CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Pass the ordinance designating the 1906 Building located at 25 E Benton Avenue (First Congregational Church) as a historic landmark under the Naperville Municipal Code - HPC-0007-2025
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Brad Iwicki, Assistant Planner
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
On December 4, 2025, the Historic Preservation Commission (hereinafter “HPC”) conducted a public hearing regarding application HPC-0007-2025 (hereinafter “Application”) seeking to designate the structure at 25 E Benton Avenue (hereinafter “1906 Building”) as a landmark in accordance with Section 6-11-3 (Designation of Landmarks) of the Naperville Municipal Code. At the conclusion of the public hearing and the HPC’s deliberation, the HPC passed a motion recommending approval of the Application (approved, 7-0).
BACKGROUND:
The petitioner, the First Congregational Church Landmarking Taskforce submitted an application, prepared with assistance from Naperville Preservation, Inc., to designate a portion of the building located at 25 E Benton Avenue (“Subject Property”), as a local historic landmark (see Attachment 1).
The structure located on the Subject Property is comprised of three building sections:
- The original structure constructed in 1906 in the Gothic Revival architectural style located on Lot 3 and also on approximately the eastern ten feet (10’) of Lot 2 (hereinafter the “1906 Building”);
- An addition constructed in 1930 which is located on Lot 2 (hereinafter the “1930 Building”); and
- An addition constructed in 1979 which is located on Lot 1 (hereinafter the “1979 Building”).
Only the 1906 Building is proposed for landmarking.
The property is generally located at the northwest corner of the Center Street and E Benton Avenue intersection and is zoned R2 (Single-Family and Low Density Multiple-Family Residence District).
If approved by City Council, the landmark designation would provide local historic preservation protections to the property and would require issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness (hereinafter “COA”) prior to certain exterior building modifications or demolition from occurring (see Attachment 2). It should be emphasized that the landmark designation only provides protection for the exterior façade as visible from the right-of-way.
Application
On September 30, 2025, the Petitioner submitted an application to the City of Naperville to designate the 1906 Building located at 25 E Benton Avenue as a local landmark. In accordance with the Naperville Municipal Code the following steps were completed during the processing of the landmark application:
• October 3, 2025: The City deemed First Congregational Church Landmark Taskforce’s application seeking to designate the 1906 Building located at 25 E Benton Avenue as a local landmark complete.
• November 4, 2025: The completed application was transmitted to the HPC
• On December 4, 2025: The HPC conducted a public meeting regarding application HPC-0007-2025 and recommended approval of the proposed application
Survey Information Regarding the 1906 Building
Johnson Laskey Windshield Survey (2007)
In 2007, the City, in cooperation with Naper Settlement/Naperville Heritage Society, hired Johnson Lasky Architects to conduct a “Windshield Survey” of the downtown businesses and certain residential areas. The purpose of the survey was to obtain objective information on the City’s historic and architectural resources which would serve as a guide for City planning needs and also create a foundation upon which reviews for future development proposals in this sector of the City may be assessed.
The Johnson Laskey Windshield Survey classifies the subject property within the “Downtown” area which extends one block east of Washington Street. The report noted the following with respect to the First Congregational Church property (see Attachment 4):
• Based on observation, the property is significant for the Greek Revival era of construction.
Downtown Survey 2010
In October 2010, the City hired Granacki Historic Consultants, to survey 53 buildings in the City’s Downtown commercial area in accordance with recommendations made in the Naperville Downtown2030 plan and the 2007 Windshield Survey. The buildings surveyed were selected with assistance from the Naperville Heritage Society.
The subject property is not included in the survey area for the Downtown Survey.
Federal Historic District
The 1906 Building is located within the boundaries of a federal historic district, the “Naperville Historic District”, designated by the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 (see Attachment 5). The Application provides that the improvement is not individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
DISCUSSION:
The Application, submitted by the First Congregational Church Landmarking Taskforce, with assistance from Naperville Preservation, Inc., is a request to designate the Subject Property as a local landmark based upon the landmark criteria provided in Section 6-11-3:5 of the Naperville Municipal Code (Attachment 3). The owner of the property, First Congregational Church of Naperville United Church of Christ, has consented to the landmark application.
1906 Building Landmark Petition
In order to qualify as a landmark under the Naperville Municipal Code, Section 6-11-3:5.1 of the Code provides that the improvements sought to be landmarked must be over 50 years old in whole or in part, and Section 6-11-3:5.2 of the Code provides that and one or more of the criteria set forth in that Section must be met.
The table below lists the Landmark Criteria set forth in Section 6-11-5:5.2 of the Naperville Municipal Code as well as the Applicant’s contention as to which criteria are met in order to warrant designation of the 1906 Building as a local landmark (See attachment 1). The 1906 Building is more than 50 years old and therefore meets the threshold requirement for a Landmark Designation.
Historic Preservation Commission Public Hearing
On December 4, 2025, the HPC conducted a public meeting to consider Application HPC-0007-2025, to designate the 1906 Building as a local historic landmark.
Following presentations by the Applicant, public testimony was provided by six (6) speakers. Cross-examination and questions were permitted until the commencement of closing remarks by the Applicant.
HPC Deliberation: Section 6-11-3:4.15 of the Code provides for the HPC to make findings of fact as follows (Attachment 3):
• 4.15.1. Findings of fact related to the criteria set forth in Section 6-11-3:5 (Landmark Criteria);
• 4.15.3. A description of evidence received by the Commission relative to the proposed landmark designation pursuant to Subsections 6-11-3:4.1-4.9; and
• 4.15.4. Any other facts that the Commission finds relevant.
At the conclusion of the public hearing and the HPC’s deliberation, the HPC unanimously voted in favor of a motion to recommend approval of the Application. The HPC summarized their findings and recommendations from the meeting, which can be found in Attachment 7. In summary, the HPC found that the 1906 Building met the landmark criteria set forth in the Code with the exception of criterion 5.1.5. that the improvement is included in the National Register of Historic Places. The vote of the HPC resulted in a recommendation to the City Council to approve the Application.
City Council Review
The City Council shall grant or deny the application for landmark designation using the criteria set forth in Section 6-11-3:5 or on such other bases as it deems appropriate.
City Council action on the landmark application shall be made within 150 days of the transmission of the application to the HPC (no later than April 3, 2026) unless this timeframe is extended by City Council for 30 days. Any application which is not granted or denied within the 150-day timeframe shall automatically lapse and become null and void without any further action by the City.
An ordinance approving the landmark designation for the 1906 Building has been prepared and is attached to this agenda item should City Council wish to approve the Application and request. As noted above, this ordinance only designates the 1906 Building on the Subject Property as a landmark. However, because the 1906 and 1930 Buildings abut each other, the ordinance includes a requirement that any modifications to any shared structural components of the 1906 and 1930 Buildings shall be permitted only upon confirmation that the proposed modifications will not adversely impact the 1906 Building.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Landmark Application
2. Section 6-11-6 through 6-11-8 (COA Requirements)
3. Section 6-11-3 (Designation of Landmarks)
4. Excerpt of Johnson Lasky Windshield Survey
5. Federal Historic District Map
6. Local Historic District Map
7. Historic Preservation Commission Public Hearing Findings and Recommendation
8. Historic Preservation Commission December 4, 2025 DRAFT Meeting Minutes
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A