Managing the inevitable change

Coalition members look at teardowns, redevelopment
As published in the Downers Grove Reporter, February 3, 2006

(Editor's note: The following guest essay was written by Downers Grove residents Charley Smart and Gordon Goodman and submitted on behalf of their community group, the Downers Grove Coalition for Managed Redevelopment.)

Change is inevitable, particularly when looking at lifestyles, real estate trends and housing markets. Whether the change leaves us with a community in which we are happy living is up to us.

In Downers Grove, our zoning ordinances, and their enforcement, control how we redevelop homes and properties. The recent 2005 Citizen's Survey shows clearly that teardowns and redevelopments are the greatest concern over all other issues facing our community.

A modest single-family home built decades ago is Downers Grove looks much smaller as a new home takes shape next door, in this photo supplied by the Coalition for Managed Redevelopment. Residential teardown is taking place in nearly all sections of the village.

The village of Downers Grove is now considering revisions to zoning ordinances to address many of the issues and concerns brought about by the trend toward teardowns and redevelopment. Understanding these seemingly technical ordinances, and translating them into what gets built next door or down the street, is not as mysterious as it might seem. This article, along with other resources, can prepare you to take an active role in determining the future of our neighborhoods and have a direct and positive effect on the evolution of our village.

In the end, zoning ordinances reflect the attitudes of those who enact them and of the community at large.

For example, what if you look out your window one day to see the house next door being pulled down and replaced by a brick behemoth that blocks daylight from your cheery kitchen? Or what if you walk down one of our village's quaint shaded streets only to realize that many stately trees have been cut down to make room for oversized houses that completely change the character of the neighborhood?

The village can affect these outcomes through a zoning ordinance. An ordinance that manages these issues includes effective setback requirements, lot coverage and height limits, as well as tree protection and architectural design standards. Some communities protect the character of certain designated neighborhoods through additional rules that apply only in those areas, termed "overlay districts."

Citizen concerns about current redevelopment
  • Destruction of trees and plants
  • Change of neighborhood character
  • New buildings out of scale and incompatible with adjacent homes
  • Intrusion on light and air
  • Loss of a feeling of open space
  • Destruction of historically and architecturally significant structures
  • Privacy intrusion
  • Stormwater and grading impacts
  • Loss of affordable housing and diversity
  • Waste of materials and energy
  • Construction vehicle noise and traffic obstruction
  • Poor construction site management

The village staff has made recommendations that are now under consideration by the Downers Grove Plan Commission. The Downers Grove Coalition for Managed Redevelopment has provided the analysis below to help explain the significance of the recommendations.

The Plan Commission has scheduled a public hearing about these proposals for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, in the Village Hall. Your voice can make a difference at this hearing; show your concern about your home, your neighborhood and your community. Plan to be there!

The mission of the Downers Grove Coalition for Managed Redevelopment is dedicated to establish a common voice for Downers Grove residents, architects, real estate agents, builders and others to bring about quality redevelopment that preserves neighborhood character and promotes growth in our community. To find out more, visit www.DGCMR.org.

How proposals can be changed for the better

The following analysis focuses on current major concerns about residential redevelopment and how the village staff addresses them. Details of the planning staff's proposals, as provided in their report dated Sept. 12, 2005, are available at the Downers Grove Public Library and from the village's Web site, www.Downers.us.

Oversized houses
Large, new houses often seem out of proportion to their lots and their surroundings. The planning staff proposes to address these concerns primarily with three types of zoning changes:

* Establish a maximum percentage for lot coverage to limit the "footprint" size of any house.

a. Thirty-two percent of the total lot for all residential lots.

b. Allow a 500-square-foot bonus for a rear-loading or detached garage, on lots 60 feet wide or less.

DGCMR supports these proposed changes, but suggests that the maximum lot coverage for buildings on residential lots be reduced to 25 percent. We also recommend limiting the total impervious surface coverage to a maximum of 40 percent.

* Lower maximum allowed height for residential buildings and simplify its measurement.

a. Thirty-five feet to the peak of the roof in zoning districts with larger lots.

b. Thirty-three feet to the peak of the roof in zoning districts with smaller lots.

DGCMR supports these proposed changes, but suggests that distinctive architectural features such as turrets, cupolas, widow walks, etc., that together constitute not more than 10 percent of the footprint of the house, be allowed to exceed the peak of the roof by up to 10 feet. We also suggest that the baseline elevation, from which building height is measured, be explicitly defined as the average of the natural or pre-construction elevations at the front-to-back midpoints of each side of the house footprint.

* Increase setback requirements for the distance between a house and its lot lines.

DGCMR supports the proposed changes, but suggests that a 5-foot setback be permitted on one side of a lot 60 feet wide or less, to accommodate a driveway on the opposite side that leads to a rear-loading or detached garage.

Preservation of character
Although making no specific recommendations at this time, the planning staff has identified for further study three promising approaches to these concerns: a Neighborhood Conservation District, established and average front yard setbacks, and a Historic Preservation Overlay District.

DGCMR strongly encourages investigation of these approaches for various neighborhoods in Downers Grove.

Protection of mature trees
Recommendations made last year by the village forester for better protection of trees on village property have now been adopted.

However, the Village Council has deferred indefinitely its consideration of the forester's recommendations for the protection of trees on private property during construction.

DGCMR strongly encourages the Village Council to adopt the village forester's recommendations for protection of mature trees on private property during construction activities.

In summary, the coalition supports village staff's recommendations, with those suggestions outlined above. Implementation of these recommendations will provide a good start in addressing the community's redevelopment concerns as expressed in the village-sponsored community dialogues, and in forums sponsored by the Downers Grove Watch, Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance and DGCMR. However, to fully address these concerns, additional actions will be required.