Public Notices & Hearings

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Wheaton City Hall, 303 West Wesley Street, Wheaton, Illinois, in- person and via zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85858218290 or dial (312) 626-6799, Meeting: 858 5821 8290, Passcode: 888718 to consider the following zoning application: Zoning Application #24-04. An application requesting an amendment to the text of the Wheaton Zoning Ordinance, Article 2 - Definitions and Article 24 - Accessory Uses and Home Occupations. Specifically, the application is requesting to add a definition for Mobile Donation Offices to Article 2 and to repeal and replace the existing language for Permitted Accessory Uses in Compliance with District Bulk Regulations contained in Article 24.4. The proposed language for Article 2 reads as follows: “Mobile Donation Office: A trailer or temporary structure that is staffed by employees during business hours and that collects gently used clothing, shoes, and household goods for the purpose of providing a donation to a charitable organization.” The existing language for Article 24.4 reads as follows: “24.4 Permitted Accessory Uses in Compliance with District Bulk Regulations. The following are permitted accessory uses when located in compliance with the bulk regulations of the district in which they are located: 1. A swimming pool house pursuant to the issuance of a special use permit provided that the swimming pool house is under the sole and exclusive control and responsibility of the property owner. 2. A building used primarily for religious worship may have accessory uses on the same lot, other buildings or other uses owned or operated by the religious institutions, including rectories, parsonages, offices, convents, schools, lunch rooms, recreational facilities, gift and resale shops for periodic sales or used and/or handmade merchandise, providing all proceeds are to be utilized solely for the benefit of the religious institution. 3. Roofed-over or unroofed decks, patios, porches, roofed-over stairs, and unroofed stairs over four (4) feet above the average grade of the adjoining ground. 4. Donation drop boxes if located in the C-1, C-3, C-5 Zoning Districts or on properties primarily occupied by an educational, religious, governmental or charitable use. The boxes shall only be placed with the property owner’s permission and on properties that contain an existing and operating permitted or special use. No more than two boxes (side-by-side) are allowed on a zoning lot less than two (2) acres in size. No more than three boxes (side-by-side) are allowed on a zoning lot equal to or greater than two (2) acres in size. Each box shall not exceed seven (7) feet in height and twenty-five (25) square feet in ground area. The boxes shall be located on a parking lot or other  paved surface, not adjacent to the front building facade. The boxes shall not: be within 15 feet of the front property line, reduce the width of paved clear space for the passage of pedestrians to less than five (5) feet, be located within five (5) feet of a Fire Department connection, utilize any parking spaces required by Article XXII or disrupt the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. The box shall include language discouraging the placement of items outside of the box. The name and phone number of the box owner/ operator shall be posted on the box. Upon telephone notification from the City of Wheaton Code Enforcement Department that materials are being placed outside of a box, the box owner/ operator shall have 24 hours to remove said materials. Failure to do so on three or more occasions in any calendar year may result in penalties listed under Article 5.14 of this Ordinance.” The proposed language for Article 24.4 reads as follows: “24.4 Permitted Accessory Uses in Compliance with District Bulk Regulations. The following are permitted accessory uses when located in compliance with the bulk regulations of the district in which they are located: 1. A swimming pool house pursuant to the issuance of a special use permit provided that the swimming pool house is under the sole and exclusive control and responsibility of the property owner. 2. A building used primarily for religious worship may have accessory uses on the same lot, other buildings or other uses owned or operated by the religious institutions, including rectories, parsonages, offices, convents, schools, lunch rooms, recreational facilities, gift and resale shops for periodic sales or used and/or handmade merchandise, providing all proceeds are to be utilized solely for the benefit of the religious institution. 3. Roofed-over or unroofed decks, patios, porches, roofed-over stairs, and unroofed stairs over four (4) feet above the average grade of the adjoining ground. 4. Donation drop boxes if located in the C-1, C-3, C-5 Zoning Districts or on properties primarily occupied by an educational, religious, governmental or charitable use. The boxes shall only be placed with the property owner’s permission and on properties that contain an existing and operating permitted or special use. If there is an existing Mobile Donation Office on the property then no donation drop boxes are allowed to be located on the property. No more than two boxes (side-by-side) are allowed on a zoning lot less than two (2) acres in size. No more than three boxes (side-by-side) are allowed on a zoning lot equal to or greater than two (2) acres in size. Each box shall not exceed seven (7) feet in height and twenty-five (25) square feet in ground area. The boxes shall be located on a parking lot or other paved surface, not adjacent to the front building facade. The boxes shall not: be within 15 feet of the front property line, reduce the width of paved clear space for the passage of pedestrians to less than five (5) feet, be located within five (5) feet of a Fire Department connection, utilize any parking spaces required by Article XXII or disrupt the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. The box shall include language discouraging the placement of items outside of the box. The name and phone number of the box owner/ operator shall be posted on the box. Upon telephone notification from the City of Wheaton Code Enforcement Department that materials are being placed outside of a box, the box owner/ operator shall have 24 hours to remove said materials. Failure to do so on three or more occasions in any calendar year may result in penalties listed under Article 5.14 of this Ordinance.  5. Mobile Donation Office if located in the C-1, C-3, C-5 Zoning Districts or on properties primarily occupied by an educational, religious, governmental or charitable use, if approved as a Special Use. a. The Mobile Donation Office shall only be placed with the property owner’s permission and on properties that contain an existing and operating permitted or special use. Only one Mobile Donation Office is allowed on a zoning lot. The Mobile Donation Office shall be located on a parking lot or other paved surface. b. The Mobile Donation Office shall be staffed by a minimum of one employee during regular business hours and shall collect gently used clothing, shoes and household goods for the purpose of providing a donation to a charitable organization. Exterior signage stating that the Mobile Donation Office is authorized to collect donations on behalf of a charitable organization shall be placed on the Mobile Donation Office. c. In connection with the Special Use application, the applicant shall submit for approval a site plan depicting the location of the Mobile Donation Office on the zoning lot. A Mobile Donation Office may only be placed within existing parking spaces on the zoning lot as depicted on the approved site plan. The Mobile Donation Office shall not be within 15 feet of the front property line, reduce the width of paved clear space for the passage of pedestrians to less than five (5) feet, be located within five (5) feet of a Fire Department connection, utilize any parking spaces required by Article XXII or disrupt the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. d. Materials may not be left outside of the Mobile Donation Office at any time. The Mobile Donation Office shall have security in place to ensure that no materials are left unattended outside of the Mobile Donation Office. Upon telephone notification from the City of Wheaton Code Enforcement Department that materials are being place outside of the Mobile Donation Office, the Mobile Donation Office owner/operator shall have 24 hours to remove said materials. Failure to do so on three or more occasions in any calendar year may result in penalties listed under Article 5.14 of this Ordinance.” The application has been submitted by Quarles and Brady, LLP, 300 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60654 on behalf of Green Drop Charitable Donations. At the public hearing, anyone wishing to make a public statement will be encouraged to do so. Written comments may be submitted to the Board prior to or at the public hearing. A copy of the application is available for review in the office of the Director of Planning and Economic Development, 303 West Wesley Street, Wheaton, Illinois during normal business hours. Nicole Aranas, Chair Wheaton Planning and Zoning Board