Planning board sends zoning text amendments on above-ground dwellings and commercial districts to council

The City of Kankakee Planning Board voted to recommend City Council approve a set of text amendments to Chapter 8 (commercial zoning districts) and Appendix A (planned and conditional uses) of the Kankakee Zoning Ordinance to harmonize rules for above-ground residential units in commercial districts.

Planning staff explained the amendments arose after inconsistencies surfaced in prior reviews of projects including a recent above-ground dwelling at 909 North Fifth Avenue and a downtown project. The proposed edits add parallel conditional-use language for the C2 (service commercial) district to match C1 and C3, clarify that above-ground dwellings are accessory residential units subject to conditional use review, and correct a typographical size limit (an 800-square-foot reference staff said will be edited before council) in the C3 regulations.

Commissioners and staff also discussed parking language. New text clarifies that when an above-ground dwelling is required to provide an exclusive parking space, that space must be assigned or signed for the dwelling’s exclusive use; downtown parking-district rules in Chapter 10 will continue to apply where the property lies in the downtown parking district (commercial nonresidential uses historically have lower minimums in that district). The board discussed whether to allow more flexibility in required on-site spaces for downtown properties given existing public parking maps.

Action: Commissioner Chip Warm moved to recommend the text amendments to City Council with the discussed edits; Deb Terrell seconded and the motion passed on roll call. Staff said it will make a small edit to remove a mistaken 800-square-foot figure before forwarding the draft to council.

Next steps: The planning board’s recommendation will be placed on the Nov. 3 City Council agenda for final action.