Homeowners on blocks currently restricted to detached single-family houses could eventually see duplexes, townhomes, and small apartment buildings next door. The Oak Park Village Board has scheduled a vote for Tuesday, July 28, to set a policy direction on eliminating single-family zoning village-wide.

The vote would not immediately rewrite the zoning code. Development Services Director Craig Failor told the board at its Tuesday, June 16, meeting that the July 28 decision would set the policy direction before a formal legal hearing process begins on any ordinance changes.

Where trustees stand

The board is divided. Trustee Jim Taglia is the only member who has called for a binding referendum before any vote, arguing at the June 16 meeting that major decisions should not be rushed and that many residents still misunderstand the proposal. Trustees Cory Wesley, Brian Straw, and Derek Eder support moving forward with the zoning change. All three are up for re-election in April 2027.

Wesley argued at the Tuesday, May 19, board meeting that many of Oak Park's beloved multifamily buildings were built before zoning laws restricted them, meaning current rules prevent recreating the neighborhood character some residents want to preserve. At the Tuesday, June 23, meeting, Straw emphasized the need to address housing affordability and increase supply, while Eder said the village can tackle affordability through local policies including zoning reform.

Wesley has also characterized the current zoning code as exclusionary and warned that further delays could push a final decision into 2027.

Outreach under scrutiny

Some residents have pushed back publicly. Nancy and Mark Slatker, Oak Park homeowners, wrote in a Tuesday, July 14, letter to the Wednesday Journal that they learned about the proposal from an anonymous letter in their mailbox.

"How is that a legitimate sample of a village of roughly 54,000?" the Slatkers wrote, referring to the 215 survey responses and 65 focus group participants the village collected during its outreach process.

That outreach included pop-up events in December 2025, two sessions on March 2 and March 4, and a now-closed online survey. The board approved a $128,000 amendment on June 16 to its contract with planning consultant Opticos Design, Inc. for additional outreach, economic feasibility work, and a zoning comparison tool.

According to the most recent U.S. Census, single-family homes make up only 39.6% of Oak Park's housing units, meaning most of the village is already built as multifamily.

What comes next

The village board meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, in Council Chambers, Room 201, at Village Hall. Residents who want to weigh in can attend and speak during public comment. The specific ordinance number for the zoning vote has not yet been posted to the board's agenda.