A.   The following single-family design standards are intended to ensure that the village's sense of place and character is maintained in the future. As the village continues to grow, there continues to be a threat that the special features that have defined the village's sense of place for generations will be lost. In order to maintain the village's character and property values, staff has created the following set of single-family design standards which will be required of all residential builders in the future.

   B.   The village of Antioch will continue to be predominantly a community of single-family homes. Based on this fact, it is critical that future single-family developments conform with the development patterns that are reflected in the village's most distinct neighborhoods. The following design standards will require all builders to focus on incorporating certain design elements into their standard home designs. As outlined throughout this chapter, these design elements are relatively simple and generally a small portion of the total costs of construction. They can, however, have a dramatic impact on the overall quality of design.

   C.   Simple design elements as outlined below should be incorporated:

      1.   Front elevation wall plane should be broken up with a porch, projections, bay window, recessed garage or some other architectural design element.

      2.   Rooflines should be broken up with projections, recesses, dormers, varying rooflines, deep eaves along the roofline.

      3.   Garages should be recessed and garage doors should incorporate architectural detail and articulation. A percentage of the garages should incorporate windows and single bays are encouraged. A maximum of one-third (1/3) of any front elevation can be a garage.

      4.   Projecting usable porches with a minimum of eight feet (8') in depth are encouraged on front elevations and wraparound porches are encouraged on corner lots.

      5.   Balanced window placement along with good window fenestration is a design element that is required on all four (4) elevations.

      6.   The proper use of materials on an elevation is important. The use of too many materials or "wallpaper" application of materials should be avoided. (Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

   A.   One of the biggest challenges for community development is the need to encourage residential development and growth, while attempting to preserve the best qualities of the village's character. Antioch for generations was defined by a vibrant downtown and a series of unique neighborhoods adjacent to the downtown. Like most communities in the Chicago metro area, the community started to change rapidly when new subdivisions were constructed by regional and national builders. Today, large tracts of previous farmland have been transformed into residential subdivisions.

   B.   With its rolling terrain, lakes, wetlands and surrounding Lake County forest preserves, Antioch has the opportunity to guide future growth in a manner that is consistent with its moniker "authentic by nature". Through careful planning and the management of future growth, Antioch can become one of the premier communities in northern Lake County. Based on this goal, the village is committed in establishing a series of minimum standards for all future single-family homes in the village.

      1.   To avoid the potential of monotony and the creation of cookie cutter subdivisions, all builders shall incorporate the following architectural design elements into new single-family construction.

      2.   All future developments shall be required to submit "architectural design guidelines" or a "pattern book" showing how their proposed product complies with the design standards.

      3.   Additionally, all future land plans shall comply with the standards incorporated into this chapter.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

   A.   Public Realm: Recently, the importance of the public realm has often been lost in community design. The public realm is defined by what one can observe from the street. The architectural style of the homes, tree canopy, sidewalk, width of the parkway along with the width of the street all help define the public realm of a neighborhood.

Too often the contemporary public realm is defined by streets which are too wide, poor tree canopies and streets dominated by garages. These standards call for new attention toward the public realm in designing a single-family neighborhood. The key to creating a great public realm is creating an intimate outdoor room or creating what has been defined by "enclosure". Streets that are too wide make it impossible to create an attractive public realm.

   B.   Private Realm: The private realm is defined by the area within the four (4) walls of the private home. Today, regional and national builders have become experts in creating "great" private realms for the homeowner. As reflected in the illustrations below, great emphasis has been focused on creating great master bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, home theater rooms and family rooms. The design emphasis is on the interior and finishes of the interior of the home, versus the creation of a great "public realm".

Communities are challenged with the fundamental that home purchasers' budgets are finite and the exterior elevations of a home are often short changed for improvements in the house that are not seen within the public realm. But it is the public realm that defines the quality of a neighborhood and ultimately the quality of the community.

Based on this fact, these design standards attempt to establish a minimum investment that builders will have to invest in the exterior elevations facing the street.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

   A.   Current Housing Trends: The nation and the region are seeing a recovery from the housing downturn of 2008 and the great recession. As housing values recover, the village of Antioch is in a great position to see new housing starts. Antioch is one of the few communities in Lake County that have existing "lots" which are available for building. In addition, the village of Antioch still has vacant land that will attract new residential development in the future.

The goal of these standards is to encourage new housing and new growth in the village and to promote "attainable price points" for young families. However, these standards also attempt to maintain the village's character by establishing a minimum number of standards that the building community will have to comply with in the future. These standards should have a minimal impact on costs, but can have a real impact on the design success of each home.

The current trend with many builders is to draw on the history of different historic vernacular styles of the great "American" home and to base new contemporary designs on these historic patterns. While these do not require builders to follow these vernacular styles, a good place to start is to look at some of the vernacular styles that can be found in the village of Antioch and the Chicago metro region. The following standards have outlined some of these historic vernacular styles as follows:

   AMERICAN FOUR SQUARE

   MIDWESTERN FARM HOUSE

   AMERICAN COLONIAL

   CRAFTSMAN HOUSE

   CHARLESTON HOUSE

   EUROPEAN HOUSE

   TUDOR HOMES

   SHINGLE STYLE HOMES

   B.   Markets:

      1.   Entry: The entry market has been identified for homes between two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00) and two hundred seventy five thousand dollars ($275,000.00). These homes generally incorporate simple floor plans and there is an emphasis on providing a maximum of square footage with a minimum amount of architectural articulation. Simple rooflines and all vinyl elevations are generally predominant in these types of homes. Incorporating a sufficient number of entry homes for young families and public service employees (police, teachers, firefighters, etc.) is an important part in creating an economically diverse and vibrant community.

      2.   Move Up: The move up market will be critically important to the village of Antioch. Staff continues to foresee that the majority of new homes constructed in the village will provide new opportunities to families who are looking for their second or third homes. Generally defined by price points between two hundred seventy five thousand dollars ($275,000.00) to three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000.00), these homes will attract new residents who may reside in Lake County, but who are looking for more value. Antioch will continue to provide better value compared to markets to the south based on land values and reasonable impact fees from the village.

      3.   Estate: This higher end market defined by price points in excess of three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000.00) will continue to be in demand based on the long term trends in the village. Currently, Antioch has several neighborhoods that are large lot, semicustom home neighborhoods. The area's natural beauty along with the existing lakes, horse farms and large estate lots will continue to create a demand for custom homes. While staff does not foresee the whole village becoming a semicustom home market, we believe that between twenty five percent (25%) to thirty three percent (33%) of the future home demand in the village could attract this market.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

Any good single-family design must consider the importance of massing, scale, proportion and the scale of the building design. The simple placement of dormers, or how the garage is located, or the incorporation of a well balanced porch can have a dramatic impact on the success of a single-family home design. The use of first floor bays, porches and well designed entrances can all have a positive impact on breaking up the massing of the front elevation.

   A.   One approach in breaking up a home massing is simply moving the front elevation plane forward or backwards and incorporating multiple planes within the front elevation. If the house incorporates a three (3) car garage, setting back the third bay will have a positive impact on the design of the garage.

   B.   Incorporating a prominent and well proportioned entrance on the front elevation can help break up the massing of a house.

   C.   Well proportioned windows and balanced window placement should be incorporated on all four (4) elevations.

   D.   Gables should be well proportioned and placed in a balanced manner. Gables within gables are discouraged.

   E.   Avoid low pitched gables or anything below an eight to twelve (8/12) pitch.

   F.   Incorporation of a projecting porch can assist in breaking up the front elevation and minimizing the impact that a two (2) or three (3) car garage can have on the front elevation.

   G.   Overly complicated rooflines with multiple pitches and hips are discouraged.

   H.   Projecting elements of any house design should be completed with balance and symmetry.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

The use of exterior materials is critically important in the overall design of any single-family home. Historically, the following exterior materials used in Antioch include vinyl, face brick, cedar clapboard and stucco. While some communities in the Chicago metro area require a minimum percentage of brick on all single-family homes, brick does not always create a better design. In lieu of a minimum brick requirement, staff is proposing a series of standards that regulate how exterior materials should be applied.

   A.   Architectural grade vinyl shall be required when vinyl is used and all corners shall incorporate corner trim.

   B.   When face brick is used on front elevation, brick returns shall be required with a minimum depth of one foot (1').

   C.   The use of vinyl shake or other materials is encouraged to be incorporated under gables on the second floors to provide additional architectural interest to front elevations.

   D.   Brick or stone wainscot is encouraged to be incorporated on the front elevation of single-family homes, specifically key lots or homes located at corner locations.

   E.   No more than two (2) materials in addition to wood trim should be used on a single-family elevation. Incorporating too many varying materials on an elevation can create a wallpaper effect.

   F.   Appropriate materials should be used appropriately based on the architectural style of the house. As an example, a craftsman home should incorporate vinyl clapboard and shake, while a federal style should incorporate a predominance of face brick. Stucco should only be used as an accent material on elevations.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

Simple incorporation of wood trim around windows, corner boards and band boards can have a dramatically positive impact on the design of an elevation and provide architectural articulation and texture to a simple design. Too often builders simply ignore these small details. The following design elements shall be required on all new single-family homes within the village:

   A.   Eaves: All houses shall incorporate eaves with a minimum depth of one foot (1') on all four (4) sides.

   B.   Window Trim: All exterior windows shall incorporate wood trim around the window with a minimum width of six inches (6").

   C.   Returns: All front brick elevations shall incorporate brick returns with a minimum width of one foot (1').

   D.   Corner Boards: All houses shall incorporate corner boards that use vinyl or cedar clapboard.

   E.   Band Boards: Band boards located between the first and second floors are encouraged to be incorporated on all four (4) elevations.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

A good streetscape can be impacted by the rooflines of individual homes. Too often, a street will look like a series of "barracks" with a uniform line of monotonous homes with a uniform roof style, lined up like soldiers with no variation or architectural interest. To avoid this scenario, the following standards should be complied with:

   A.   No more than one-third (1/3) of any development can incorporate a single type of roofline, including gables, hips, clipped gables, mansards or gambrel roofs.

   B.   Multiple roof planes, or the incorporation of usable dormers or eyebrows are encouraged as an architectural design element.

   C.   Architectural grade shingles are required on all new construction.

   D.   A roof pitch of thirty (30) to forty five degrees (45°) is recommended for new construction.

   E.   Gable pitches on front elevations should incorporate a 10/12 angle.

   F.   All rooflines should incorporate a minimum eave line of one foot (1') which will create a shadow line along the roofline.

   G.   Clipped gables above garages or the main entrance of a home are encouraged.

Gable Roofline

Clipped Gable Roofline

Hip Roofline

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

The location and configuration of the garage is critically important in the overall design of a single-family home and the character of the streetscape. A poorly placed garage can destroy the front elevation of a home and often defines the character of a house facing the street. The following design standards attempt to soften the impact that the garage has on the front elevation by incorporating a simple number of changes to garage design:

   A.   Garage doors shall be either recessed or project no more than five feet (5') from the front entrance or front entrance porch.

   B.   Garages located on the front elevation facing the street should not incorporate more than one-third (1/3) of the linear length of the front house elevation.

   C.   Windows should be located in a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the total number of garages located within a development.

   D.   Corner lots should incorporate side loaded garages.

   E.   Garage doors should incorporate architectural elements and blank garage doors should be avoided.

   F.   Overhangs, arbors, pergolas, keystones or other architectural elements should be incorporated above garages to provide architectural variation and texture.

   G.   Side loaded garages are encouraged to be used mid block. This is an effective way of breaking up garage door monotony.

   H.   Varying setbacks of homes can also help minimize the impact of the garage on a streetscape.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

   A.   Design: One of the biggest design challenges today is constructing an attractive "entry level" home product in the Chicago market. The national builders' "entry level" product is generally forty foot (40') wide homes with a dominant garage, which often takes up fifty percent (50%) of the front elevation. The proliferation of this product in the past ten (10) years throughout the metro area can be explained by the fact that they are relatively simple and inexpensive to construct, but they provide the homeowners with large rooms and an open floor plan.

This product offers the first time homeowners with the opportunity to purchase a single-family home and every community needs an entry level product. The policy question is whether the village of Antioch needs more entry level homes in the market or whether the new home market is more of a move up market? This is more of a policy question that these standards do not attempt to address. Instead, staff is attempting to establish a series of design criteria for all future single-family home construction that would make sure a minimum design standard is created. A well designed home should not depend on the price point. Instead there are a number of simple changes to any elevation which can have a dramatic impact on the success of a design.

Discourage

Discourage

   B.   Discouraged: The following homes reflect the current trends in the Chicago market for entry level homes. As the following illustrations reflect, simple floor plans can produce a monotonous design which can have long term negative impacts on property values within a neighborhood and community. Figures 1 and 2 of this section show the results of creating affordable housing with no design sensitivity. Large blank areas of vinyl create a really negative impact on the streetscape. Simply following the design standards within this chapter can have a positive impact on the overall quality of design.

   FIGURE 1

   FIGURE 2

Corner boards help break up the front elevation

Band board provides architectural variation and movement

Windows in garage create interest

Alternative Design Approach

   C.   Encouraged: Figures 3 and 4 of this section show how a simple elevation or entry level home can be improved by simply incorporating a number of design elements as highlighted below:

   FIGURE 3

Good example of national home production

   FIGURE 4

Good example of national home production

      1.   The balanced and appropriate use of face brick below a projecting gable can provide relief to the front elevation and soften the overall design of the front elevation.

      2.   Breaking the front plane and providing architectural relief is critical to the success of the design, unless it is a traditional elevation (federal style, salt box, etc.).

      3.   Incorporation of a higher pitched gable with a frieze board and a minimum eave line of one foot (1') can provide architectural articulation and a shadow line along the roofline. This is critically important to the overall success of the design of a house.

      4.   A projecting porch or overhang over the main entrance can provide architectural relief and break up the plane of the front elevation.

      5.   Balanced window placement and traditional window fenestration can provide interest and movement to an elevation.

      6.   Garages should either be offset from the front elevation or incorporate a number of design elements in order to minimize their impact on a front elevation. Design elements can vary from individual bay doors, windows, projections or overhangs over the garage, or recessed garage plane from the front porch.

      7.   Incorporation of brick soldier courses and keystones above windows or garage can provide additional architectural variation to a front elevation.

      8.   Substantial foundation landscaping and an ornamental tree in the front yard can also soften an elevation over time and provide the streetscape with visual interest. (Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

The starter house or entry level market often ends up creating cookie cutter subdivisions as national or regional builders come into a community, quickly build a subdivision and leave town. Often, the results end up as being a problem subdivision or neighborhood with declining property values and numerous maintenance issues. To avoid this possibility, these design standards are intended to ensure that builders incorporate a minimum number of exterior upgrades to single-family elevations:

   A.   Builders shall be required to submit a "pattern book" outlining their proposed models and elevations of their proposed single-family homes as part of any planned unit development (PUD) or annexation into the village of Antioch.

   B.   The design standards related to massing, window fenestration/trim, garage design, rooflines, eaves, trim and band boards, corner boards and the use of brick returns as outlined in this chapter shall be standards and shall be required to be incorporated into PUD agreements and future annexation agreements.

   C.   Developers shall be required to comply with the following residential subdivision design guidelines and incorporate ten percent (10%) of their lots as key lots and designate any lot adjacent to a collector, major collector or arterial as a through lot.

   D.   All builders shall be required to submit a landscape plan for each lot with one parkway tree, an ornament tree in the front yard, a minimum of six (6) foundation shrubs and a shade tree in the rear yard.

Discourage

Discourage

Discourage

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

Taking an existing subdivision which has already been developed and incorporating a number of small modifications to the plan will help the development community obtain a sense of what the village is looking for in future residential development:

   A.   Incorporating a well connected street plan with good interconnection is critical in future residential developments within the village. The exception to this guideline is conservation developments or developments located on unique topography.

   B.   Subdivision designers should make every effort to minimize cul-de-sacs in future plans.

   C.   If a park is necessary, it should be centrally located and every effort should be made to create terminal vistas of the park.

   D.   Future residential development should incorporate through lots (any single-family home backing up to a collector street) and key lots (homes located at important locations within the development). (Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

Unique parcels of land with extensive woodlands, wetlands or terrain should incorporate elements of conservation design as highlighted in figures 1A and 1B of this section.

   FIGURE 1A

   FIGURE 1B

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

   A.   Street Designs:

      1.   The following guidelines should be followed when new residential developments are being proposed in the village of Antioch. Extensive efforts should be made to integrate single- family neighborhoods into the unique terrain of the village. Specifically, efforts should be made to preserve mature groves of trees and unique view sheds of open space.

      2.   Conservation design, as section 10-16-3-1, figures 1A and 1B of this chapter demonstrate, should be used on property which incorporates mature groves of trees or unique terrain that should be preserved as open space. Instead of cutting mature tree groves down or destroying unique rolling terrain, development should be clustered and open space preserved whenever possible.

      3.   Standard development patterns should incorporate the following design standards:

         a.   Residential subdivision plans should integrate a street network and cul-de-sacs should be minimized within any plan.

         b.   Outside the downtown, subdivision plans should incorporate some curvilinear aspect and long unbroken straight streets should be avoided if possible.

         c.   In the downtown, any infill project should incorporate short, straight street segments, connected by ninety degree (90°) turns, thus creating a more formal or traditional neighborhood.

         d.   If a park is required, it should be centrally located if possible and streets should terminate into the park, thus creating a terminal vista of open space within the development.

         e.   Single loaded streets facing open space or green areas are encouraged.

         f.   The incorporation of terminal vistas of open space should be incorporated into any land plan whenever possible. The best terminal vistas are "T" intersections that line up with a view of open space, a village green, some water feature or other design parameter that provides additional character to the overall quality of design.

Discourage

Loop lane design in lieu of cul-de-sac design

Terminal vistas

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

   A.   Street interconnection is critical to any successfully designed subdivision. All developers should incorporate a minimum of one stub street to any adjacent development or vacant undeveloped parcel. The following design guidelines generally recommend a minimum of two (2) stub streets into any adjacent parcel if possible:

      1.   All future subdivisions should be designed as stand alone neighborhoods and will consist of a local street network that provides adjoining links to other adjacent neighborhoods through both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

      2.   Multiple street entrances in and out of each neighborhood are strongly encouraged.

      3.   Each neighborhood, if at all possible, should incorporate a neighborhood park, or alternatively a series of pocket parks which help break up the development and provide vistas of open space throughout the development.

      4.   Collector streets that run through any neighborhood should incorporate traffic calming design elements and should be designed as a "complete street".

      5.   Boulevards at entrances and adjacent to parks are encouraged as a way of traffic calming and slowing traffic down. In addition, boulevards bring beauty to a neighborhood.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)

   A.   Through Lots: Single-family lots that back up to arterials or collectors should incorporate additional architectural elements on the rear of homes and are identified as "through lots". These homes have a large impact on the visual character of a village and every effort should be made to avoid blank vinyl walls with a minimum number of windows. The following design elements should be considered:

      1.   Balanced windows and window shutters.

      2.   Projections, breakfast rooms or the use of different materials on the elevations.

      3.   Brick chimney chase.

      4.   Extensive landscape and a unified fence design.

   B.   Key Lots: A "key lot" should be a home within a neighborhood that incorporates additional architectural or landscaping elements. Approximately ten percent (10%) of the homes within any new subdivision should be a "key lot". Key lots should be located at important intersections, at a "T intersection" or along parks or open space. The following design elements should be considered:

      1.   Higher percentage of face brick on the front and side elevation.

      2.   Prominent porches or wrap around porches.

      3.   Wainscot of brick or stone on the front and corner side elevations.

      4.   Extensive foundation landscaping on the front and corner side elevations.

(Ord. 16-10-26, 10-3-2016)