§ 6-11-1-10. PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS.

In the downtown, planned developments are an allowed special use in the D1, D2, D3 and D4 districts. In addition to the general requirements for planned developments set forth in Section 6-3-6, "Planned Developments," the Plan Commission shall not recommend approval of, nor shall the City Council adopt a planned development in the downtown districts unless they shall determine, based on written findings of fact, that the planned development adheres to the following standards:

(A)

General Conditions:

1.

Each planned development shall be compatible with surrounding development and not be of such a nature in height, bulk, or scale as to exercise any influence contrary to the purpose and intent of the Zoning Ordinance as set forth in Section 6-1-2, "Purpose and Intent."

If the proposed planned development is for a property listed as an Evanston landmark, or for property located within an historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places or for property located within an historic district so designated by the Evanston Preservation Commission, the planned development shall be compatible with the "Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation" as set forth in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.

2.

Each planned development shall enhance the identity and character of the downtown, by preserving where possible character-giving buildings, enhancing existing streetscape amenities, maintaining retail continuity in areas where it is prominent, strengthening pedestrian orientation and scale and contributing to the mixed use vitality of the area.

3.

Each planned development shall be compatible with and implement the adopted Comprehensive General Plan, as amended, the Plan for Downtown Evanston, any adopted land use or urban design plan specific to the area, this Zoning Ordinance, and any other pertinent City planning and development policies, particularly in terms of:

(a)

Land use.

(b)

Land use intensity.

(c)

Housing.

(d)

Preservation.

(e)

Environmental.

(f)

Urban design.

(g)

Traffic impact and parking.

(h)

Impact on schools, public services and facilities.

(i)

Essential character of the downtown district, the surrounding residential neighborhoods, and abutting residential lots.

(j)

Neighborhood planning.

(k)

Conservation of the taxable value of land and buildings throughout the City, and retention of taxable land on tax rolls.

4.

Each planned development shall be completed within two (2) years of the issuance of the special use permit for the planned development. If extensive or staged development is approved as part of the planned development, however, the two (2) year requirement may be extended to provide for a more reasonable time schedule. The expanded time schedule shall be adopted as part of the planned development and so noted on the special use permit for a planned development.

No special use permit for a planned development shall be valid for a period longer than one (1) year unless a building permit is issued and construction is actually begun within that period and is diligently pursued to completion. The City Council may, however, for good cause shown, extend the one (1) year period for such time as it shall determine, without further hearing before the Plan Commission. The City Council may, at its sole discretion, place conditions on the extension in order to assure that the planned development is diligently pursued to its completion.

5.

All landscaping treatment within the planned development shall be provided in accordance with the requirements set forth in Chapter 17, "Landscaping and Screening," and shown on the required landscape plan that shall be submitted as part of the planned development application.

(B)

Site Controls and Standards: The following site controls and standards are established to provide a regulatory framework that will promote excellence in site design. Their establishment is not intended to restrict or inhibit the Design and Project Review Committee or the applicant from applying other site design principles and standards that may be applicable to the planned development being proposed and that may be found in or interpolated from the Plan for Downtown Evanston, and the City's Manual of Design Guidelines or in common use by design professionals.

1.

Walkways developed for a planned development shall form a logical, safe and convenient system for pedestrian access to all project facilities and off-site destinations likely to attract substantial pedestrian traffic. Pedestrian ways shall not be used by other automotive traffic.

2.

The location, construction and operation of parking, loading areas, and service areas, shall be designed to avoid adverse effects on residential uses within or adjoining the development and, where possible, provide additional parking beyond that required for the planned development to service the downtown district in which it is located.

3.

Principal vehicular access points shall be designed to permit smooth traffic flow with controlled turning movements and minimum hazards to vehicular or pedestrian traffic. If the planned development employs local streets within the development, said streets shall not be connected to streets outside the development in such a way as to encourage their use by through traffic.

4.

The planned development shall provide, if possible, for underground installation of utilities (including electricity and telephone) both in public ways and private extensions thereof. Provisions shall be made for acceptable design and construction of storm water facilities including grading, gutter, piping, treatment of turf, and maintenance of facilities.

5.

For every planned development there shall be provided a market feasibility statement that shall indicate the consumer market areas for all uses proposed in the development, the population potential of the area or areas to be served by the uses proposed and other pertinent information concerning the need or demand for such uses of land.

6.

For every planned development there shall be provided a traffic circulation impact study which shall show the effect of all proposed uses upon adjacent and nearby roads and highways. The study shall also show the amount and direction of anticipated traffic flow and clearly describe what road and traffic control improvements might become necessary as a result of the construction of the proposed development.

7.

The Zoning Administrator may, at his discretion, require of the applicant additional studies or impact analyses when he determines that a reasonable need for such investigation is indicated.

(C)

Development Allowances: As provided in Section 6-3-6, "Planned Developments," of this Title the Plan Commission may recommend approval of, and the City Council may grant, site development allowances for planned developments. Said allowances shall be limited as follows:

1.

The maximum height increase over that otherwise permitted in the downtown districts shall be as follows:

(a) D1	Twenty-four (24) feet.
(b) D2	Forty-three (43) feet.
(c) D3	Eighty-five (85) feet. (For lots that exceed ninety-five (95) feet in width a tower or towers may be erected to a height of two hundred twenty (220) feet, provided that the tower or towers above a height of 42 feet shall be set back not less than thirty (30) feet from any front lot line or side lot line abutting a street and twenty-five (25) feet from an interior side lot line. Further, no tower shall be located less than fifty (50) feet from any other tower located on the same lot.)
(d) D4	Forty (40) feet.

 

The height of any story of a building approved as a planned development pursuant to Section 6-3-6 of this Title may be excluded from the calculation of building height when seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the gross floor area of such story consists of parking required for the building, excluding mechanical penthouse, however, in no case shall this exclusion be greater than four (4) stories or forty (40) feet, whichever is less.

2.

The maximum increase in floor area ratio over that otherwise permitted in the D2, D3 or D4 district shall be as follows:

(a) D2	1.25.
(b) D3	3.5.
(c) D4	0.5 (0.6 when incorporating residential dwelling units).

 

(D)

Mandatory Planned Development Minimum Thresholds: Any development the land use of which is listed among the permitted uses or special uses for the zoning district in which the subject property is located meeting any one (1) of the following characteristics may only be authorized as a planned development in accordance with Section 6-3-6 of this Title. For purposes of this Subsection, "new construction" is defined as construction that results in the zoning lot being improved with substantially new structures, and/or construction conforming to the definition of a "substantial rehabilitation and substantial additions" in Section 6-18-3 of this Title.

1.

The area of the zoning lot to be improved with new construction is in excess of thirty thousand (30,000) square feet.

2.

The development provides for the construction of more than twenty-four (24) new residential units.

3.

The development plan for which application for a building permit is made contains more than twenty-four (24) units of any one (1) type or in any combination of any commercial, business, retail or office uses.

4.

The development plan for which application for a building permit is made contains more than twenty-four (24) units of any one (1) type or in any combination of any residential, commercial, business, retail, or office uses.

5.

The development plan for which application for a building permit is made provides for the new construction of more than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of gross floor area under one (1) roof for any commercial, business, retail or office use. For purposes of this Subsection, gross floor area excludes the area of any floors or portion of floors the volume of which is below the established grade but shall include all accessory areas, areas devoted to parking or loading, elevator shafts, stairwells, space used solely for heating, cooling, mechanical, electrical and mechanical penthouses, refuse rooms and uses accessory to the building, notwithstanding floor areas excluded from the calculation of gross floor area by Section 6-18-3 of this Title.

(Ord. No. 43-O-93; Ord. 59-O-04; Ord. No. 121-O-15 , § 2, 10-26-2015; Ord. No. 66-O-15 , § 19, 6-22-2015)