UPDATE: South Elgin's final draft Unified Development Ordinance was approved by Village Board on October 1, 2018!
The Village of South Elgin, located approximately 40 miles northwest of Chicago, is known for its rich history, natural beauty, economic opportunity, and strong sense of community. The Village of South Elgin is committed to the community's vision developed in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and has taken steps towards implementation by adopting the Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Plan in June 2014 which, in addition to proposing a connected bikeway network and improvements to pedestrian facilities and infrastructure, also supports development regulations that help create a more walkable and bikeable community. To advance the vision and recommendations of these plans, the Village prioritized the creation of a Unified Development Ordinance.
With help from CMAP's Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, the Village of South Elgin and community stakeholders embarked on an interactive, community-based process focused on updating and modernizing the Village's Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances to create a Unified Development Ordinance. The planning process aligned the Village's development regulations, land use practices, and vision for the community with its adopted Comprehensive Plan. Specific topics addressed include land uses; off-street parking; parking lot design; landscaping and buffering; signage requirements; floodplain development; subdivision standards; and updates to the zoning districts, bulk regulations, and other development standards.
The planning process to revise the ordinances included four main phases. The first phase consisted of a detailed existing conditions review and built upon information compiled during the comprehensive planning process. Phase two focused on creating and vetting initial recommendations based on findings from the existing conditions analysis, stakeholder interviews, an online community survey, and public workshops. The third phase created a Unified Development Ordinance that streamlines and integrates the content of the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances in one user-friendly document. During the fourth and final phase, the UDO document was presented for public review, Planning and Zoning Commission recommendations, and Village Board approval.