PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing for 557 S. Washington Street (DJK Design Studio) - DEV-0094-2025
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Sara Kopinski, AICP
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
1. A variance from Section 6-9-2:4.3 to reduce the required side yard setback from 5 ft. to an average of approximately 2.35 ft.; and,
2. A variance from Section 6-2-10:5 to allow more than 25% of the required rear yard to be occupied.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for DEV-0094-2025 was published in the Naperville Sun on Sunday, September 28, 2025.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property is located at 557 S. Washington Street. It is zoned TU (Transitional Use District) and is improved with a single-family home. At this time, DJK Custom Homes seeks to repurpose the property/structure for their professional design studio, which requires a parking lot expansion and other site modifications. The design studio is a permitted use in the TU zoning district; however, the proposed site changes require approval of two zoning variances.
The City’s Land Use Master Plan designates the subject property as “City Corridor,” which accommodates the proposed use.
DISCUSSION:
The existing home on the subject property is approximately 1,865 sq. ft. in size. The petitioner intends to convert the home from a residence to a commercial structure to be used as DJK’s professional design studio. To do so, additional parking will be required to be provided on-site to ensure compliance with Section 6-9-3 (Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements) of the Naperville Municipal Code. A minimum of 6 parking spaces will be required to be provided on-site to serve the 1,865 sq. ft. office space.
The petitioner has agreed to expand parking facilities on the subject property to meet code requirements. Planned improvements include adding 8 parking spaces to the site, improving ADA accessibility on the north side of the property, and constructing a two-way commercial driveway on the south side of the property. Additionally, the petitioner has agreed to promote cross-access between TU zoned properties on the west side of Washington Street by platting cross access on their property and extending a new parking lot drive aisle all the way to the south property line to connect to the adjacent property in the future. (This connection will be complete once the adjacent property owner plats cross-access on their property and extends their drive aisle to the property line.)
The subject property is relatively small, measuring approximately 8,927 square feet in size, resulting in limited buildable area to add parking facilities and improve site access. Additionally, the existing structure is located less than 10 feet from the north property line, and less than 25 ft. from the south property line, further restricting options for site access and buildable area. This lot configuration results in 2 variances and 2 subdivision deviations, once parking is added to the site and access is improved, as further discussed below.
Setback Variance
Section 6-9-2:4.3 (Off Street Parking Facilities) of the Municipal Code requires parking facilities to maintain a minimum of a five-foot setback from any property line. The petitioner proposes adding new parking facilities and a drive aisle leading to parking spaces in the rear of the property along the subject property’s south property line. This drive aisle will maintain less than a 5 ft. setback from the adjacent property to the south.
As noted above, DJK Custom Homes plans to repurpose the existing home on the property as their design studio. The existing structure is setback approximately 22 ft. from the south property line at the narrowest point, restricting the amount of space available for site access. To provide adequate space for two-way traffic to enter and exit the site, City staff recommends a minimum drive aisle width of 20 feet, resulting in a setback averaging approximately 2.35 feet. As such, the petitioner has requested approval of a variance to Section 6-9-2:4.3 (Off Street Parking Facilities) of the Municipal Code to allow parking facilities to maintain less than a 5-foot setback along the subject property’s south property line.
Staff is supportive of the site plan and setback variance as proposed, finding it allows for the safe and efficient movement of vehicles on the site, while remaining compatible with the adjacent, non-residential property.
Rear Yard Lot Coverage Variance
The petitioner’s proposed site improvements include parking spaces that will be located within the subject property’s required rear yard. Section 6-2-10:5 (Accessory Buildings, Structures and Uses of Land) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH2GEZOPR_6-2-10ACBUSTUSLA> of the Municipal Code states that accessory structures shall not occupy more than 25% of a required rear yard. In accordance with the TU zoning district, the subject property has a 25-foot rear yard setback, and a required rear yard measuring approximately 1,425 square feet in size. The petitioner seeks approval of a variance to Section 6-2-10:5 of the Municipal Code to exceed permissible rear yard lot coverage for the subject property and allow approximately 64.4% of the rear yard to be occupied by parking facilities.
The design studio building complies with the TU zoning district’s required setbacks, which helps ensure visual bulk will not be a concern for neighboring properties. However, the proposed parking expansion will occupy approximately 918 square feet, or approximately 64.4%, of the subject property’s required rear yard. An existing 6-foot wooden fence will visually screen the rear yard from neighboring properties, and the petitioner has agreed to plant a row of 6-foot-tall arborvitae along the rear property line to provide additional screening and buffering.
Staff is supportive of the variance requested since the rear yard encroachments consist only of uncovered, impervious space; and, fencing and landscaping will screen the parking spaces from the adjacent properties.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Zoning Variance can be found in the attachments for each zoning variance requested. 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 from Section 6-9-2:4.3 of the Code to reduce the required setback for parking facilities to less than 5 feet. Staff is supportive of the request due to the size of the subject property and the location of the existing structure on the site.
• The petitioner requests approval of a variance to Section 6-2-10:5 of the City’s Municipal Code to permit a rear yard lot coverage of approximately 64.4% on the subject property. Staff is supportive of the request since the rear yard encroachments consist only of uncovered, impervious space and additional landscaping will be installed to provide a visual buffer.