Committee approves first major amendments to Waukegan Unified Development Ordinance; tree-fee caps added

Waukegan ' The Committee Development Committee on Sept. 2 approved a package of major amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance and a separate city-code change capping tree-in-lieu fees, officials said.

Sam Green, a planner with the Planning and Zoning Department, told aldermen the UDO amendments are the first substantive set since the ordinance consolidated the city's zoning, sign, subdivision, tree preservation and design guidelines into a single document and that the revisions reflect a year of implementation and user feedback.

The changes are intended to clarify uses and approval procedures, ease some approval paths for small projects, respond to recently enacted state legislation about transit-area parking, and add processes the city lacked, Green said. The committee voted 3-0 to approve the UDO amendment ordinance (motion by Alderman Donworth, second by Alderman Martinez) and separately approved the fee-and-fine schedule amendment capping tree-in-lieu payments (motion by Alderman Martinez, second by Alderman Donworth), both by roll call.

Why it matters: The UDO governs how property can be used and developed across the city. The amendments alter permitted uses, streamline some variance and appeal paths, adjust parking/landscape triggers and add an explicit process for revoking conditional use permits, potentially speeding routine approvals for homeowners and businesses while creating clearer enforcement steps for persistent violations.

Key changes described by staff - Use categories: Several land-use classifications were refined. Green said "we reclassified" some uses—for example, what had previously been termed "animal shelter" was recast to reflect how many such operations function, "more like a doctor's office just for animals," and therefore allowed as a professional office in certain districts. The amendments also allow additional accessory features (for example, ball courts, rain barrels and greenhouses) in more locations. - New uses: The UDO now includes a defined "fleet management facility" use limited to passenger-transport businesses (for example, medical-transport providers). Green clarified this excludes freight trucking or package carriers such as UPS. - Variances and appeals: Minor accessory-structure variances (sheds, small setbacks) will now be handled by the Development Review Board instead of advancing to City Council, shortening the approval timeline for small projects. Sign variances were set to follow the standard variance process and an appeal path from the DRB to the Planning and Zoning Commission was explicitly added. - Parking and landscape triggers: The landscaping trigger for parking-lot renovation was relaxed so that legally existing lots that are replaced "as is" do not automatically have to meet new landscape requirements. Staff said this change responds to feedback from business owners and aldermen. - Transit-area parking minimums: Green said a change implements state legislation that prohibits enforcing parking minimums within a half-mile radius of the metro station by creating a "public transportation hub" treatment in the UDO. - Conditional use permit (CUP) revocation: The code now sets out a process for revoking CUPs, which staff said is intended to provide an orderly, defensible procedure "if, God forbid, we ever do have to use that tool." - Administrative clarifications and readability: The package includes reorganizing the planned-unit-development section, moving certain minimum-lot-size rules to more-visible locations, and updating 16 definitions to reduce confusion.

Fee-and-fine schedule change The committee also approved an amendment capping the tree-in-lieu fee: a maximum of $7,500 for residential projects and $15,000 for nonresidential projects. Green said the amendment does not change the structure of other permit fees and is intended to limit unexpectedly high bills when property owners cannot replace trees on-site.

Questions and concerns raised - Fleet parking scope: Alderman Florian asked whether the new "fleet management" use included truck parking. Green replied the use is limited to passenger-transport companies and does not cover freight or trucking operations. - Parking-lot landscaping: Florian noted he preferred retaining stricter landscaping requirements; staff said the change reflects widespread feedback from businesses and property owners. - Auto repair/dealer lots: Alderman Guzman raised complaints about existing auto dealers that overcrowd sites and later create nuisance conditions. Green said keeping and clarifying minimum lot-size requirements in the use table should help prevent unsuitable site matches and that enforcement will rely on code-compliance follow-up. "You wouldn't think you would need to say that, but here we are," Green said, referring to a January clarification requiring cars be parked in marked spaces. - Public trees and root damage: Guzman asked about city-owned trees damaging private sewer lines. Green said hazardous or property-damaging public trees can be removed and encouraged residents to contact the Forestry Department.

Process and next steps Green reminded the committee the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved these amendments with one small change a month earlier and said staff will bring a zoning-map update to the committee in January as part of the city's regular cycle of amendments. Green offered printed copies and noted staff are available for follow-up.

Outcome The UDO amendment ordinance passed on a 3-0 roll call (Alderman Donworth, Alderman Martinez, Chairman Felix). The companion fee-and-fine schedule amendment that caps tree-in-lieu fees also passed 3-0.

Sources: Presentation and discussion at the Committee Development Committee meeting, Sept. 2; testimony by Sam Green, planner, Planning and Zoning Department.