Background Information About Updating
Zoning & Historic Preservation Ordinances

In December 2014 the Downers Grove Village Council voted 5 to 2 to approve the Special Use for a multi-family residence to be built at 936-942 Maple Avenue.  This vote was preceded by extensive community efforts aimed at perserving the historic Edwards House, which was located at 942 Maple and subsequentally demolished.  Please click here to read background information about efforts to preserve the Edwards House.

The Village Council, r
eacting to our loss of the historically significant Edwards House, directed its Staff to prepare for a Council discussion of potential amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and Historic Preservation Ordinance. The Staff drafted a recommended schedule for the Council's consideration of these potential changes through October 2015. January 20, 2015, the Council discussed the proposed scope and recommended schedule for considering potential amendments to the Historic Preservation Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance


February 3rd the Council (Click here for agenda.) continued its discussion and considered changes to the Historic Preservation Ordinance as recommended by the Village Staff.


July 7th the Village Council discussed proposed changes to the Historic Preservation Ordinance and a proposal to appoint an ad hoc Committee to review changes to the Historic Preservation and Zoning Ordinances.


A resolution to establish an ad hoc Subcommittee of the Architectural Design Review Board, a proposed amendment to the "Purpose of the Comprehensive Plan" and several proposed text changes for the Zoning Ordinance were given their first readings on July 14th.  


Several significant actions were taken on July 21st.  In addition to approving ordinances to amend the Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Ordinance, the Council adopted a resolution establishing the ad hoc Subcommittee of the Architectural Design Review Board (ADRB) to review changes to the Historic Preservation. The Council also approved Mayor Tully's appointments for the seven members of that Subcommittee.


The working group's initial meeting was held Wednesday, August 5th You can click here for an audio podcast of this initial meeting, which lasted just under 3 hours. Click here for the agenda of this initial meeting, which included three separate opportunities for public comments.  You can click here to download the 288 page agenda packet for this initial meeting from the Village website.   Click here to read the ad hoc Subcommittee's powers and duties.
 

The second meeting of the ADRB with its ad hoc Subcommittee on Historic Preservation was held Wednesday, August 19th
.   You can click here for an audio podcast of this second meeting, which lasted just under 3 hours. Click here for the agenda of this second meeting, which included two opportunities for public comments.  You can click here to download the 128 page agenda packet for this second meeting from the Village website.

The third meeting of the ADRB with its ad hoc Subcommittee on Historic Preservation was held Wednesday, September 2nd. Please click here to read minutes of this meeting.  You can click here for an audio podcast of this third meeting, which lasted just under 2.5 hours.  Click here for the 12 page agenda packet for this third meeting.

The fourth meeting of the ADRB with its ad hoc Subcommittee on Historic Preservation was held Wednesday, September 16th.   You can click here for an audio podcast of this fourth meeting, which lasted just over 2.25 hours.  Click here for the 4 page agenda packet for this fourth meeting.
 

The fifth meeting of the ADRB with its ad hoc Subcommittee on Historic Preservation was held on Wednesday, October 7th. You can click here for an audio podcast of this fifth meeting, which lasted just over 2 hours 40 minutes.  Click here for the 42 page agenda packet for this fifth meeting.

The ADRB and its ad hoc Subcommittee on Historic Preservation finalized their report and recommendations about historic perservation efforts in Downers Grove at their sixth meeting on Wednesday, October 21st Click here for the 17 page Final Report and Recommendations and the 100 pages of supporting attachements, including minutes for the groups' six meetings.  You can click here for an audio podcast of the  October 21st meeting, which lasted just under 18 minutes.

The  Final Report and Recommendations were presented to the Village Council on Tuesday, November 3rd and are expected to be discussed in some detail in December.  Please click here to read the comments of Ken Lerner, Chair of Pierce Downer's Heritage Alliance on the October 21st Draft Final Report & Recommendations.

Proposed changes to Downers Grove's Historic Preservation Ordinance were discussed at the December 1st Village Council meeting as agenda item 10.  You can click here to read a report of that discussion on pages 6 through 12 of the draft meeting minutes. Please click here to view the video recording of the Village Council's December 1st meeting. The discussion begins at 44 minutes, 15 seconds into this meeting.  The discussion about historic preservation then continued until 2 hours, 54 minutes, 35 seconds into the meeting, which lasted just under 3 hours, 4 minutes. An ammended Historic Preservation Ordinance and its implementation were unanimously approved by the Village Council on December 15, 2015.