Medium Density Residential, which supports single-family attached homes. Staff finds the petitioner’s proposal to be compatible with this designation.
DISCUSSION:
Rezoning from RD to OCI
The subject property is zoned RD (Research and Development District) and is located north of Warrenville Road; however, as a flag lot, it has minimal frontage or visibility from the roadway. The petitioner has stated that the subject property has been underperforming under its current RD zoning designation since IHA relocated to 1120 E. Diehl Road.
The development petition outlines that the lack of visibility, remote parking field, and lack of amenities create a disadvantage for the subject property in the office marketplace. As such, the petitioner proposes rezoning the subject property from RD (Research and Development District) to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District) to facilitate redevelopment of the property.
The intent of the OCI zoning district is to act as a transitional zone between intensive business areas and residential neighborhoods. On the north side of I-88, the most recent development proximate to the subject property is the conversion of part of the Nokia campus for a mix of townhomes and single-family homes adjacent to the Danada Forest Preserve. Other land uses in the area include offices and unincorporated single-family homes.
Rezoning the property to OCI will enable the development of townhomes, consistent with the intent of the medium density residential designation under the City’s land use master plan. The petitioner notes the development will benefit from the remote location and act as a transitional use between the unincorporated residences to the north and office/business uses to the south, in line with the purpose and intent of the OCI district as set forth in Section 6-7F-1 (OCI/Intent) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTFOCOFCOINDI> of the Code. Staff finds the proposed OCI zoning district to be appropriate for the subject property.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Map Amendment can be found in the attachments. Upon review, the PZC and staff agree with the petitioner’s Findings and recommend their adoption by City Council.
Conditional Use - Single-family Attached Residential/Townhomes
Pursuant to Section 6-7F-3 (OCI/Conditional Uses) of the Naperville Municipal Code, the petitioner requests approval of a conditional use for townhomes in the OCI zoning district. The petitioner proposes a total of 64 market-rate townhome units, divided into two unique townhome products. One product will consist of two-story townhomes with front-load garages known as the “Revival Series,” and the other will consist of three-story townhomes with rear-load garages to be known as the “Urban Series.”
The development petition states that the proposed residential development will diversify housing options in this part of the city while removing an office building that is not viable for future office users. The proposal is anticipated to help support the City’s nearby employment centers, and benefit from access to the surrounding transportation network and commercial goods and services.
The petitioner has given special consideration to the natural features of the site and has made efforts to minimize the areas that will be disturbed upon redevelopment. A 15-foot-wide native planting buffer has been incorporated adjacent to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (FPDDC) to help filter any debris from the lots prior to reaching the forest preserve areas, and the existing trees and natural resources on the eastern portion of the site will be preserved through a tree preservation covenant. Parking will be provided for each unit through both garage and driveway parking spaces; additional on-street parking spaces are provided for guests as well.
The proposed building elevations comply with Section 5-2C-3 (Exterior Wall Construction) of the Naperville Municipal Code, as amended on February 4, 2025. This amendment expanded acceptable materials for exterior wall construction to include composite siding, including but not limited to fiber cement and engineered wood. The proposed Northwoods elevations feature a mixture of quality materials including James Hardie siding, brick, and cedar.
The Naperville Park District provided a park analysis for the proposed development, highlighting nearby Park District facilities and potential pathways to connect residents to them (available in the attachments). Staff notes that the petitioner will satisfy the required park donation for this development with cash in lieu of a land donation.
The Subject Property is designated for “medium density residential” under the City’s future land use plan. One of the goals of the plan is to ensure housing is diverse, responsive to community needs, and accessible to everybody. Preserving neighborhood character and natural areas and supporting redevelopment that is compatible with natural resources is one of the objectives in achieving this goal. The petitioner notes that the proposed townhome community will diversify the City’s housing stock while preserving the site’s natural features to create a unique residential community, consistent with the goals of the land use master plan. Staff concurs with the petitioner and is supportive of the requested conditional use.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Conditional Use can be found in the attachments. Upon review, the PZC and staff agree with the petitioner’s Findings and recommend their adoption by the City Council.
Preliminary Plat of Subdivision
The petitioner requests approval of a preliminary plat of subdivision to resubdivide the property, along with a deviation to Section 7-3-3:1 (Right-Of-Way Improvements: Streets). Staff finds the plat of subdivision meets all technical requirements for approval subject to approval of a subdivision deviation to allow for a private street and carriage walk. .
Subdivision Deviation - Private Street
The petitioner has requested approval of a deviation to Section 7-3-3:1 (Right-Of-Way Improvements: Streets) to permit a private street (subject to the review and approval by the City Council); City staff is supportive of this request. Currently, the existing roadway to the subject property is private and is connected to Warrenville Road by way of a private roadway. In order to properly serve the roadway, City roadway maintenance services would need to be provided on the other side of an existing private roadway, creating a gap in service connection. Maintaining the roadway’s current condition as private eliminates the need for City roadway maintenance services (snow plowing, street resurfacing, etc.). Instead, the petitioner is proposing to provide these services through the HOA. Additionally, the City standard minimum width for public roadways is 28’, and the proposed private roadway is 24’ in width. While the roadway will be improved by the petitioner to widen it and add curb and gutter, the proposed roadway still does not comply with City standards for public roadways. Staff notes that due to the narrow roadway width, on-street parking will be prohibited along certain portions of the roadway in order to maintain emergency access. The petitioner will be required to install “no parking” signage to identify these areas within the development. Staff concurs with the proposal for a private roadway that is owned and maintained by the HOA.
Key Considerations - OAA
Concurrent with the Final Plat of Subdivision, the City and M/I Homes will be entering into an Owner’s Acknowledgement and Acceptance (OAA) agreement for the Northwoods of Naperville development which further details the conditions under which the subject property will be developed. Formal execution of this agreement will occur with the final approval of the plans concurrent with the Final Plat of Subdivision. The OAA and Final Plat of Subdivision will be subject to review and approval by the City Council. Topics to be addressed in the OAA include, but are not limited to, the following:
• School and Park Donations: The petitioner will satisfy the required school and park donations with a cash-in-lieu of land donation per the requirements of Section 7-3-5 (Dedication of Park Lands and School Sites or For Payments or Fees in Lieu Of) to be paid on a per permit basis.
• Tree Preservation Covenant: The petitioner has proposed a tree preservation covenant over a portion of the property to protect the natural resources.
• Private Improvements: Northwoods will be developed with the following private improvements: street, streetlights, sidewalk, signage (to cover parking restrictions on the private street), sanitary lift station, sanitary gravity main system and a new sanitary force main from the lift station to the existing sanitary infrastructure. Additionally, refuse, recycling and disposal of other materials will be privately collected. A homeowner’s association (HOA) will be formed to govern the Northwoods Development and the HOA will be responsible for the ownership and maintenance of these private improvements. A dormant special service area will be formed in the instance backup funding is necessary for the maintenance of these improvements. Notice of these owner obligations will be required to be given to all prospective buyers.
Conclusions and Key Takeaways
The PZC and staff find the petitioner’s proposal to be consistent with the intentions of the City’s Land Use Master Plan and compatible with surrounding properties. The PZC and staff are supportive of each zoning entitlement requested:
§ The petitioner requests approval of rezoning the Subject Property from RD to OCI. The PZC and staff are supportive of this zoning designation.
§ The petitioner requests approval of a conditional use for townhomes in the OCI zoning district. The PZC and staff find the proposed residential use to be consistent with the goals of the City’s Land Use Master Plan.
§ The petitioner requests approval of a preliminary plat of subdivision to resubdivide the property, along with a deviation to Section 7-3-3:1 (Right-Of-Way Improvements: Streets). Staff finds the plat of subdivision meets all technical requirements for approval and is supportive of the requested subdivision deviation as outlined above subject to approval, execution and recordation of a Final Plat of Subdivision for Northwoods of Naperville and a fully executed OAA (City Council review only).