PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing for Naperville Wheaton Townhomes (Pearl Subdivision) located at 5S275 and 5s311 Naperville/Wheaton Road - PZC 23-1-002
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Gabrielle Mattingly, AICP
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
The Petitioner, Naperville Wheaton LLC, requests approval of the following entitlements in order to construct 19 townhomes and an associated surface parking lot on the property:
1. Preliminary/Final Plat of Subdivision to consolidate two lots into one lot;
2. Variance to Section 6-6D-5 to permit 19 townhomes;
3. Variance to Section 6-6D-7 to reduce the front yard setback from 25’ to 23’;
4. Variance to Section 5-2C-3 to waive the masonry requirement to allow for 0% masonry;
5. Variance to Section 6-9-3 to permit 2 guest parking spaces in lieu of the required 5 guest parking spaces; and
6. Variance to Section 6-9-2:4.2.1 to waive the garage parking requirement and allow parking within the front yard setback.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for PZC 23-1-002 was published in the Naperville Sun on February 26, 2023.
BACKGROUND:
The subject properties are located on the east side of Naperville/Wheaton Road, just south of Ogden Avenue, with a common street address of 5S275 and 5S311 Naperville/Wheaton Road. The northern property, 5S275 Naperville/Wheaton Road, is approximately 23,000 sf in size and the southern property, 5S311 Naperville/Wheaton Road, is approximately 22,000 sf in size.
In 2019, the Petitioner, Naperville Wheaton LLC, requested annexation of the subject properties into the City of Naperville, rezoning to R3A (Medium Density Multiple-family Residence District), and preliminary plat of subdivision in order to construct 4 single-family detached residential homes (otherwise known as Leigh Subdivision (PZC 18-1-114)). The annexation, annexation agreement, rezoning and preliminary approvals were approved by the City Council on February 5, 2019. To date, none of the single family detached homes have been constructed and the final plat of subdivision was not recorded. The Petitioner is requesting the City Council approve an amendment to the annexation agreement in order amend the prior approvals and permit the proposed development.
DISCUSSION:
Area Requirement Variance
The Petitioner is proposing to develop the property with two townhome buildings consisting of 19 dwelling units and a surface parking lot consisting of 40 off-street parking spaces. The R3A zoning district permits single family attached dwelling units (townhomes) by right but requires a minimum of 4,000 square feet per unit with no more than eight dwelling units permitted per acre. Given the property is 45,490 square feet in size, the Petitioner is requesting approval of a variance to reduce the minimum area requirement in order to permit 19 townhomes on the property at 2,394 square feet per unit.
The Land Use Master Plan (2022) designates the Plank Road and Naper Boulevard area to be medium density residential. This designation was provided in recognition that the area serves as a transition between the Ogden Avenue commercial corridor and adjacent residential uses to the south and east. The Plan further recommends that this area be developed with residential land uses that help diversify Naperville’s housing stock and address housing needs, by including a variety of unit types and price-points in the form of mixed-use, multi-unit, or townhomes.
Staff finds the proposed density serves as an appropriate transition from the more intensive land uses and busier roadway (Ogden Avenue) to the north and west, to the less dense single-family residential to the south and east. Furthermore, the proposed development includes sidewalk connectivity to the businesses to the north (Aldi grocery store and Starbucks coffee shop) which are within walking distance. The Petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Variance are included in the attachments. Staff is in agreement with the Petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Masonry Variance
Per Section 5-2C-3 (Exterior Wall Construction), the proposed townhomes are required to provide a minimum of 50% masonry (brick and/or stone) exterior building materials. The Petitioner is seeking approval of a variance to the masonry requirements to reduce the required masonry for the townhome units to 0%.
The R3A zoning district provides a maximum height allowance of 35’. The proposed townhomes will be two stories and approximately 25’-5” in height, below the maximum permitted allowance. The townhomes consist of LP smart siding in grey and white tones. Each adjacent dwelling unit has a unique feature, such as peaked roofs above the windows or covered porches, to minimize monotony. The Petitioner is requesting approval of this variance noting that the use of masonry materials in residential construction is must less prevalent since the City’s adoption of this requirement.
The Petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Variance are included in the attachments. Staff is in agreement with the Petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Building Setback Variance
The subject properties were recorded as Lots 9 and 10 in Block 4 of DuPage Farms with a 30’ platted building line. As proposed, 7’ of the property will be dedicated as public right-of-way which will reduce the existing 30’ platted building setback line to a 23’ platted setback line. In addition to the platted building setback line, the R3A zoning district has a 25’ front yard setback requirement which is applicable to this development. Per code, where a platted setback and a zoning setback are in conflict, the more restrictive setback is applicable. Therefore, the proposed townhome buildings are required to comply with the R3A zoning district 25’ front yard setback.
The Petitioner is requesting approval of a variance to reduce the 25’ front yard setback to 23’. The proposed townhomes buildings will be oriented perpendicular to Naperville/Wheaton Road. This site design and the modest 2 story height of the townhomes reduces the perceived encroachment of the buildings into the setback. The townhomes will comply with all other required setbacks. The Petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Variance are included in the attachments. Staff is in agreement with the Petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Parking Variances
The proposal requires the review and approval of the following variances related to parking:
• Approval of a variance to Section 6-9-3 to permit 2 guest parking spaces in lieu of the required 5 guest parking spaces; and
• Approval of a variance to Section 6-9-2:4.2.1 to waive the garage parking requirement and to allow parking within the front yard setback.
The Petitioner proposes a surface parking lot which will provide 40 off-street parking spaces for the development. Per code, 2 parking spaces are required to be provided for a residential development that consists of 5 or more dwelling units. Therefore, a total of 38 parking spaces are required to be provided for this development. In addition to the minimum required number of spaces per dwelling unit, 0.25 guest parking spaces must be provided per dwelling unit resulting in 5 guest parking spaces (19 dwelling units x 0.25 = 4.75 guest parking spaces). The Petitioner seeks approval of a variance to reduce the guest parking spaces from 5 guest parking spaces to 2 guest parking spaces.
Staff finds the proposed development meets the minimum requirement of 2 parking spaces per unit and will have two parking spaces dedicated to guest parking. Staff finds the number of parking spaces will adequately serve the development and is supportive of the variance.
Per Section 6-9-2:4.2.1, one required parking space per dwelling unit must be provided within an enclosed garage. The Petitioner is seeking approval of a variance to waive the garage parking requirement to allow all the required parking spaces to be on the surface parking lot. Staff is supportive of this variance request finding that the inclusion of garage parking would add additional bulk to the property (by way of detached garages) or would result in an increase to the height of the townhome buildings (by way of attached garages on the first floor of the townhomes).
Finally, the Petitioner is requesting approval of a variance to allow parking within the front yard setback. As noted above, the front yard setback is 25’. The submitted site plan depicts four parking spaces within the front yard setback. Per code, guest parking spaces are permitted to be located in the front yard setback. Given the proposal includes two guest parking spaces, the requested variance is only required for two of the four parking spaces which encroach into the front yard setback. Staff is supportive of this variance request noting that if the Petitioner were to increase the number of guest parking spaces onsite, these spaces would be permitted by right without needing variance approval.
The Petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Variance are included in the attachments. Staff is in agreement with the Petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Key Takeaways
§ The Petitioner is requesting approval of a preliminary/final plat of subdivision and several associated variances in order to consolidate the lots and construct 19 single family attached dwelling units (townhomes) and an associated surface parking lot. Staff is supportive of the proposed development.