PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
title
Conduct the public hearing regarding the property located at the southwest corner of Diehl Road and Raymond Drive (McDowell Point) - PZC 18-1-019 (Item 1 of 4)
body
DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Sara Kopinski, AICP
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for PZC 18-1-019 was published in the Naperville Sun on April 29, 2018.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property consists of 8.26 acres of vacant and undeveloped land at the southwest corner of Diehl Road and Raymond Drive. In 2000, Ordinance 00-018 rezoned the property to ORI (Office, Research & Light Industry District), and development of an office building was anticipated on the site. In the years that followed, there were preliminary discussions regarding office development, but none of these plans came to fruition. The site has remained undeveloped and no new proposals for office development have come forth. At this time, the petitioner proposes rezoning the subject property from ORI to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District); and, developing an age-restricted, multi-family building that contains 174 dwelling units.
The subject property is bordered by Diehl Road and Tellabs (zoned ORI) to the north and west, the DuPage County Forest Preserve (Unincorporated) to the east, and Tabor Hills Senior Living Campus (zoned OCI PUD) to the south. The property functions as a transitional piece of land between intensive business uses along Interstate 88 (I-88), and residential uses to the south.
The Northwest Sector Plan (1996) identifies the future land use of the property as “Commercial”. The proposed OCI zoning designation is compatible with this designation, though the overall development concept differs from what was previously planned for. Despite this difference, staff finds the current proposal to be a good complement to surrounding land uses and development trends in the area, and notes that the subject property has remained vacant and underperforming under its current ORI zoning designation.
DISCUSSION:
Rezoning
The petitioner is seeking to rezone the subject property to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District). The adjacent property to the south (Tabor Hills Senior Living Campus) is zoned OCI with a conditional use for a Planned Unit Development. The intent of the OCI district is to act as a transitional zone between intensive business areas and residential neighborhoods. McDowell Point is anticipated to provide that transition between the businesses to the north and the Tabor Hills Senior Living Campus to the south. Consequently, staff is supportive of the petitioner’s proposed rezoning and finds it to be compatible and consistent with properties in the surrounding area.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Map Amendment can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff is in agreement with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Conditional Use to Allow Multi-Family Residential in the OCI Zoning District
The Municipal Code recognizes that there are certain uses which, because of their unique characteristics, cannot be properly classified in any particular zoning district without consideration of their impact upon adjacent land and the public need for the particular use in a certain location. The OCI zoning district classifies multi-family residential units as a conditional use. Staff considers the proposed development’s design and scale to be complementary to adjacent properties and notes that the age-restriction would diversify housing options in this part of the City without putting additional strain on the local school district.
The proposed development will be oriented towards Diehl Road and maintain the existing floodplain along this frontage. It will be accessible by the existing signalized intersection on Diehl Road, as well as a right-in, right-out access point on Raymond Drive. Staff finds the development to be well designed and an appropriate transition between the more intensive business areas to the north and west, and the residential developments to the south.
Staff believes the requested conditional use is appropriate, subject to the condition that the development remains age-restricted. The petitioner has agreed to this condition, therefore staff is supportive of the conditional use.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Conditional Use, as well as additional information regarding the proposed development as it relates to the surrounding area, can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff is in agreement with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Conditional Use to Establish a Planned Unit Development (PUD)
& Preliminary PUD Plat
The Municipal Code identifies that the objective of a PUD is to encourage a higher level of design and amenity than is possible to achieve under otherwise applicable zoning regulations. A PUD is intended to permit and encourage flexibility so long as the design criteria identified in Section 6-4-3 (Planned Unit Developments/Design Standards and Criteria) of the Municipal Code <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH4PLUNDE_6-4-3DESTCR> are met. The proposed development will accommodate 174 age-restricted, multi-family dwelling units, while preserving the existing floodplains on the site and adding multiple site amenities for residents to enjoy. Staff believes that the proposed design and outdoor common areas satisfy the intent of the City’s PUD standards.
Common Open Space
Section 6-4-3:3 of the Municipal Code requires that PUDs with multi-family residential uses provide outdoor common areas covering a minimum of 35% of the site. The proposed site layout provides approximately 3.87 acres of outdoor common areas, which is equivalent to approximately 47% of the total lot coverage. These outdoor common areas include landscaped courtyards, a pool, bench seating and walkways.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting or Amending a Planned Unit Development can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff is in agreement with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Requested PUD Deviations
• Reduction in required minimum lot area: Section 6-7F-5 of the Municipal Code <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH7BUDI_ARTFOCOFCOINDI_6-7F-5ARRE> identifies that there shall be a minimum lot area of 2,600 square feet per dwelling unit (or 16.75 dwelling units per acre) for multiple-family dwellings in the OCI zoning district. This requirement is not intended to impose a minimum interior/livable square footage requirement for each residential unit; rather, it is used a means of controlling site density and the overall bulk of the building.
The petitioner requests approval of a deviation to allow a minimum lot area of 2,068 square feet per dwelling unit, which is equivalent to approximately 21 dwelling units per acre. The proposed building design and orientation complies with all other code requirements, with an exception to maximum building height (further discussed below), identified for the OCI district. The petitioner’s proposal meets the district’s maximum floor area ratio and building setback requirements, and exceeds the City’s requirement that a minimum of 50% of the exterior wall construction for multiple-family dwellings be constructed of masonry.
Staff is supportive of the requested deviation, noting that the increased density has not directly impacted the bulk of the building and is not anticipated to be detrimental to the provision of municipal services and infrastructure due to the proposed age-restriction.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Approving a PUD Deviation 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.
• Reduction in required off-street parking: The petitioner requests a deviation from Section 6-9-3:1 (Off-Street Parking Facilities: Residential Uses) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH9OFSTPA_6-9-3SCOFSTPARE> to reduce the number of required parking spaces for the development. Per Code, multi-family dwelling units require 2.25 parking spaces per dwelling unit (2 of which are to be designated for residents, and 0.25 to be designated guest parking spaces). The proposed 174 unit building is required to provide 348 resident parking spaces and 44 guest parking spaces, for a total of 392 parking spaces. The petitioner is proposing 304 parking spaces, which is equivalent to 1.75 parking spaces per dwelling unit.
To support the requested deviation, the petitioner has submitted a parking study that compares McDowell Point to the recently approved Avenida development, and highlights parking requirements from other Chicago suburbs and industry standard publications. Avenida was approved by the Naperville City Council with a parking ratio of approximately 1.55 parking spaces per dwelling unit. The industry standard publications recommend a parking supply ratio between 0.5 to 1 parking spaces/unit for attached senior living facilities, while the average required parking ratio for other communities in the region was 0.66 parking spaces/unit. This data indicates that McDowell Point’s parking ratio of 1.75 spaces per unit significantly surpasses the parking needs of the average senior living community.
Based on the data provided, staff believes the requested parking deviation is appropriate subject to the conditions that the development remains age-restricted, 44 parking spaces be reserved for guest parking (as required by Code), and that the remaining 260 parking spaces be assigned/reserved to individual units. The petitioner has agreed to these conditions, therefore staff is supportive of the requested parking deviation.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Approving a PUD Deviation 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.
• Allowance to exceed the permitted maximum height: The OCI zoning district identifies a maximum height of 43 feet for multi-family buildings, which is significantly more restrictive than the 100 feet allowed by the property’s current ORI zoning designation. The petitioner proposes a maximum height of 54 feet 8 inches, though the height measurements vary on each elevation. The proposed building has a unique design that features 5 story building sections and 4 story building sections, as well as rooftop courtyards that reduce its perceived bulk and massing. Staff notes that the south façade, which is directly adjacent to the Tabor Hills community, is four stories in height and measures 45 feet 8 inches. This reduced height provides a visual step and transition from the residential Tabor Hills community, to the significantly taller and more intensive business areas to the north of the subject property.
Additionally, horizontal development of the subject property is limited due to the extensive floodplains that traverse the northern portion of the site. The petitioner has proposed a building that complies with all other OCI regulations, and staff believes that the requested height deviation is justified due to the horizontal limitations of the site.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Approving a PUD Deviation 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.
Landscape Plan
The proposed landscape plan includes Code-required landscaping, recreational amenities, and enhanced floodplain and stormwater management areas. New parkway trees are proposed where appropriate throughout the public rights-of-way; and, the petitioner has proposed parking lot landscaping and recreational amenities that exceed the requirements of the City's Landscaping and Screening Ordinance.
Building Elevations
Section 5-2C-3 of the Municipal Code <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT5BURE_CH2COFIPRRE_ARTCBU_5-2C-3EXWACO> requires that a minimum of 50% of the exterior wall construction for multiple-family dwellings be constructed of masonry. The petitioner proposes approximately 63% of the building elevations to be comprised of brick and cast stone masonry, with multiple accent materials for visual interest. The proposed building includes both vertical and horizontal articulation elements, which reduce the perceived bulk of the building. Outdoor amenities on level two of the building offer areas where the façade is dramatically recessed, providing visual relief for neighbors and passersby.
Key Takeaways
§ The petitioner is requesting rezoning to OCI (Office, Commercial and Institutional District). Staff is in support of the request for rezoning due to consistency and compatibility with the zoning of surrounding properties, the intent of the OCI district, and the transitional nature of the area.
§ The petitioner requests approval of a conditional use to allow a multiple-family development within the OCI zoning district. Staff is in support of the request due to the proposed age restriction and compatibility with adjacent developments.
§ The petitioner requests approval of the McDowell Point PUD, with deviations to the OCI district’s minimum lot size per unit and maximum height, as well as a reduction in the number of required off-street parking spaces. Staff finds each of these requests meet the required standards subject to the proposed age restriction.
§ Staff is supportive of the proposed use and layout of the subject property. The proposed development is compatible with the surrounding area and includes amenities that exceed Code requirements.
Related Files
The following agenda items are related to PZC 18-1-019:
• Consider rezoning the subject property at the southwest corner of Diehl Road and Raymond Drive to OCI - PZC 18-1-019 (Item 2 of 4);
• Consider a conditional use in the OCI District to permit multi-family dwellings - PZC 18-1-019 (Item 3 of 4);
• Consider a conditional use in the OCI District to establish the McDowell Point PUD, and approve a Preliminary PUD Plat, with a deviation to reduce the required minimum lot area, a deviation to increase the maximum building height, and a deviation to reduce the required number of off-street parking spaces, for the property located at the southwest corner of Diehl Road and Raymond Drive (McDowell Point) - PZC 18-1-019 (Item 4 of 4).