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Riverwoods approves zoning text amendment and special use for Orphans of the Storm’s new shelter
Summary
The village revised its R-1 zoning language to define 'animal shelter,' approved a special-use permit and development plan for Orphans of the Storm, and attached conditions including an operational limit of 240 animals and construction timelines.
The Village of Riverwoods Board of Trustees approved changes to the village zoning code and granted a special use permit and development-plan approval that will allow Orphans of the Storm to construct a new animal shelter on its property.
The board first approved an ordinance amending the zoning ordinance to replace an older, broad definition of an “animal shelter” with a text amendment tied to a new review procedure (referencing section 9-11-16). Trustees waived the first reading and then adopted the ordinance on second reading; the board recorded the ordinance number on the record as 2 5 10 11.
The board then considered and approved an ordinance granting the special use and approving the development plan for Orphans of the Storm, following a unanimous recommendation from the Plan Commission. The special-use ordinance lists submittals adopted as conditions (site plans, elevations, civil engineering drawings and an operational narrative) and includes a series of limitations and requirements the applicant must meet.
Key conditions and clarifications - Capacity limit: the board inserted an exterior cap of 240 animals in any combination of dogs and cats as an operational limit; the applicant explained that the project was designed around kennels and cat “condos” and that ordinary practice is one animal per kennel/condo, with limited co-housing in special circumstances. - Operating standards: the shelter will be operated in compliance with applicable Illinois Department of Agriculture rules and the petitioner’s operational statement (included in ordinance exhibits). - Easement and future infrastructure: the property contains a seven-foot bicycle-path easement the village and petitioner will update; the ordinance contemplates a 30-foot corridor north of the Riverwoods Road right-of-way for potential future utility work and says the village would be responsible for relocating the berm and noise wall if county road work requires it. - Timing: construction must begin within one year of approval and the project must be completed within two years after issuance of the building permit.
What trustees and the applicant said - Attorney Hovard explained the text amendment replaces a 1980s-era definition that could have allowed animal shelters across R-1 neighborhoods and described the targeted language now under section 9-11-16. - Michelle Shields, president of Orphans of the Storm, told the board the facility design follows best practices reviewed by veterinary consultants and that the 240-animal cap represents a high-end contingency (co-housing and temporary intake during emergencies); she said normal day-to-day populations would be lower and would be housed to minimize stress and noise.
Votes and next steps - The board waived first reading and adopted the zoning-text amendment ordinance (ordinance recorded on the record as 2 5 10 11). - The board waived first reading and adopted the special-use and development-plan ordinance for Orphans of the Storm (ordinance recorded on the record as 20 5, 10, 12). - Staff will file the ordinances and the exhibits and monitor the developer’s compliance with the development timetable and conditions.
Ending: Trustees said they appreciated Orphans of the Storm’s work and the Plan Commission’s unanimous recommendation; the board’s record includes the Plan Commission minutes and exhibits as part of the ordinance record.
