Oak Park's village board will vote Tuesday, July 28, on whether to accept a consultant's recommendation to replace the village's 1921 single-family zoning framework with new district categories that permit duplexes, townhomes, and small apartment buildings.

Accepting the recommendation does not change any zoning. It sends the "Shape Oak Park" proposal from consultant Opticos Design to the Plan Commission, launching a months-long public process before any code is rewritten.

What Opticos proposes

The recommendation would update Oak Park's zoning code to allow multi-unit housing — types between single-family homes and large apartment complexes — in areas where only detached single-family homes are permitted. Specific changes include replacing the term "family" with "unit" in district designations and creating new neighborhood district categories.

The village board approved an additional $128,000 contract amendment with Opticos on Tuesday, June 16, for economic feasibility analysis, expanded outreach, and an online property-comparison tool that will let homeowners see how the proposed changes could affect their specific parcel, according to village board minutes.

Trustee Jenna Leving Jacobson said at the July 21 meeting that she is committed to pairing any zoning changes with an updated inclusionary housing ordinance, citing concerns that zoning reform alone will not guarantee affordable units. Trustee Cory Wesley noted at the June 16 meeting that Oak Park's existing Inclusionary Housing Ordinance has generated nearly $5 million and funded more than 10,000 months of affordable rent, supporting 86 affordable units with 64 more in the pipeline.

The referendum vote

Trustees voted 5-1 on Tuesday, July 21, to reject an advisory referendum that would have put the zoning question to voters. Trustee James Taglia cast the sole vote in favor of holding a referendum. Trustees Brian Straw, Derek Eder, Leving Jacobson, and Wesley voted against. Village President Vicki Scaman was absent.

More than 20 residents spoke during public comment, most favoring a referendum, according to the Wednesday Journal's account of the meeting. Taglia argued the change is too significant to bypass voters.

"Let's be the board that trusts and listens to the people of Oak Park," Taglia said. "Let's be the board that recognizes the difference between ordinary policy decisions and foundational ones."

Straw, Eder, and Leving Jacobson countered that a yes-or-no ballot question cannot capture the nuance of a zoning rewrite, and that public hearings offer deeper engagement. Wesley said Illinois law assigns zoning authority to the board, not voters, and noted that past advisory referendums have not always been followed. Village Attorney Greg Smith confirmed at the July 14 board meeting that a binding referendum on this zoning issue is not possible under the Illinois Constitution.

What happens next

If the board votes to accept the recommendation on July 28, it goes to the Plan Commission. Village Manager Kevin Jackson said at the July 21 meeting that there will be at least four public engagement meetings around the village and online before the commission begins its own hearings. Village staff are also planning a postcard mailing to every Oak Park household, Development Services Director Craig Failor told the board on June 16.

An official decision on whether to adopt the zoning changes is not expected until October 2026.