Westmont adopts comprehensive zoning rewrite, updates municipal code

The Village of Westmont approved a comprehensive rewrite of its zoning ordinance and companion municipal code text amendments during its Aug. 7 village board meeting, formalizing a modernization effort that began more than two years ago. The ordinance repeals the zoning appendix and establishes a new Chapter 95 with updated districts, development standards and planning processes. The board voted unanimously to adopt the changes. The zoning rewrite grew from a planning process that included a consultant, multiple staff planners and the village's Planning and Zoning Commission. Director Henerbein told the board the project began more than two years ago, involved a consultant (Duncan Associates) and extensive staff and commissioner time. He thanked senior planner Scott Williams, planner Adam Walsh and P&Z volunteers for the work. Mayor Niro and multiple trustees praised the update as a long-awaited modernization. Trustee Scales and others said the new code should reduce regulatory uncertainty and better guide future development. The document before the board reorganizes the ordinance by moving zoning from an appendix to a standalone chapter, revises zoning districts and development standards, and updates references across the municipal code. Director Henerbein said the rewrite included extensive public outreach: multiple public hearings (the record shows five public hearings and many staff hours) and other notices. Board members noted the length and complexity of the record: several trustees referenced hundreds of pages of materials and many hours of review. The board approved the ordinance by motion (mover: Trustee Little; seconder: Trustee Scales). Roll call votes recorded yes from Trustees Little, Scales, Barker, Guzzo, Crowley and Plowman; the motion passed. The ordinance package also included municipal-code amendments to reconcile cross-references and a minor amendment to heritage tree calculations that staff circulated to trustees before the meeting. No immediate implementation schedule or fiscal impacts were specified at the meeting; staff indicated the amendment is intended to reduce barriers to appropriate residential and commercial development and to update references throughout the village code. The vote concludes the multi-year drafting and review process; staff said they will follow up on implementation steps and any administrative changes needed to apply the new code in permits and reviews.