(Entire Section Amended by Ord. 4137, 5/15/06)
A.
Purpose and Vision.
The mayor and the Village Board envision the Village Center District to be the Downtown and Civic Core of Orland Park. From the Main Street Triangle area around the 142nd Street train station to the Village Center Complex along Ravinia Avenue, this unique district offers great potential to create mixed use walkable neighborhoods in the heart of the Village. To ensure that the district will create a unique pedestrian scale and civic character, the Village offers the following vision for the area:
The VCD District will offer a diverse mix of uses along intimate pedestrian scaled streets and buildings within compact, walkable blocks. Small-scale commercial uses will serve the district, and more residents will be attracted to live within walking distance of the 142nd Street train station. A fine grid of streets will connect the Village Center, the Downtown area around the train station, the Orland Crossing area, the Public Library, McGinnis Slough, Humphrey Woods, and the Old Orland Historic District. New development on infill or vacant sites will strengthen the intimate character of the area, and civic buildings and open spaces will continue to be key focal points in the district.
Civic uses like the Metra Station, Library and Village Hall are the focal points of the Village Center District.
Map 1: Village Center District (VCD) Map Boundary
B.
Development Principles.
Land Development Codes for the Village Center District are based on the following principles:
• Establish the Village Center District as the Downtown for the Village by enhancing the prominence and setting of civic structures and public open spaces;
• Continue the tradition established by the Village Center Complex by encouraging buildings with strong architectural identities;
• Promote mixed-use buildings with ground floor retail and office or residential uses above;
• Create attractive street facades with street level uses scaled and oriented toward pedestrians;
• Create smaller walkable blocks that allow safe and attractive pedestrian connections through the district;
• Create open space amenities as focal points of developments;
• Encourage continuous building frontage along the streets to reduce the visual impacts of parking lots;
• Place parking lots at the rear of buildings away from pedestrian oriented streets;
• Encourage alternative parking options, including on-street parking, shared parking, parking below buildings, underground parking and parking structures;
• Encourage buildings to provide dual entrances, allowing patrons to enter both from the sidewalk along the street and the parking area at the rear or side of buildings;
• Promote sustainable and environmentally responsible design;
A wide variety of uses in a small scale setting is one of the major assets of the Village Center District.
C. Uses.
1. Introduction.
Uses as outlined in Table 6-212.C.1 of this section may be established in the Village Center District, in accordance with the procedures established in Section 5-101 through Section 5-104 for permitted uses and Section 5-105 for special uses in the Land Development Code. Unless otherwise noted in the table, the following applies:
a. A "Special Use" will be required for certain uses only if a lot line of the subject property is within 300 feet of an existing or approved single family detached residential lot line.
b. To protect the existing residential uses in the district, the following applies to the areas in orange on Map 2 (below):
1. Mixed-use and single use commercial buildings are not permitted on Ravinia Place and the east side of John Humphrey Drive (north of 142nd Street).
2. Existing multi-family residential buildings cannot be converted to mixed-use buildings, or be used for office or commercial uses.
3. Mixed-use and single use commercial/ office buildings can replace existing multi-family residential buildings via a tear-down when a parcel is redeveloped, but require a Special Use Permit.
Map 2: Single use residential areas in the district will not be allowed where single use commercial developments exist.
Lot line 300 feet or more from single family detached residential lot line | Lot line within 300 feet of single family detached residential lot line | |
Lot line 300 feet or more from single family detached residential lot line | Lot line within 300 feet of single family detached residential lot line | |
3. Residential Uses | ||
Congregate elderly housing | Special Use | Special Use |
Dwellings, detached (Ord. 4880 - 2/3/14) | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Dwellings, attached (Ord. 4880 - 2/3/14) | Special Use | Special Use |
Residential units above non-residential uses
| Permitted Use
| Permitted Use
|
4. Commercial Uses | ||
Animal services | Permitted Use | Special Use |
Parking structures— non-accessory | Special Use | Special Use |
Retail, up to 50,000 sq. ft. | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Retail, in excess of 50,000 sq. ft. (Ord. 4769, 12/3/12) | Special Use | Special Use |
Day care centers and day care homes | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Drive through facilities (7 car stacking) (Ord. 4210, 12/18/06) | Special Use | Special Use |
Dry cleaning and laundry processing stations | Permitted Use | Special Use |
Financial institutions | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Food concession associated with a primary use | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Funeral parlors | Special Use | Special Use |
Health clubs, fitness centers and indoor recreational uses, maximum of 50,000 sq. ft. per floor | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Nurseries and greenhouses | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Offices; Medical offices may require an entrance canopy | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Overnight accommodation and extended stay: under 6 units | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Overnight accommodation and extended stay: 6 or more units | Permitted Use | Special Use |
Personal service establishments | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Restaurants, outdoor seating for restaurants, and banquet halls (Ord. 5017, 8/17/15) | Permitted Use
| Special Use
|
Theatres, including live theatres and movie theatres
| Permitted Use
| Special Use
|
5. Civic and Institutional Uses | ||
Boarding schools, seminaries and convents
| Permitted Use
| Permitted Use
|
Colleges and universities
| Permitted Use
| Special Use
|
Community centers, clubs and lodges
|
Permitted Use
|
Special Use
|
Government uses, including office, recreational uses, research facilities, public parks and playgrounds
|
Permitted Use
|
Permitted Use
|
Museums, civic and cultural centers
|
Permitted Use
|
Permitted Use
|
Places of worship, which may include overnight shelter for up to 8 adults (Ord. 4738, 6/18/12) | Special Use | Special Use |
Instructional facilities for arts, athletics and vocational training | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Public and private schools (primary/ elementary, secondary/ high schools) | Special Use | Special Use |
Table 6-212.C.1: Allowable Uses in the Village Center District (continued) | ||
Lot line 300 feet or more from single family detached residential lot line | Lot line within 300 feet of single family detached residential lot line | |
Table 6-212.C.1: Allowable Uses in the Village Center District (continued) | ||
Lot line 300 feet or more from single family detached residential lot line | Lot line within 300 feet of single family detached residential lot line | |
6. Transportation and Utilities | ||
Bus stop shelters owned and maintained by the Village | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Public transportation facilities | Special Use | Special Use |
Public utility structures and utility substations | Special Use | Special Use |
Wireless communication facilities | Special Use | Special Use |
Wireless communication facility co-locations | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
7. Building Area | ||
Sites or site plans with total building area up to 50,000 sq. ft. | Permitted Use | Permitted Use |
Sites or site plans with total building area greater than 50,000 sq. ft. | Special Use | Special Use |
8. Planned Developments | ||
Site that is or is intended for two or more buildings, or one or more principal use, or one principal building for two or more principal uses (Ord. 4574, 7/6/10) | Special Use | Special Use |
(Amd. Ord. 5061 – 1/18/16; Amd. Ord. 5126 - 9/19/16; Amd. Ord. 5167 – 2/20/17; Amd. Ord. 5389 – 3/4/19)
D. Bulk Requirements.
1. Lot Coverage.
No more than seventy-five (75) percent of the area of the parcel may be covered with building, pavement and storm water storage, leaving at least twenty-five (25) percent of total parcel area in green space. (See Section 2-102 Definitions "Green Space"). Impervious coverage will be allowed up to 80% when Best Management Practices (BMP) such as porous pavements and green roofs are used. Up to 40% of the BMPs will be considered pervious, provided that the design standards outlined in the code for BMPs are met. (Ord. 4574, 7/6/10)
2. Lot Area and Lot Width.
For detached dwelling units, minimum lot area shall be 2,500 square feet, with a minimum lot width of 25 feet and a maximum lot width of 50 feet. For commercial uses, the minimum lot area shall be 10,000 square feet, with a minimum lot width of 80 feet.
3. Height.
No building may exceed 3 stories, up to a maximum height of 40 feet, with the following exceptions:
a. Building footprints within 600 feet of the 142nd Street train station may be up to 6 stories to a maximum height of 70 feet.
b. At intersections of public streets, or private streets that are designed to public street standards with sidewalks and parkways, corner buildings may be up to 4 stories tall to a maximum height of 55 feet.
c. Buildings cannot be more than two stories taller than adjacent existing single family homes.
4. Land Use Intensity.
Allowable square footage for all developments, including single use commercial and single use residential, as well as mixed-use projects, shall be measured by the Floor Area Ratio (FAR). All developments with residential uses will be regulated on the basis of FAR compliance rather than the number of residential units. The maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) will be 3.0 for developments within 1,000 feet of a mass transit facility and 1.0 for developments outside of 1,000 feet of a mass transit facility. FAR will be calculated by dividing the overall gross floor area by the gross site area. Gross floor area includes all building residential square footage. Accessory parking or transit facility parking is not included in the Gross Floor Area for FAR calculations.
5. Parking.
Large surface parking lots are not appropriate to the scale and character of this district. To promote smaller lots, shared parking, on-street parking and the shared use of public parking facilities, and mixed-use developments will be allowed to reduce the on-site parking requirements outlined in Section 6-306.B by up to 25%.
6. Setbacks.
a. Purpose of the setback requirements:
1. To create attractive and pedestrian oriented streets with buildings and landscaping along the sidewalks; and
2. To minimize the visual impacts of surface parking lots and drive-through facilities along streets by locating these to the rear (preferred) or sides of buildings. If parking lots are located in the side-yard, an enhanced landscaping buffer with pedestrian accommodation and amenities must be provided. (Ord. 4210, 12/18/06)
b. Types of setbacks required:
1. Building setbacks from streets;
2. Building setbacks from lot lines not abutting a street;
3. Parking lot setbacks from all lot lines;
c. Building setbacks from street right-of-ways:
Setbacks between the street right-of-way and the building facade facing the street shall follow the minimum requirements set in Table 6-212.D.6.c below. The setback width is related to the width and character of the street.
STREET NAME | BUILDING SETBACK FROM STREET | PURPOSE OF THE SETBACK AREA |
All streets carrying moderate to high auto traffic: La Grange Road 143rd Street John Humphrey Drive Ravinia Avenue (south of 143rd Street) 151st Street Southwest Highway | 15 feet minimum, provided that a 5 foot sidewalk and an 8 foot parkway is maintained in the right-of-way; For La Grange Road, 25 feet minimum from the future right-of-way south of 143rd Street; | For streets carrying moderate to high regional and local traffic, a setback area of 15 feet will be required. This will allow commercial buildings to maintain high visibility from the street, and also provide a significant landscaped area along the street. |
All other pedestrian oriented streets, including: 142nd Street 144th Place 147th Street 149th Place Ravinia Avenue extension (north of 143rd Street) West Avenue and Any new internal street in the district | 5-15 feet, provided that a 5 foot sidewalk and an 8 foot parkway is maintained in the right-of-way; 0 (zero) lot line buildings will be allowed without a parkway when the sidewalk is at least 10 feet wide, with room for trees in grates; | These pedestrian oriented streets shall be defined by buildings with active street fronts, multiple entrances and well articulated street facades, and by parkway trees along the sidewalk. Buildings shall be allowed to be placed at the lot line or set back up to 15 feet to strengthen the pedestrian character of the street. |
d. Building setbacks from rear and side lot lines that do not abut a street:
All buildings must maintain a minimum of 30 feet of setback area from the rear lot line and a minimum of 15 feet of setback area from the side lot lines that do not abut a street.
e. Parking lot setbacks:
A minimum landscaped setback must be provided between the parking lot and the primary street right-of-way that accommodates the required landscape bufferyard area per Section 6-305. (Ord. 4792 – 2/4/13)
E. Design Standards.
1. Permitted Uses in Building Setback Areas along Streets.
Setback areas will be primarily used for landscaping and other pedestrian oriented uses including:
a. Widened sidewalks and entrance-ways;
b. Plazas, outdoor gardens, patios and outdoor seating areas;
c. Water features, including bioswales or other stormwater management elements;
d. Public art or outdoor architectural features like clock towers, pergolas etc.
e. Pergolas and/or arbor structures;
f. Benches and complementary site furniture.
The setback area can be expanded to accommodate the above pedestrian oriented uses if needed. Architectural features that help to create a stronger pedestrian scale can extend into the minimum required setback area no closer than 5 feet from the right-of-way, including: (Ord. 4880 – 2/3/14)
g. Canopies, marquees and other projections that create shaded and protected entrances;
h. Extended roofs and eaves, and awnings and canopies over windows;
i. Projecting blade signs that comply with the Village's sign ordinance;
j. Tensile Canopies that project over outdoor congregation areas.
(Amd. Ord. 5061 – 1/18/16; Amd. Ord. 5167 – 2/20/17)
2. Uses Not Permitted in Building Setback Areas along Streets.
Parking lots or structures, drive-through facilities, loading facilities or trash enclosures are not allowed within the setback area between the building facade and the street. Drive-through facilities located in the side-yard must provide an enhanced landscaping buffer with pedestrian accommodation and amenities.
Drop-off areas or drive-aisles are prohibited in the setback between the building facade and the street. Drop-off areas or drive aisles in the setback area are strongly
discouraged and shall be allowed within the setback area with a Variance only when there are no reasonable alternatives. The following conditions shall be met if these uses are proposed in the setback area:
a. That these do not obstruct any direct connections between the sidewalk along the street and the entrances to the building; and
b. That these are designed with special paving to appear to be extensions of the sidewalk and instead of curbs, the drive-aisle is differentiated with bollards, pavers etc. (Ord. 4210 – 12/18/06)
c. The drive through should be designed as a single lane with a maximum with of 14' and a minimum turning radius of 20' from the centerline of the drive aisle.
d. Drive through lanes must be a minimum of 10' from all property lines.
e. The drop-off area or drive aisle must be constructed with decorative pavement or pervious pavers.
f. Any order windows and menu boxes must be designed to integrate into the architecture of the building and appear ‘hidden' from vehicular and pedestrian view. All efforts should be made to keep the order windows and menu boxes out of the setback between the building and the street.
1. Menu boxes must include masonry architectural details, matching the materials and design of the building.
2. Menu boxes must be screened with landscaping and/or masonry walls so they are not visible from the street.
3. Order windows must be designed with trim and detail so they appear similar in appearance to other windows on the building.
g. The drop-off area or drive aisle must be screened with a combination of masonry walls and/or decorative landscaping in order to provide a solid buffer at a minimum height of 36".
h. The drop-off area or drive aisle shall not obstruct any direct connections between the sidewalk along the street and the entrances to the building and shall include crosswalks connection pedestrian routes.
(Amd. Ord. 5126 9/19/16; Amd. Ord. 5312 – 7/16/18)
3. Street Facing Building Facades.
The addition of windows along building facades are attractive, allow pedestrian views and daylight to the inside of the building, especially on street facing building facades.
a. Each street facing non-residential building façade on the ground floor shall be at least 35% transparent between four (4) feet and eight (8) feet from adjacent grade. Each façade shall be calculated independently.
b. The bottom of any window used to satisfy these transparency requirements may not be more than four (4) feet above adjacent grade.
c. Adjacent grade shall be measured from within two (2) feet of the facade.
d. Upper levels are also strongly encouraged to maximize windows wherever possible.
(Amd. Ord. 5312 – 7/16/18)
4. Materials.
a. All buildings must be primarily of brick, or other quality materials like stone, metal and glass on all sides.
b. Cinder or concrete blocks, plywood, vinyl siding, and unfinished precast concrete are not permitted.
c. Decorative split face block, smooth or textured synthetic plaster, and wood trim shall only be used for decorative accents, and be limited in their use on street facing facades.
d. All new and replacement parking lot lighting shall be ornamental (see below) subject to the provisions of Section 6-407.1. (Ord. 4769 – 12/3/12)
5. Entrances and Corner Features.
Vertically articulated corner and entry features are strongly encouraged for all buildings. Multiple entrances from the sidewalk and parking areas are also strongly encouraged for pedestrian convenience.
Examples of ornamental lighting in parking lots at Orland Crossing
(Amd. Ord. 5564 - 12/21/20)