Carol Stream is known as a regional industrial center that is also a tight-knit community of residents. The population of the Village has tripled since 1980, during which time the community has experienced demographic and economic changes. The Village seeks to provide a high quality of life, sustain steady local revenue and public service, and attract and retain local businesses and residents. To implement the Village’s recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, the community is working to enhance its commercial corridors, industrial areas, residential neighborhoods, and transportation networks.
With help from CMAP's Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, the Village of Carol Stream and local stakeholders have embarked on a community-based process to update and modernize the Village's zoning, subdivision, and sign ordinances to create a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The UDO will help the Village align its development regulations, land use practices, and vision for the community with its adopted Comprehensive Plan. Specific topics to be addressed through this project include land use; off-street parking; landscaping; sign requirements; subdivision standards; and updates to the zoning districts and bulk regulations. This project is being led by Houseal Lavigne Associates who received the project from CMAP’s LTA program through a competitive request for proposals process in 2019.
The planning process to revise the ordinances includes three main phases. The first phase consists of a detailed review of existing conditions, stakeholder interviews, and identifying the major issues with the ordinances. The second phase consists of drafting the standards for each section of the UDO, including zoning districts, subdivision regulations, and application procedures. During the third and final phase of the project, the UDO will be presented for public review and Village Board approval.