General: These districts are the City's primary single-family detached residential districts. They permit a wide range of residential living styles and encourage a variety of housing types.

Character: These districts allow a low to moderate density of development. They are characterized by a balance between the landscape and built environment with on-site landscaping and tree-lined streets that shelter the buildings. Open space and low impervious surface ratios characterize the built environment.

Uses: These districts are planned for residential neighborhoods, with a range of housing types to meet all residential needs. Complementary uses such as certain civic and open uses are permitted, but are subject to restrictions set forth in this Ordinance to preserve the residential nature of these districts.

General: This district is to encourage diverse functioning neighborhoods by allowing two-family dwellings while still permitting detached single-family dwellings.

Character: This district allows for a moderate density of development with characteristics similar to single-family neighborhoods. It is characterized by moderate impervious surface ratios.

Uses: This district is for residential neighborhoods, while encouraging a variety of housing types to meet one and two-family residential needs. Complementary uses such as certain civic and recreational uses are permitted, but are subject to restrictions set forth in this Ordinance to preserve the residential nature of these districts.

General: This district allows the highest density of residential development. It encourages a wide range of housing types, especially multifamily development, even though single-family detached and two-family dwellings are also allowed, to meet the diverse housing needs of City residents. The intent is to provide higher density housing in areas immediately around the historic downtown, areas near commercial zoning or areas near transit stops where increased density and in-fill development are desirable.

Character: This district is characterized by residential buildings that cover a large percentage of the lot, are taller and spaced closely enough to create a sense of vertical enclosure.

Uses: This district is for higher density residential neighborhoods that meet the community's housing needs, particularly for higher density and in-fill housing development. Single-family and two-family dwellings are also permitted. Complementary uses such as certain civic and recreational uses are permitted, but are subject to restrictions set forth in this Ordinance.

General: The purpose of this district is to establish a shared residential and office area without creating unduly heavy vehicle traffic or noxious uses while continuing to promote stability of residential development and strengthen the economic base of the City. Contemplated areas for this zoning district are the City's Downtown District and areas surrounding the Virginia Street Corridor.

Character: The district is characterized by single-family residential structures with interior and exterior conversions for a business use.

Uses: This district is intended for a single-family use with full-time residential inhabitants with a first floor office use, which could include real estate, mortgage lender, lawyer, medical office, or other office use.

General: This district is intended as the primary office district. It reflects the character of an employment area and uses found in a campus-like or parklike setting.

Character: This district is generally characterized by large areas of parking and larger buildings. Landscape buffers and landscaped parking areas are required to soften the impact of these uses. Architectural and design controls are intended to encourage and require a more attractive office park environment.

Uses: This district is intended to provide for a full range of office uses.

General: This district is a neighborhood-oriented commercial district where the use is expected to serve the immediate neighborhood, rather than multiple neighborhoods, City-wide or region-wide.

Character: This district is characterized by a balance between the landscape and buildings with landscape softening the impact of the commercial use. Development in this district is consistent with the neighborhood scale and form, and compatible with surrounding uses through setbacks, height limitations, bulk and other dimensional standards and controls on lighting.

Uses: This district is intended to create neighborhood commercial areas. It is not intended for highway-oriented businesses or businesses of community or regional scale.

General: This district is the City's primary commercial district. It accommodates highway service uses and community or regional commercial, office and service uses.

Character: This district is characterized by a large amount of parking, which often exceeds the building coverage. Landscape buffers and landscaped parking areas are required to soften the impact of such commercial uses on neighbors and to make the streetscape more attractive. Architectural and other design controls are intended to encourage and require more attractive buildings and avoid visual degradation caused by very large buildings with large blank walls and no building articulation or design elements.

Uses: This district is intended to provide for a full range of commercial uses.

General: The purpose of this district is to establish an area of controlled land use practices for commercial centers that promote a unique setting with links to amenities and transportation, which include a mix of commercial uses and high-density residential uses. Contemplated areas for this district include the City's Downtown District and other areas that meet the City's land use policies and goals.

Character: The district is characterized by a town-center feel with a variety of uses, including hotels and convention centers, recreation and entertainment uses, transportation stops, high-density residential, and commercial and service uses.

Uses: This district is intended for mixed-use areas. A live/work environment that supports retail, service, restaurant, office and residential uses. The projects can be vertically or horizontally integrated as a mixed-use building. Also, sites can contain multiple standalone buildings, which provide for the integration of these uses.

General: This district is for "clean" (low environmental impact) industrial uses that are compatible with neighboring residential, office and commercial districts.

Character: This district is characterized by large-scale buildings, exterior storage of materials, and/or exposed equipment. To mitigate impacts on the City's visual character and to ensure a high-quality industrial park setting, landscape buffers, architectural and design controls are established.

Uses: This district is intended for industrial uses such as commercial light fabrication, assembly, warehouse, distribution and storage activities as well as associated office uses and certain other uses that are incidental to the principal ones.

General: This district is the primary heavy industrial district, serving uses that are visually obtrusive, generate nuisances such as noise and odors, or have excessive exterior operations or storage of equipment and materials.

Character: This district is characterized by large-scale buildings, exterior storage of materials, and/or exposed equipment. Landscape buffers, architectural and design controls are required to mitigate impacts on the City's visual character.

Uses: This district is intended to provide for heavy industrial uses with high nuisance potential.

General: The purpose of the watershed district is to establish an area of controlled land use practices and management policies designed to protect the water quality and the natural recharge conditions of Crystal Lake in accordance with the Crystal Lake Watershed Stormwater Management Design Manual. By protecting the water quality and natural recharge flows of Crystal Lake, the recreation and aesthetic conditions of the lake will be maintained and the natural beauty and processes of the lake will be preserved.

Character: This district is intended to retain its natural character upon full development utilizing conservation design principles.

Uses: This is special area where site specific analysis of soils and groundwater levels will guide and determine a variety of land uses that meet the general objectives and intent contained in the Northwest Sub-area Plan, as adopted and amended, to be developed as a watershed planned unit development. The high ratios of open space for various forms of development clustering are intended to allow natural environments, agriculture and preservation of recognized natural resources in this land area. All uses must be consistent with the protection of the watershed.

General: This district is primarily for agricultural uses while allowing low-intensity residential development with the goal of guiding intense urban land use away from the rural areas surrounding the community. The Farming district is also intended to provide an appropriate location for adult uses.

Character: This district is intended to retain a rural/countryside character upon development. The character is ensured by a combination of low-density development and/or extreme clustering with a high level of open space to achieve densities.

Uses: Residential uses in this district are expected to be accessory to agricultural uses. Various forms of development clustering are intended to allow natural environments or agriculture to occupy a majority of the land area.

General: This overlay district is intended to protect the critical resources within the City by incorporating into development design techniques including, but not limited to:

Character: This district is intended to retain its natural features upon development. This character is ensured by encouraging a more efficient form of development that preserves more open space and natural resources and conforms to existing topography and natural features better than a conventional development.

Uses: This district is intended to allow for a wide range of uses that meet the general objectives and intent contained in the Northwest Sub-area Plan, as adopted and amended, to be developed as a watershed planned unit development. Uses will be reviewed and approved on a site specific basis by the City's watershed consultant and will be required to be developed as planned unit developments.

General: This overlay district is intended to allow a mix of retail, service, office and residential uses while maintaining and stimulating a pedestrian friendly environment. Mixed-use with second story residential or office uses is encouraged in this district.

Character: This district is characterized by a mix of uses along Virginia Street (Route 14 or Northwest Highway) which bisects the corridor. Zero front and side yard setbacks are essential to preserve the character that was established decades earlier within this corridor. Design Guidelines for development in the Virginia Street Corridor are included in the Appendix.[1]

Uses: This district is intended to encourage and require mixed use. Retail, and service uses are desired on the street level. The second level will allow for office and residential uses.

General: This district is intended to preserve the character of existing residential neighborhoods that were developed under prior zoning districts that no longer exist or of platted areas that were or may now be nonconforming. It is the intent of this overlay district to promote development that is compatible with the character of these areas, such that residents within these areas are not required to seek variations to improve housing that was conforming to the regulations in place when the area was platted. It is also intended to address areas platted prior to zoning, as applicable. This district provides for in-fill lots and may not be used to zone vacant land.

Character: This district is characterized by distinctive, unique residential neighborhoods with mature landscaping that shelters the buildings. To maintain the character of existing development within the district, standards for building setbacks, building heights, lot coverage, appearance (e.g., roof pitch, materials, shape/alignment of windows and doors, presence of front porches, etc.) and district-specific design standards will be applicable to redevelopment or in-fill development in this district.

Uses: The district is intended to preserve the general character and appearance of the existing residential development by discouraging residential development that is grossly out of character with the immediate neighborhood and the conversion of residential lots to other uses.

General: This overlay district is intended to maintain and enhance the character of the Three Oaks Recreation Area ("Three Oaks") and its immediate environs. Three Oaks is a high-quality public recreation facility that serves as a destination within the City of Crystal Lake, attracting thousands of visitors per year from a wide area. Visitors to Three Oaks support a range of retail activities within the immediate vicinity, particularly the area along and near Route 14 and Main Street. Three Oaks also offers nearby employees a convenient and desirable recreational amenity that enhances the neighborhood's desirability as an employment hub. The positive impacts of Three Oaks help to enhance and maintain property values within this district. It is in the intent of the Three Oaks PUD Overlay District to promote orderly and high-quality development that is compatible with the character and use of Three Oaks, consistent with and complementary of the area's recreational uses and amenities, and supportive of a strong and stable tax base.

Character: This district is primarily characterized by the presence of Three Oaks, associated recreational activities and amenities, and a range of complementary retail, service, commercial, and other uses consistent with the applicable underlying zoning districts. Due to its unique recreational amenities, this district serves as a hub for tourism, employment, and retail activity within the City. Accordingly, development and redevelopment should be well-planned and high-quality, incorporating unique designs that are contextually appropriate and visually appealing. Development should include features and amenities that complement the district's recreational and pedestrian-friendly character such as bike racks, sidewalks, and outdoor seating areas.

Uses and development: This district is intended to accommodate a balanced mix of uses in accordance with the underlying zoning designations in a manner that is compatible with the area's character and planning goals. Development and redevelopment within this district should be subject to planned development review to ensure that site layout and design, building architecture, mix of uses, infrastructure and amenities, and other features are consistent with the district's character and goals.