Itasca trustees direct staff to draft zoning changes to allow limited permeable-paver lot coverage

Trustees directed staff to prepare an update to the Itasca zoning code to allow additional lot coverage for permeable pavers in residential districts, with engineering review and a requirement that projects provide more stormwater storage than county minimums.

The change is meant to create a clear, consistent policy for property owners who seek additional usable surface area while managing stormwater on site.

Trustee Gavanas introduced the proposal and asked staff for background: the motion would "move to direct staff to prepare an update to the Itasca zoning code to allow a petitioner to request up to 5% of additional lot coverage in the form of permeable or pervious surfaces in the residential areas when 1.25 times stormwater BMP detention is provided," he said, summarizing the memo. Curtis, Community Development staff, said the recommendation was modeled on Elmhurst's approach but reduced: "We—re basically cutting that in half. We're saying up to 5% of additional coverage if it's permeable, and you gotta do 1.25 times the recommended BMPs according to DuPage County stormwater standards." He added that permeable surfaces were not previously defined in Itasca's code and that some recent variance requests prompted the proposal.

Carrie Ann, Village Administrator, and staff said the draft change would require engineering review to ensure the permeable materials are installed in ways that provide the promised stormwater benefit and to avoid creating future problems if a surface becomes effectively impermeable over time. "One of the things that we wanted to be sure of is that we weren't creating a situation where it was, administratively burdensome or that if for whatever reason that surface became not permeable at a future time, that it was in any way a deterrent or...would cause a stormwater problem," Carrie Ann said. Staff recommended plan-commission review and public notice prior to any ordinance change.

Trustees asked about maintenance responsibilities and enforcement; staff said permit checkpoints and future permit reviews would be the primary enforcement points and that the proposed 1.25-times BMP would provide a margin of safety if a surface later lost permeability. Trustee Powers and others expressed support for a clear standard to reduce ad-hoc variance requests.

The board voted to direct staff to prepare the zoning amendment for plan-commission review; staff will return a formal ordinance and recommendation following the public review and planning commission process. The proposal as presented would allow a property owner in a residential district to seek a 5% increase in lot coverage credited for permeable paving provided the project supplies 1.25 times the stormwater storage required by DuPage County standards and passes village engineering review.