PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing for 2939 Audrey Avenue (The Atlas) - DEV-0149-2025
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Sara Kopinski, AICP
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
1. Revoke the following ordinances in connection with the formerly approved development of the Audrey Senior Residences: Ordinance 23-062, Ordinance 23-063, and Ordinance 23-064 (City Council review);
2. Preliminary Plat of Subdivision (City Council review);
3. Rezone a portion of the property from B-2 to OCI District pursuant to Section 6-3-7 of the Code;
4. Conditional use for multi-family residential in the OCI zoning district pursuant to Section 6-7F-3 of the Code;
5. Variances to the following sections of the Code:
a. Section 6-6F-5 to increase the density from one unit per 2,600 sq. ft. to one unit per 842 sq. ft. (for a total of 236 units on 4.566 acres);
b. Section 6-7F-8:1 to increase the maximum building height from 43 ft. to 55 ft.;
c. Section 6-9-3.1 to reduce the parking count from 2.25 spaces per unit to 1.36 spaces per unit;
d. Section 6-9-2.4.3.1 to allow parking to be located in the front yard setback; and,
e. Section 6-16-4 to permit a wall sign on residential property.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for DEV-0149-2025 was published in the Naperville Sun on Sunday, February 1, 2026.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property consists of a 6.2-acre, L-shaped parcel with frontages along both Audrey Avenue and IL Route 59. In 2023, Ordinances 23-062, 23-063, and 23-064 (“Audrey Senior Living Ordinances”) were approved to accommodate development of a convalescent home to be known as Audrey Senior Residences on the subject property. The property has remained vacant since these approvals.
The petitioner proposes revoking the Audrey Senior Living Ordinances and seeks approval of new entitlements to develop a 236-unit, multi-family residential building on Lot 1 of the subject property. Following revocation of the prior approvals, the petitioner requests approval of: a preliminary plat of subdivision to create Lot 1 and Lot 2; rezoning Lot 1 to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District); a conditional use for multi-family residential on Lot 1; and, variances to the City’s requirements for density, building height, parking provisions and setbacks, and wall signage for the residential development on Lot 1. Lot 2 will remain zoned B2 (Community Shopping Center District), and no development plans are proposed.
The Mayfair of Naperville townhome development is located to the north and east of the subject property, and commercial developments including Home Depot, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Mattress Firm are located to the south and west of the property. The City’s Land Use Master Plan identifies the future place type of the subject property to be Urban Center which identifies multi-family residential as an appropriate supporting use. Staff finds the petitioner’s proposal to be compatible with this designation.
DISCUSSION:
Prior Approvals and Proposed Revocation (City Council review)
In 2023, the City Council approved Ordinances 23-062, 23-063, and 23-064 (“Audrey Senior Living Ordinances”) for a 170-unit, convalescent home to be known as Audrey Senior Residences. The Audrey Senior Living Ordinances approved requests to subdivide the subject property into two lots (Lot 1 and Lot 2), rezone Lot 1 from B-2 (Community Shopping Center District) to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District); and approve a conditional use for a convalescent home with variances to the City’s building height, parking setback and landscape buffer requirements on Lot 1. No development plans were approved for Lot 2.
Following the 2023 approvals, construction and development of Audrey Senior Residences never occurred and the subject property has remained vacant and underutilized. As part of the current proposal, the petitioner proposes revoking these prior ordinances to start with a clean slate.
Preliminary Plat of Subdivision (City Council review)
The petitioner proposes a preliminary plat of subdivision to subdivide the 6.2-acre subject property into two lots consisting of approximately 4.6 acres (“Lot 1”) and 1.7 acres (“Lot 2”). Cross access will be platted between Lot 1 and Lot 2 to ensure future vehicular connectivity is maintained, and parallel to IL Route 59 on Lot 2 to provide connectivity between future commercial developments. Staff finds the proposed plat of subdivision meets the technical requirements for approval and is supportive of the subdivision.
Rezoning
The area surrounding the subject property has undergone significant development over the last twenty-five years - intensive commercial uses have developed along IL Route 59 and 75th Street, and the Mayfair of Naperville townhome development has been developed to the north and east of the subject property.
Following revocation of the Audrey Senior Living Ordinances, the subject property will revert to its original B2 (Community Shopping Center District) zoning designation. The subject property has remained vacant and underutilized despite the development that has occurred around it. It is not of comparable size or configuration and does not share the frontage attributes of nearby properties that developed in the B2 district.
The petitioner seeks to rezone Lot 1 of the subdivided property to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District), which is a less intensive zoning district than the B2 designation. The intent of the OCI zoning district is to act as a transitional zone between intensive business areas and residential neighborhoods. The proposed rezoning is anticipated to provide that transition between the residential uses to north and east, and the commercial businesses to the west and south.
Lot 1 fronts Audrey Avenue, a collector roadway that provides access to residential subdivisions to the north and Springbrook Commons shopping center to the south. Springbrook Commons is oriented towards 75th Street and the rear of the commercial buildings front Audrey Avenue, supporting the fact that Audrey Avenue will not develop as a commercial corridor. Staff is supportive of the petitioner’s proposed rezoning for Lot 1 and finds the OCI zoning designation to better suit the subject property’s Audrey Avenue frontage.
Lot 2 of the subject property fronts IL Route 59 and will maintain a B2 (Community Shopping Center District) zoning designation to promote future commercial development.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Map Amendment 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.
The Atlas - Multi-Family Residential Development
The Atlas will feature a 236-unit, market-rate, multi-family residential building on Lot 1 of the subject property. The development is designed to target a gap in the local market and appeal to young professionals and active adults (55+) by providing highly amenitized and efficiently designed studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments. Staff notes that 210 of the proposed 236 units will be comprised of studio or one-bedroom apartments.
Due to the proposed change in land use and the number of variances requested as part of the project, staff recommends The Atlas be designed with accessibility and affordability in mind:
• Accessibility: The petitioner has confirmed that the project will meet all applicable building codes and include 48 adaptable units, provide elevator access on every level, and all amenity and outdoor spaces will be fully wheelchair accessible for residents and their guests.
• Affordability/Attainability: The Atlas will be comprised of 236, market-rate units. Staff prefers that some units be designated below market-rate. In response to this recommendation, the petitioner submitted an Attainability Analysis which compares the anticipated rental rates of The Atlas’s studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units to both the Naperville Area Median Income (AMI) (2024) and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IDHA) Chicago Metro AMI (2025).
The Attainability Analysis concludes that upon construction, 100% of the units provided in The Atlas will have rental rates below the 80% Naperville AMI threshold, and 90% of the units provided will have rental rates below the 60% Naperville AMI threshold. Rental rates are expected to fall within the affordability levels due to their size and the type of units proposed; however, there will be no rental restrictions which ensure ongoing attainability. The complete Attainability Analysis can be viewed in the attachments.
Conditional Use for Multi-family Residential on Lot 1
The OCI zoning district classifies multi-family residential as a conditional use. The requested conditional use for multi-family residential on Lot 1 of the subject property is appropriate as it will function as a transition between intensive commercial uses to the south and west, and residential uses to the north and east.
Consistent with the goals of the City’s Land Use Master Plan (LUMP), the Atlas was designed to appeal to a broad range of people, including young professionals and active adults, with several amenities onsite. The petitioner has indicated that approximately 90% of the units will be studios or one-bedroom units. Additionally, the Atlas is walkable to several commercial businesses, Harris Fawell Park, and a Pace bus stop.
Staff considers the proposed building design and scale to be complementary to adjacent properties. Two- and three-story townhomes are located to the north, and large-scale commercial buildings, including Home Depot and Dick’s Sporting Goods, are located to the south. The Atlas will be oriented towards, and accessed from, Audrey Avenue.
School Impact
The subject property is located within the boundaries of the Indian Prairie School District 204 (IPSD 204). After evaluating the proposed development, IPSD 204 has submitted a letter of no objection to the City of Naperville regarding the proposed development. This letter can be viewed in the attachments.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Conditional Use 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.
Variances
Multiple variances are requested for the multi-family residential development proposed on Lot 1 of the subject property:
• Density: Section 6-6F-5 (Area Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH6REDI_ARTFR4MEDEMUMIREDI_6-6F-5ARRE> of the Municipal Code permits a multi-family residential density of one unit per 2,600 sq. ft. of lot area, which would allow approximately 76 units to be developed on the subject property. The petitioner seeks approval of a variance to allow the development to have a density of one unit per 842 sq. ft. of lot area (for a total of 236 units on the subject property). The petitioner proposes 236 units with a target market of young professionals and active adults. The unit mix includes 77 studios, 133 one-bedroom units, and 26 two-bedroom units.
Density limitations help ensure that public services (including public utilities, schools, parks, and roadway infrastructure) are not overwhelmed by the number of people output from a development. The proposed unit mix, consisting of 90% studio or one-bedroom units, is not anticipated to overwhelm public services in the area. The petitioner has coordinated with the School and Park Districts and the petitioner’s traffic study concludes that the existing roadway network can support the anticipated traffic from the development. Additionally, staff notes that IPSD has submitted a letter of no objection regarding the proposed development.
The City’s LUMP notes that deviations for increased density may be most appropriate in areas near arterial roadways (such as IL Route 59), or walkable to commercial areas like Springbrook Commons and other amenities such as public transit and parks. Consequently, staff is supportive of the petitioner’s density variance as proposed.
• Height: Section 6-7F-8 (Height Limitations) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTFOCOFCOINDI_6-7F-8HELIBURE> of the Municipal Code identifies a maximum height of 43 feet for residential buildings in the OCI zoning district. The petitioner proposes a building height of approximately 55 feet. The proposed building features a modern design with brick at the ground level and hardie panels on upper stories. Metal accents and balconies add interest to the facades, and a 5th floor amenity space adds additional articulation to the front elevation. The rear elevation is oriented around a pool and common area which further reduces the building’s perceived bulk and massing.
The LUMP identifies areas where residential is adjacent to, or across the street from, non-residential land uses as suitable locations for variance considerations such as the height variance proposed. As such, staff finds the surrounding site context to provide suitable conditions for additional height consideration to be given:
o The Atlas is oriented towards Audrey Avenue and is across the street from the rear of Springbrook Commons shopping center and individual tenant’s loading areas.
o Mayfair is located to the north and east of the subject property, and The Atlas maintains a minimum of a 65-foot setback from the north and east property lines. These setbacks are significantly larger than the 10-foot interior side yard and 12-foot rear yard setbacks required per Section 6-7F-7 <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTFOCOFCOINDI_6-7F-7YARE> of the Naperville Municipal Code and help ensure adequate separation is provided between The Atlas and the adjacent Mayfair subdivision.
• Parking variance: The petitioner requests approval of a parking variance to Section 6-9-3 (Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-3SCOFSTPARE> of the Municipal Code to reduce the parking required for multi-family residential from 2.25 spaces per unit to 1.36 spaces per unit. To support the requested variance, the petitioner has submitted a parking study that compares the City’s parking requirements to the ITE Parking Generation Manual and comparable residential developments. The findings indicate that the proposed parking ratio of 1.36 parking spaces per dwelling unit surpasses the parking needs of comparable developments.
The Atlas will include 236 dwelling units, and a total of 262 bedrooms. Staff notes that one parking space per bedroom will be provided, in addition to 59 guest parking spaces (which complies with the City’s guest parking requirements in Section 6-9-3 (Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-3SCOFSTPARE> of the Municipal Code). Furthermore, the petitioner has confirmed that parking permits will be controlled by lease agreements between the leasing office and individual tenants. Staff does not have concerns with the parking variance as proposed.
• Parking setback: The OCI zoning district has a required twenty-foot front yard setback and Section 6-9-2:4 (Off Street Parking Facilities) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-2OFSTPAFA> of the Municipal Code requires parking facilities in the OCI district to be located outside of the required front yard. The petitioner’s proposed parking layout only maintains a 5-foot setback along the Audrey Avenue frontage; therefore, the petitioner seeks approval of a variance to allow parking to be located in the front yard.
Maintaining a 5-foot parking setback along the Audrey Avenue frontage is consistent with the commercial development to the west and Springbrook Commons parking areas to the south. The requested variance does not bring the parking any closer to a residential property than would otherwise be permitted. Upon review, staff finds the requested variance to be reasonable and is supportive of the request.
• Wall sign: Section 6-16-4 (Signs on Residential Property) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-4SIREPR> of the Municipal Code prohibits wall signage on residential properties. The petitioner seeks approval of a variance to install wall signage to identify the primary entrance to The Atlas.
As noted above, the subject property functions as a transition between more intensive business uses along IL Route 59 and 75th Street, and lower intensity residential uses to the east and north. The petitioner proposes a wall sign over the primary entrance to provide adequate site identification and to contribute to the development’s intended character. Staff finds the addition of a wall sign on the Audrey Avenue frontage to be consistent with the surrounding area. The proposed sign will be oriented towards Audrey Avenue and adjacent commercial properties, and will not be visible to the adjacent residential uses. Additionally, the proposed sign complies with all other signage requirements regarding size and placement on the building.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Variance can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff agrees with the petitioner’s Findings for each variance request and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Key Takeaways
§ The petitioner requests approval of a preliminary/final plat of subdivision to create Lot 1 and Lot 2. Staff finds the plat of subdivision meets all technical requirements for approval.
§ The petitioner requests approval of rezoning Lot 1 from B-2 (Community Shopping Center District) to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District). Staff is supportive of this zoning designation.
§ The petitioner requests approval of a conditional use for multi-family residential on Lot 1. Staff is supportive of the conditional use.
§ The petitioner requests approval of variances to the City’s density, building height, parking provisions and setbacks, and wall signage requirements for Lot 1. Staff is supportive of each variance requested.