Oswego to hold public hearing on new zoning ordinance

Oswego community members will have the chance to comment on the village’s proposed new zoning ordinance and map during a public hearing this week.

The village’s Planning and Zoning Commission, acting as the ad hoc Zoning Commission, will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. April 4 at Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, Oswego. Since May 2021, village officials, stakeholders, community members and staff have worked together, with help from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning, to draft a Unified Development Ordinance to replace the current zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations.

Officials said the Unified Development Ordinance will modernize the village’s zoning practices while aligning Oswego’s development regulations, land-use practices and community vision with the village’s 2015 Comprehensive Plan. More information is available at oswegoil.org/udo.

“CMAP had been meeting with residents and stake holders to gain insight into the village’s needs for the new Unified Development Ordinance,” Oswego Development Services Director Rod Zenner said in a memo. “CMAP staff attended public events to educate the residents on the UDO project and to get their participation with a dedicated website where residents can answer questions and give their opinions on planning concepts.”

A steering committee was established to meet with CMAP to provide comments and suggestions on the draft document, Zenner said.

As part of the proposal, the village looks to establish a new D-1 downtown district that will take place of existing B-1, B-2 and B-3 zoned parcels in the downtown.

“The D-1 district was designed to acknowledge the unique needs of downtown businesses and the village’s goals for the area,” Zenner said. “In the downtown area, there are several M-1 manufacturing zoned parcels along Harrison Street; under the proposed zoning map, these properties would be rezoned to the D-1 district.”

For these parcels, the current legally established uses and structures can continue to operate as they do today, he said.

“If these properties redevelop in the future, or if the existing manufacturing use discontinues for a period of 6-months, then the property could only be used for uses permitted or allowed by special use permit in the D-1 district,” Zenner said.