DuPage committee approves public hearing to create R‑3A and R‑4A zoning districts to enable two‑unit homes on county land

The DuPage County Development Committee voted to send proposed text amendments establishing two new residential zoning districts, R‑3A and R‑4A, to the DuPage County Zoning Board of Appeals for public hearing, with the aim of allowing up to two dwelling units on qualifying lots and easing the entitlement process on county‑owned parcels.

The vote begins a public process: the zoning board will hold hearings and any recommendation will return to the committee and the full county board for final approval. Paul, a county staff member, told the committee the amendments would not rezone private properties automatically; rather the county would create the placeholder districts and later seek rezoning for specific county‑owned parcels as part of a housing program that could include land banking and housing trusts.

Why it matters: Committee members said the change is intended to scale up housing supply on county‑owned, often blighted parcels, and to shorten entitlement steps for developers on those county parcels. Several members and residents voiced concern about fairness and potential impacts on adjacent private properties.

Details of the proposal and committee discussion

Paul said the text amendments would create R‑3A and R‑4A with land‑use and bulk regulations similar to existing R‑3 and R‑4 districts but allowing two attached or detached dwelling units instead of only one. He described proposed minimum lot sizes as smaller than the current districts: R‑3A would allow a minimum lot size of about 10,000 square feet (where R‑3 on sewer/water is 15,000), and R‑4A about 8,000 square feet (where R‑4 on sewer/water is 10,000). Paul said the proposal would raise allowable floor‑area ratio (FAR) from about 0.3 (R‑3) and 0.35 (R‑4) to 0.5 in the new districts to permit larger building area relative to lot size.

Paul said the county would not automatically rezone any properties; when the county identifies county‑owned parcels for the housing program it would pursue rezoning through public hearings and the established entitlement process. Property owners within 300 feet would receive notice and could participate in hearings, Paul said.

Some committee members and residents questioned whether the county would be treated preferentially and whether neighbors could challenge spot rezoning. A resident identified as Sam said, “I want what I’ve always had next to me,” reflecting concerns about property rights and perceived inequity when county‑owned parcels could be rezoned in ways private landowners could not immediately use.

Paul and other staff emphasized that county‑owned parcels targeted for this effort are often abandoned or dilapidated and that the county’s stated intention is to clean and reinvest in neighborhoods through housing development on those parcels.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to send text amendments (25‑0916 T‑2‑25) to public hearing before the DuPage County Zoning Board of Appeals (create R‑3A and R‑4A): motion carried (voice vote recorded as “Aye”; no roll‑call tally provided). Note: the motion advances the proposed text amendments to public hearing only; final rezoning would require separate proceedings and public notice.

- Motion to deny a zoning variation to allow one horse on a parcel smaller than 40,000 square feet (BCO 15‑25 zoning 25‑1): motion to overturn the zoning hearing officer’s recommendation failed on roll call; named members recorded as voting “No.”

- Motion to deny a request to allow a gravel driveway in lieu of required hard surface (DCO 16‑25 7253): motion failed on roll call; named members recorded as voting “No.”

- Motion to receive and place on file an update to the administrator adjudication hearing program fees and fines collections procedures: received/placed on file (information item; staff explained collection contract and fee arrangements).

- Motions to approve fireworks permits (Medina County/Columbus July 4 and Naperville Country Club June 29): both motions carried (voice votes recorded as “Aye”; no roll‑call tallies provided).

Clarifying details from the meeting

- County staff described outstanding adjudication fines and liens “between a million and a million and a half dollars” and said the county has contracted with outside attorneys to pursue collections; the firm’s collection fee was described as 30 percent, to be paid by debtors, not the county.

- Proposed lot‑size changes: R‑3 (current minimum on sewer/water) ~15,000 sq ft; proposed R‑3A minimum ~10,000 sq ft. R‑4 (current) ~10,000 sq ft; proposed R‑4A minimum ~8,000 sq ft. Proposed FAR increase from ~0.3–0.35 to 0.5 for the new districts, according to staff statements.

- The committee emphasized the amendments would initially serve county‑owned parcels; private owners could later apply for rezoning to R‑3A/R‑4A through normal public hearings.

What happens next

The committee’s vote sends the text amendments to the DuPage County Zoning Board of Appeals for public hearings. Any recommendation from the zoning board would return to the committee and ultimately to the DuPage County Board for consideration before any properties are rezoned. Staff said an interactive map of county‑owned parcels, indicating department ownership and developability constraints (floodplain, wetlands, special management areas), will be shared with committee members in the coming days.