PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing for 1200 E. Diehl Road (1200 Diehl Road Residences) - DEV-0050-2025
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Sara Kopinski, AICP
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
1. Deviations to Sections 6-14-4:3.2.5 (Exterior Lighting/ Luminaire Design Factors) and 6-14-4-3.3.3 (Exterior Lighting/ Standards And Requirements) of the Naperville Municipal Code.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for DEV-0050-2025 was published in the Naperville Sun on Sunday, April 20, 2025.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property, also known as 1200 Diehl Road Residences, consists of approximately 9.5 acres located at 1200 E. Diehl Road. 1200 Diehl Road Residences is planned to develop as a planned unit development (PUD) with multi-family residential and restaurant/retail uses.
On November 5, 2024, City Council approved the following ordinances relating to 1200 Diehl Road Residences: (i) Ordinance 24-119 rezoning the subject property from ORI (Office, Research and Light Industry District) to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District); (ii) Ordinance 24-120 approving a Preliminary Plat of Subdivision; and, (iii) Ordinance 24-121 approving a conditional use for a PUD and a Preliminary PUD Plat with various zoning deviations and conditional uses for retail, restaurants, multi-family residential and parking as a principal use.
Currently, the petitioner is seeking approval of additional PUD deviations, including a deviation to Section 6-14-4:3.2.5 (Exterior Lighting/ Luminaire Design Factors) of the Naperville Municipal Code to allow reuse of existing light poles that exceed permissible height requirements, and Section 6-14-4-3.3.3 (Exterior Lighting/ Standards And Requirements) to permit a maximum of 0.5 footcandles along the south property line of the subject property.
DISCUSSION:
The petitioner requests approval of two photometric deviations for 1200 Diehl Road Residences to allow the developer to use and maintain the existing light poles on the subject property as a means of leveraging existing resources and minimizing waste during redevelopment. The following deviations are requested:
• Pole Height. Section 6-14-4:3.2.5 (Exterior Lighting/ Luminaire Design Factors) of the Naperville Municipal Code restricts light pole height in commercial districts to 25 feet. The existing light poles on the subject property were installed when the property was industrially zoned and measure approximately 32 feet in height, consistent with industrial district allowances. The lights consist of an approximately 30-foot-tall light pole on a 1/1.5-foot-tall base.
Approval of Ordinance 24-119, which rezoned the subject property from an industrial district (ORI) to a commercial district (OCI), combined with the planned redevelopment of the subject property, generates the need for code-compliant lighting to be installed. As noted above, the maximum light pole height within a commercial district is 25 feet. The petitioner seeks approval of a light pole height deviation to allow reuse of the existing 32-foot-tall light poles.
Staff finds the existing 32-foot-tall light poles to remain compatible with the character of the redevelopment due to the size and massing of the proposed residential building and surrounding land uses, and to adequately light the surface parking areas. Staff has not received any complaints regarding the existing lighting from surrounding property owners and does not believe there will be any negative impacts to adjacent properties.
• Lighting Levels Along South Property Line. Section 6-14-4-3.3.3 (Exterior Lighting/ Standards And Requirements) of the Naperville Municipal Code restricts footcandle readings to a maximum of 0.1 along property lines bordering residential properties. Staff notes that while the property immediately south of the subject property is zoned for residential use (commonly known as the Iroquois Club), it is improved with a stormwater management area and walking paths. The Iroquois Club’s residential units maintain a significant setback from the proposed development’s parking areas and parking lot lighting.
The existing light levels measure approximately 0.9 horizontal footcandles along the subject property’s south property line. Through redevelopment of the site, the petitioner proposes a maximum of 0.5 footcandles along this property line, achieved by relocation and/or elimination of some light poles. The proposed light levels are an improvement over existing conditions but continue to exceed code requirements by 0.4 footcandles.
Staff finds the requested deviation to be acceptable since the impact of light spillage is constrained to the walking path around the detention basin and is not directly adjacent to any residences. Furthermore, staff has not received any complaints regarding light levels on the property in its current state and believes maintaining the existing light poles along the south property line will help maintain a cohesive appearance for the redevelopment.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a PUD Deviation can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff agrees with the petitioner’s Findings as they pertain to each request and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Conclusions and Key Takeaways
Staff is supportive of the petitioner’s proposal to maintain/reuse the subject property’s existing light poles. The petitioner has identified that adaptive reuse of the light poles is environmentally conscious, and existing site lighting has not hindered development or redevelopment of adjacent parcels.