The development standards set forth herein have been adopted for the following purposes:

A.

To promote the orderly and harmonious growth of the village through high-quality and compatible new development;

B.

To improve the design and appearance of existing buildings and properties;

C.

To improve the image and appearance of the public rights-of-way;

D.

To promote more design compatibility among buildings and groups of buildings; and

E.

To establish a distinctive visual image and character for the different areas of the village.

(Ord. 07-31 § 17 (part), 2007)

A.

The development standards shall apply to all development within the village of Carpentersville.

1.

The residential development standards in Section 16.34.040 shall apply to all lots within the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and F-1 zoning districts, except those lots within the boundaries of the Mixed Use Town Center as delineated on the Old Town Subarea Plan component of the Comprehensive Plan, and except those lots containing a single-family detached dwelling constructed prior to January 1, 1989.

2.

The commercial development standards in Section 16.34.050 shall apply to all lots within the C-1, C-2 and C-2-A zoning districts, except those lots within the boundaries of the Mixed Use Town Center as delineated on the Old Town Subarea Plan component of the Comprehensive Plan.

3.

The old town development standards in Section 16.34.060 shall apply to all lots within the boundaries of the Mixed Use Town Center as delineated on the Old Town Subarea Plan component of the Comprehensive Plan.

4.

The industrial and manufacturing development standards in Section 16.34.070 shall apply to all lots within the M-1, M-1-A and M-2 zoning districts, except those lots within the boundaries of the Mixed Use Town Center as delineated on the Old Town Subarea Plan component of the Comprehensive Plan.

B.

When any development activity is conducted upon an improved lot or parcel or to an existing building or structure, the development standards shall apply only to the extent of the development activity being conducted.

(Ord. 08-32 § 1, 2008: Ord. 07-31 § 17 (part), 2007)

(Ord. No. 11-19, § 4, 4-19-2011; Ord. No. 22-55, § 4, 10-4-2022)

A.

An applicant for development approval shall submit a site plan, exterior elevations, and such other data and renderings in sufficient detail as deemed necessary by the department of community development in order to ensure compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

B.

Final plans and elevations shall be drawn to scale and shall indicate the nature and extent of the work proposed.

C.

Review of site plan and elevations are intended to be only a part of the review procedure as may be required under the provisions of this title or the subdivision code, Title 17.

(Ord. 07-31 § 17 (part), 2007)

A.

Building Placement and Orientation.

1.

Residential buildings shall have a strong orientation to the street. Primary entrances to the buildings shall be located in the front of the building, facing the street.

2.

When residential development is adjacent to commercial or other incompatible land uses, an additional setback of15 feet shall be provided with berms, and additional landscape screening, effective during winter and summer seasons, used to provide adequate protection from adverse impacts.

B.

Building and Structure Design.

1.

Portions of the front and side sections of the residential building shall be articulated and stepped back to break up the building's mass.

2.

No elevation on the side of a residential building shall have a horizontal length more than 30 feet without a minimum three-foot offset (articulation/change in plane or design feature) for a distance along the side of the building of not less than eight feet in length.

3.

All newly constructed residential dwelling units or buildings shall contain face brick or stone of not less than fifty (50) percent of exterior walls and shall contain face brick or stone on ninety (90) percent of each first floor elevation or ground levels of such units. Brick and stone shall not be painted. Engineered wood, plywood, concrete block, tin, and metal or metal appearance are prohibited. For additions constructed on existing residential dwelling units or buildings, the face brick or stone required by this section shall only be required on walls that are both: visible from a public street: and, on a facade of the house that already contains at least fifty (50) percent face brick or stone.

4.

Identical materials shall be used on all exterior sides of a residential building. Changes in colors and materials shall occur horizontally such as changes to upper floors or windowsills. Elevations of different colors and materials are not permitted on individual buildings, including brick or stone front facades with siding on side and rear elevations.

5.

Each elevation of a dwelling shall have windows. The style of window shall be compatible with and complement the architectural style of the residential building.

6.

Skylights, high-profile vents, prefabricated domes vents, dormer vents, and power vents shall not be visible from the street in front of the property.

7.

All roofs shall be scaled to the building that they cover.

8.

Reflective glass or glass block are prohibited.

9.

Roofing materials shall complement the architectural style of a residential building. The color of roofing materials shall complement the architectural style and color of the building.

10.

Garages shall be properly sited as to not to be a primary design feature of a two-unit dwelling, townhouse, rowhouse, or multifamily residential building. Front-loading garages shall not protrude from the front plane of any two-unit dwelling, townhouse, rowhouse, or multifamily residential building by more than ten feet.

11.

Attached garages shall have windows to soften the garage's visual impact.

12.

Rowhouses shall be rear loaded, with a strong unit orientation to the street.

13.

Front porches shall not be less than five feet in depth.

14.

All utility cables shall be underground.

15.

Screening of utility meters and hardware, mechanical equipment, such as air conditioning condensers and PVC vents, and refuse areas and containers from public view from any street, sidewalk, or adjacent property shall be accomplished by the use of walls, fencing, and/or planting. Where screening is accomplished by plantings, such screening shall be equally effective in the winter and summer seasons. The required screening of refuse containers noted in this paragraph shall not apply to the wheeled garbage carts regulated in Chapter 8.08 of the Municipal Code.

C.

Anti-Monotony Standards. Monotony of design shall be avoided. In residential districts, no two detached single-family dwellings of substantially similar or identical front and secondary front (for corner lots), shall be constructed or located on adjacent lots. Buildings on adjacent lots will not be considered substantially similar if the front or secondary front (for corner lots) contains no less than one major change and color change or three minor changes:

1.

Major Changes.

a.

Roof treatment—Hip, gable, 25 percent or greater change in slope;

b.

Location of garage entry—Side and front;

c.

Type of brick treatment—Extended porticos, etc.;

d.

Material treatment—Full brick vs. half-and-half;

e.

Overall facade—Mediterranean vs. colonial, for example;

f.

Brick arches;

g.

Brick bay projections;

h.

Balconies.

2.

Minor Changes.

a.

Vertical or horizontal siding;

b.

Colors of materials;

c.

Door treatment—Garage and entry;

d.

Window styles—Casements, bows and double hung;

e.

Shutter treatment;

f.

Ornamental treatment—Lighting fixture location, or posts and fascia;

g.

Reversing plan;

h.

Brick wing arms.

D.

Environmental, Open Space and Stormwater Considerations.

1.

Natural features, including significant existing trees and vegetation, topography, wetlands, and drainage characteristics, shall be protected and incorporated into the planning and design of the residential development.

2.

Mature wooded areas shall be preserved to the extent possible and reasonable as required by the various agencies having jurisdiction over them.

3.

Site planning within new developments shall include the use of effective and attractive landscape buffers to protect residential areas from adjacent arterial roadways and nonresidential development.

(Ord. 07-31 § 17 (part), 2007)

(Ord. No. 11-36, § 5, 8-2-2011; Ord. No. 18-42, § 2, 11-6-2018)

A.

Building Placement and Orientation.

1.

Buildings shall have a strong visual and physical relationship to the roads on which they front to enhance the identity and pedestrian orientation of the different corridors.

2.

Buildings shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances with features such as canopies or porticos, arches, wing walls, and integral planters.

3.

Long, blank facades that are visible from public rights-of-way are prohibited. Facades greater than seventy-five (75) feet in length shall incorporate recesses, projections and design features along at least 25 percent of the length of the facade.

4.

All service entrances, loading facilities, and outdoor storage, where permitted, shall be located at the rear of buildings; they should be screened from view from residential properties and along sidewalks and roadways through the use of masonry walls and landscaping to achieve a year-round opaque screen.

5.

Any business permitted to have a "drive-thru" facility shall be sited so that drive-through lanes and pickup windows are not prominently featured.

B.

Building Structure and Design.

1.

"Exterior insulation finish systems" (EIFS) are not permitted as a primary building material, but may be appropriate as an accent material, on nonground floor areas of the building. Rough-sawed wood, aluminum siding, and plastic or metal panels shall not be used within the commercial areas, with the exception of accessory buildings on commercial lots when an existing principal building currently has an exterior façade of one of the aforementioned nontraditional materials that was approved and permitted by the village.

2.

Mansard, shake or shingle roofs are prohibited.

3.

Rooftop-mounted equipment and vents shall be screened from views along all sides of a building. Rooftop screening shall be incorporated into the overall design of the building and be an integral part of the architecture.

4.

Utility meters, transformers and similar hardware, mechanical equipment, such as air conditioning condensers and PVC vents, and/or other potentially unattractive places shall be screened from view from any street, sidewalk, or adjacent property by the use of walls, fencing, berms and/or planting.

5.

Plant screening shall be equally effective in the winter and summer seasons.

6.

Wall screening shall be constructed of materials matching the primary building.

7.

Window glazing shall be clear or slightly tinted. Dark, mirrored, reflective glass, or glass block is not permitted.

8.

Fencing shall complement the architectural and landscaping designs on the site.

9.

All utility cables shall be underground.

10.

All refuse containment areas shall be located to the rear of buildings and provided with solid access doors or gates.

11.

Dumpsters, refuse areas, and containers shall be located to the rear of buildings and shall be screened from view from any street, sidewalk or adjacent property. Dumpster enclosures on all lots developed after September 1, 2011 shall be of masonry construction and shall complement the overall building design. On lots developed with a primary structure prior to September 1, 2011 and which do not have a masonry dumpster enclosure, dumpster enclosures shall be constructed of masonry walls or wooden fencing or chain-link fencing with privacy slats to provide an opaque screen, and the materials shall complement the existing building. For all chain-link enclosures, the privacy slats shall be high-density polyethylene plastic slats (or an equivalent material) capable of providing not less than ninety-eight (98) percent screening, and any missing or broken slats shall be replaced promptly. Metal or fabric slats shall be prohibited for chain-link fence dumpster enclosures.

C.

Lighting.

1.

Lighting shall be used to illuminate entries, signage, displays, and pedestrian and parking areas and all means of vehicular ingress/egress as well as to highlight significant architectural and landscape elements.

2.

Light fixtures shall be designed and oriented to produce minimal glare, nuisance, and spillover onto nearby properties.

3.

Extensive lighting and over illumination shall be avoided to reduce light pollution.

4.

Taller light standards 25 to 40 feet shall be avoided, except where needed to accommodate large parking areas.

5.

Front and rear building entries shall be adequately lit for overall security and visibility.

D.

Parking Lots.

1.

The number of curb cuts along major collector and arterial roadways shall be minimized.

2.

All parking areas shall be accessible from cross streets whenever possible.

3.

Parking lots shall be screened from view along sidewalks and roadways through the combined use of free forming berms, low masonry walls, hedge plantings and shrubs.

4.

Parking lots shall have curbed perimeters and curbed landscape islands. Clearly marked pedestrian pathways shall be provided within the interior of parking areas to avoid large expanses of asphalt and to enhance pedestrian safety.

5.

Parking lot landscaping shall include "landscape islands" at a ratio of one per ten parking spaces. Landscape islands shall consist of village-approved canopy trees (minimum two and one-half inches in caliper), attractive groundcover, and/or decorative bushes (minimum three feet in height) and be a minimum size of nine feet by18 feet. Excessive mulch is prohibited.

6.

Parking lots that are used during evening hours shall be adequately illuminated.

E.

Landscaping.

1.

Property shall be landscaped in a manner that screens parking and unattractive uses, and enhances building visibility. Plantings shall consist of low evergreen and/or deciduous shrubs planted in conjunction with low-growing annual or perennial plants and ground cover. Large expanses of mulch are to be avoided.

2.

All landscaping shall be maintained in a healthy and attractive condition during winter and summer seasons. Maintenance programs shall be established as part of new development approvals to ensure that private landscaping is adequately cared for and that its value is retained over time.

3.

Evergreens, berming, and other "vertical" landscaping elements shall be used to screen intense commercial activity from adjacent residential properties.

4.

All landscaping within and adjacent to the public right-of-way shall be compatible with existing plant materials in the area and be composed of native and salt-tolerant species.

5.

Any outdoor seating areas, such as those provided by restaurants or cafes, shall be well-landscaped and incorporated into the overall site design. Outdoor seating areas shall be set back and screened from parking areas and driving aisles.

(Ord. 07-31 § 17 (part), 2007)

(Ord. No. 09-14, § 6, 4-7-2009; Ord. No. 11-36, §§ 6, 7, 8-2-2011; Ord. No. 23-20, § 2, 6-6-2023)

A.

Building Structure and Design.

1.

Rough-sawed wood, aluminum panels and siding, and plastic or metal panels are prohibited within the Old Town area.

2.

The fourth stories of buildings, if permitted within the Old Town area, shall be stepped back to soften the bulk and visual scale of the building.

3.

Exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS) or dryvit are prohibited within the Old Town area.

4.

Dark, mirrored, reflective glass, or glass block is not permitted.

5.

Sloped mansard style (shake or shingle) roofs are prohibited within the Old Town area.

6.

Back-lit awnings and canopies, shingle and mansard canopies, and metal and plastic awnings are prohibited within the Old Town area.

7.

Walls shall be constructed of materials matching the primary building.

8.

All utility cables shall be underground.

9.

Outdoor storage facilities, if permitted and provided, shall be completely screened from view along sidewalks and roadways through the use of masonry walls and evergreen plantings.

10.

All refuse containment areas shall be located to the rear of buildings and provided with solid access doors or gates.

11.

Screening of utility meters, transformers and similar hardware, mechanical equipment, such as air conditioning condensers and PVC vents, and/or other potentially unattractive places from view from any street, sidewalk, or adjacent property shall be accomplished by the use of walls, fencing, berms and/or planting.

12.

Dumpsters, refuse areas, and containers shall be completely screened from view along sidewalks and roadways. Dumpster enclosures on all lots developed after September 1, 2011 shall be screened through the use of masonry walls and evergreen plantings. On lots developed with a primary structure prior to September 1, 2011 and which do not have a masonry dumpster enclosure, service dumpster facilities shall be completely screened from view along sidewalks and roadways through the use of masonry walls or wooden fencing or chain-link fencing with privacy slats. For all chain-link enclosures, the privacy slats shall be high-density polyethylene plastic slats (or an equivalent material) capable of providing not less than ninety-eight (98) percent screening, and any missing or broken slats shall be replaced promptly. Metal or fabric slats shall be prohibited for chain-link fence dumpster enclosures.

B.

Lighting.

1.

Light fixtures shall be designed and oriented to produce minimal glare, nuisance, and spillover onto neighboring properties.

2.

Exterior lighting sources shall be concealed with baffles or shields to provide direct illumination; where concealment is not practical, light fixtures should be compatible with overall storefront design.

3.

Spotlighting is prohibited for commercial buildings within the Old Town area.

C.

Signs.

1.

Exterior signs shall be limited to business identification and description. Signs for special promotions, sales, products, and advertising signs are discouraged.

2.

Pole signs and internally illuminated box signs are prohibited in the Old Town area.

D.

Parking.

1.

Parking lots shall have curbed perimeters.

2.

Landscaped islands and clearly marked pedestrian pathways are required within the interior of parking areas.

3.

Parking lot lighting should consist of vehicular scale lighting and pedestrian scale lighting. Excessive lighting and light pollution shall be avoided.

4.

Parking lot landscaping shall include "landscape islands" at a ratio of approximately one per ten to15 parking spaces. Landscape islands shall consist of canopy trees (minimum two and one-half inches in caliper), attractive groundcover, and/or decorative bushes (minimum three feet in height).

E.

Screening.

1.

Chain link fencing is prohibited within the Old Town area.

2.

Plant screening shall be equally effective in the winter and summer seasons.

3.

Fencing should complement the architectural and landscaping designs on the site.

4.

Screening utility, maintenance, refuse, and/or other potentially unattractive places from view from any street, sidewalk, or adjacent property shall be accomplished by the use of walls, berms, fencing, and/or planting.

5.

Plant screening shall be equally effective in the winter and summer seasons.

6.

Fencing should complement the architectural and landscaping designs on the site.

(Ord. 07-31 § 17 (part), 2007)

(Ord. No. 11-36, § 8, 8-2-2011)

A.

Building and Structure Design.

1.

All dumpsters, refuse areas, and containers shall be screened. On all lots developed after September 1, 2011, dumpster enclosures for light industrial/business park and industrial area uses shall be of masonry construction, shall complement the overall building design, and shall be screened with landscaping. On lots developed with a primary structure prior to September 1, 2011 and which do not have a masonry dumpster enclosure, dumpster enclosures for light industrial/business park and industrial area uses shall be of masonry construction or wooden fencing or chain-link fencing with privacy slats, shall complement the overall building design, and shall be screened with landscaping. For all chain-link enclosures, the privacy slats shall be high-density polyethylene plastic slats (or an equivalent material) capable of providing not less than ninety-eight (98) percent screening, and any missing or broken slats shall be replaced promptly. Metal or fabric slats shall be prohibited for chain-link fence dumpster enclosures.

2.

Rooftop-mounted equipment, vents, and mechanical fixtures shall be screened from views along the street. Rooftop screening shall be incorporated into the overall design of the building and be an integral part of its architecture.

3.

All utility cables shall be underground.

4.

All refuse containment areas shall be located to the rear of buildings and provided with solid access doors or gates.

B.

Lighting.

1.

Lighting shall be used to illuminate entries, signage, displays, and pedestrian and parking areas and all means of vehicular ingress/egress for overall security and visibility.

2.

Overspill lighting into adjacent properties is prohibited.

C.

Signage. Pylon signs, billboards, and other "off-premises" signs are prohibited.

D.

Landscaping.

1.

Property shall be landscaped in a manner that screens parking and unattractive uses, and enhances building visibility.

2.

Outdoor storage areas, where permitted, should be screened with either solid privacy fencing or masonry construction that complements the overall building design and materials, as well as landscaping so as to completely shield view of items being stored.

3.

All landscaping shall be maintained in a healthy and attractive condition during winter and summer seasons. Maintenance programs shall be established as part of new development approvals to ensure that private landscaping is adequately cared for and that its value is retained over time. Large expanses of mulch are to be avoided.

4.

Evergreens, berming, and other "vertical" landscaping elements shall be used to screen intense industrial activity from adjacent properties.

(Ord. 07-31 § 17 (part), 2007)

(Ord. No. 09-14, § 7, 4-7-2009; Ord. No. 11-36, § 9, 8-2-2011)