Wheaton approves Roosevelt Road Corridor zoning district and map amendment after public comment

The Wheaton City Council on Feb. 3 approved an ordinance to create the Roosevelt Road Corridor District and adopted a companion zoning map amendment to rezone properties along Roosevelt Road into that district.

City Attorney Didier said the ordinance had been through prior review, including a Planning and Zoning Board recommendation, and that staff addressed questions from council in a memo included in the packet. "This ordinance was also before the council for first reading on January 21. It amends the zoning ordinance to create the Roosevelt Road Corridor District. As stated at the January 21 meeting, council's prior discussion was on September 16, where the council received the Planning and Zoning Board's Report recommending the amendment," Didier said.

During public comment, property owner Jack Vandiver described owning a building at 402 East Roosevelt Road and told the council the market for commercial tenants had declined: "I need to get this building either rented up or sold," Vandiver said, adding he and his wife moved to Wheaton for graduate studies and that he has coached local high school teams for decades. Van Bruce spoke in support of the ordinance.

After the public comment period and brief council remarks thanking staff and property owners for their engagement, the council approved both the ordinance and the map amendment on unanimous roll calls.

The transcript and packet note prior review by the Planning and Zoning Board and that staff will send an informational flyer to affected property owners along Roosevelt Road, but the transcript does not specify the text of the zoning changes or the number of properties affected.