Public Notices & Hearings

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Wheaton City Hall, 303 West Wesley Street, Wheaton, Illinois, to consider the following zoning application: Zoning Application #18-19. An amendment to the text of the Wheaton Zoning Ordinance, Article 2 - Definitions, Article 3 - Zoning Districts and General Regulations and Article 23 - Signs. The proposed text amendment will consider adding the following definition to Article 2 - Definitions: “Linear Lighting: All types of illumination, static or flashing, internal or external, fully or partially outlining architectural features such as doors, windows, walls, wall edges or other structural/building elements and which may attract attention or be used as a means of identification or marketing, not including holiday decorations. All holiday decorations shall comply with the City adopted National Electric Code. Linear lighting shall not be used as security lighting or ingress/egress lighting.” The proposed text amendment will further consider adding the following language to Article 3 - Zoning Districts and General Regulations: “3.4E. Obsolete Special Use and Planned Unit Development Ordinance Requirements: Properties developed under zoning ordinances of general application but which required special use permits or a planned unit development approval by zoning district, shall no longer be subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the specific special use ordinances or PUD ordinances approving those developments, where subsequent zoning amendments of general application have repealed the requirement of a special use permit or planned unit development in that zoning district. Properties developed in conformance with specific special use and planned unit development requirements which are no longer applicable in the zoning district generally because the requirements have been repealed zoning district wide shall only have to comply with the current zoning standards of those districts irrespective of their specific development ordinances unless, as determined by the City Planner, some specific condition of the original development ordinance’s special use permit or planned unit development remains necessary in order to protect the public health, safety and welfare in areas of: traffic safety, utility provision and maintenance, or storm water protection. In the latter instance, the City staff shall work with a developer to attempt to agree on how accommodate the public health, safety and welfare concerns. If agreement cannot be reached the matter may be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council for consideration to amend the original development ordinance for the property in conformance with the Zoning Code.” The proposed text amendment will further consider deleting Article 23.4.1 - Prohibited Signs in its entirety and replacing it with the following language:  “1. Attention-Getting Devices. No attention getting device, including but not limited to pennants, streamers, festooned lights, linear lighting, whirligigs, nor any sign which is designed to be moved by the wind, shall be permitted, except as provided in this Article.” The proposed text amendment will further consider deleting Article 23.7.1f - Electronic Message Board Signs in its entirety and replacing it with the following language: “f. Electronic Message Board Signs. The following standards shall apply to all Electronic Message Board signs: (1) Electronic Message Board Signs shall be located only along the following rights-of-way: Butterfield Road, east of West Loop Road and west of Leask Lane; Butterfield Road, west of Wiesbrook Road; Geneva Road east of West Street and west of Hallmark Court; Geneva Road east of Gary Avenue and west of Farwell Street; Main Street, north of Wakeman Avenue and south of Cole Street; Naperville Road, north of Butterfield Road and south of Blanchard Street; Roosevelt Road east of Chase Street; Roosevelt Road, east of Shaffner Road and west of Fapp Circle. (2) Electronic Message Board Signs shall be allowed only for non-office commercial, government, school, park or church uses; and (3) The sign area of an Electronic Message Board Sign must be included as part of the total square footage of a permitted ground sign, and shall not exceed 50 percent of the total square footage of a permitted ground sign; and (4) Electronic Message Board messages shall be constant and not variable, with the message changes limited to no less than every 4 seconds; and (5) When an Electronic Message Board message changes, the prior message shall disappear simultaneously with the appearance of the new message; and (6) Electronic Message Board Signs shall not cause illumination in excess of 0.05 foot candles at any property line in or adjoining a residential use; and (7) Existing non-conforming Electronic Message Board signs must be brought into conformance with standards 4, 5 and 6 of this section no later than October 18, 2005; and (8) Electronic Message Board Signs existing prior to October 18, 2005 and not in conformance with standards 1, 2, and 3 of this section shall not be subject to Article 23.5.4 of the City of Wheaton Zoning Ordinance.” At the public hearing, anyone wishing to make a public statement will be encouraged to do so. Written comments may be submitted to the Board prior to or at the public hearing. A copy of the application is available for review in the office of the Director of Planning and Economic Development, 303 West Wesley Street, Wheaton, Illinois during normal business hours. Scott Weller, Chair Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board