Orland Park board approves 9‑month land‑use moratorium, launches four subarea planning studies

The Village of Orland Park Board of Trustees on Oct. 6 approved a nine‑month moratorium on certain new land‑use applications while staff issues a request for proposals (RFP) to study four subareas of the village as part of a comprehensive plan update.

The moratorium resolution passed on a 5–2 roll call with Trustees Leafblad, Lawler, Lawrence, Malani and Mayor Dodge voting aye; Trustees Healy and Katsenas voted no. The board also directed staff to release an RFP for consultant services on the subarea plans, with an advertised target date of Nov. 1 for issuance.

Why it matters: Trustees said the temporary pause will give the village time to study market trends and local impacts in specific corridors and neighborhoods and to consider policy changes before new business licenses are issued that could affect parking, character and economic mix.

Staff described four subareas for the study: the Old Orland Historic District (the area west of the train tracks near 140th Street), the Gateway to the Grange (parts of Grange Road approaching downtown), the I‑80 Employment Corridor along the village’s south side, and a portion of Harlem Avenue. The RFP will solicit consultant expertise on issues such as infill compatibility, branding and wayfinding, parking and multimodal access, redevelopment opportunities and economic positioning for employment properties.

Planning staff (identified in the meeting as Steve) said the comprehensive plan is an update rather than a full rewrite and emphasized the study is meant to refine policy for those four places. "We are getting ready to kick off our comp plan. It's not a redo," Steve told the board, and he summarized the study areas and key questions for each.

Board members and staff said the moratorium is limited in scope. Planning staff told trustees the moratorium would not affect businesses already in operation or applications already filed and under review: "This will not affect any business that is currently in town or anyone currently has an application," the presenter said. The moratorium would apply to new applications submitted after the ordinance takes effect and will last approximately nine months while the study is completed and recommendations prepared.

Trustees and staff cited examples of recent market shifts and local clustering in particular retail types during discussion. Trustee Milani noted the village currently has 21 coffee shops with four more in the queue and 124 personal‑grooming locations with 12 additional applications, and said those counts were part of the rationale for a focused review. Trustees also referenced other nearby municipalities that have used moratoria for similar purposes; Tinley Park was mentioned as having recently enacted a moratorium.

Next steps: Staff expects to issue the subarea RFP on or before Nov. 1 and to begin parallel work on the broader comprehensive plan update. The moratorium will remain in effect while staff gathers input, completes the consultant work and returns recommendations to the board. The board instructed staff to provide regular updates and to coordinate public engagement as part of the studies.

Votes at a glance: - Land‑use moratorium (resolution): Passed, 5–2 (Leafblad, Lawler, Lawrence, Malani, Mayor Dodge — aye; Healy and Katsenas — no).

The item combined policy direction (commissioning subarea studies and public outreach) with a short, temporary limit on new filings to ensure the village has current data and policy guidance before allowing certain new land‑use applications to proceed.