CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Pass the ordinance granting a variance to Section 6-9-3 of the Naperville Municipal Code to reduce the required number of parking spaces for the property located at 2323 Naperville Road Unit 110 - PZC 24-1-065
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Adam Beaver, AICP, Community Planner
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) considered PZC 24-1-065 on July 17, 2024 and recommended approval of the request (7-0). Staff concurs.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property is located on the west side of Naperville Road between Danada Court and Fairmeadow Lane and is zoned OCI (Office, Commercial, & Institutional District). The 3.34 acre property is currently improved with a two story 43,000 square foot multi-tenant office building and associated 173 space parking lot.
The petitioner requests approval of a variance to Section 6-9-3 of the Naperville Municipal Code to reduce the required number of parking spaces at the subject property from 183 to 173 in order to operate a dental office in unit 110 in the existing building.
DISCUSSION:
Per Section 6-9-3 of the Naperville Municipal Code, general offices require 3.3 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area whereas medical offices require 5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. The parking lot constructed at the subject property was built at a ratio of four parking spaces per 1,000 sq.ft. With this ratio, the subject property can accommodate some, but not all, medical office tenants. As new tenants are proposed at this property, staff reviews the parking demand of existing tenants to determine if parking is available for the new proposed use.
The petitioner is proposing to utilize a 1,738 square foot unit for medical office, thereby requiring nine parking spaces. Combined with the other existing tenants in the building, this would bring the total parking requirement for the entire building to 183 parking spaces. The parking lot on the subject property has a total of 173 parking spaces, requiring the petitioner to request a variance to reduce the number of required parking spaces by 10 in order to accommodate the proposed medical office use.
The petitioner undertook a parking study to identify existing peak parking demands at the property. It was found that at peak business hours, the maximum number of parking spaces occupied at the property was 55 spaces, leaving 118 parking spaces free. Given the low parking occupancies at the subject property at peak times, staff is supportive of the petitioner’s request.
Parking Amendment
Under New Business at the June 4, 2024 meeting, the City Council directed staff to prepare an amendment to the Zoning Code to allow additional flexibility for parking requests such as this case. Staff is currently working on this amendment and will present it to the PZC and City Council for consideration at a future date.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Approving a Zoning Variance 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.
Planning and Zoning Commission Action
The Planning and Zoning Commission conducted the public hearing PZC 24-1-065 on July 17, 2024. No members of the public provided testimony. After limited discussion, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of the Petitioner’s request (approved 7-0). Staff agrees with the PZC’s recommendation.
Key Takeaways
• The petitioner requests approval of a parking variance at the subject property. The PZC and Staff support the request.
Related Files
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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