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Staff previews zoning‑code rewrite; commissioners debate consolidating residential districts and industrial categories
Summary
Planning staff presented a proposed consolidation of zoning districts and an updated land‑use table. Commissioners discussed combining E1/E2/E3 into a single E district, preserving F for farming, grandfathering existing livestock uses, translating OR uses into M categories, and adopting NAICS codes and EV charging language; no zoning action was taken.
Planning staff opened a nonbinding review of a proposed zoning‑code rewrite that would reduce the number of zoning districts and update the land‑use table to modernize definitions and permitted uses.
Staff framed the change as a text amendment: update zoning district names and permitted/special uses, then proceed parcel‑by‑parcel to apply the new classifications. Staff said the comprehensive plan update is separate and likely to proceed piecemeal due to cost constraints.
Key proposals and discussion points included consolidating E1/E2/E3 into a single E district intended for unsubdivided large lots, keeping F for farming uses, and clarifying that existing farming or livestock uses would be legal nonconforming so long as the use is maintained (staff cited a typical six‑month lapse rule if a use ceases). Commissioners debated whether animals such as horses, chickens or pigs should be allowed under E and discussed carving specific allowances into the code or handling some activities by special use.
Commissioners also questioned the usefulness of the OR (office/research) district and considered translating many OR uses into M1/M2 manufacturing categories; staff suggested using NAICS classifications for clarity. The group discussed definitions for low‑intensity (M1) and heavy (M2) manufacturing, and staff described M2 as a special‑use zone to manage potential neighborhood impacts. Illinois environmental limits on noise at property lines were noted as a constraint on industrial uses.
On land‑use specifics, commissioners proposed updating 'gas station' language to 'passenger automobile fueling facility' to better include EV fast charging, and recommended retaining a general 'parking facility' use to allow decks and other structures. The commission also discussed separating or combining schools, trade schools and research facilities into 'educational/research' classifications, and raised possible extra restrictions for video gaming cafés (state limits on the number of machines were cited).
No formal zoning code changes were adopted at this meeting; staff asked commissioners to provide written comments before the next meeting so the draft could be refined and definitions added.
Representative quote: the staff member summarized nonconforming use policy as: "As long as you maintain that use, you can continue it," and clarified, "If I stop for 6 months ... then the new zoning code kicks in."
