Property owners across Oak Park will get their first look at how the village's proposed zoning overhaul moves through the formal review process when the Plan Commission meets Thursday, August 6 at 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 123 Madison St.

The nine-member commission is scheduled to begin its review of the Shape Oak Park proposal, which would replace the village's century-old single-family zoning designations with consolidated "neighborhood zones" allowing duplexes, two-flats, townhomes, and small apartment buildings on lots currently restricted to single-family homes.

The Village Board unanimously referred the proposal to the Plan Commission on Tuesday, July 28, in a meeting that stretched past 1 a.m., according to the Wednesday Journal.

"Single-family homes in Oak Park stay, and homeowners keep the right to live in, to sell, to expand, and to rebuild their homes just as they can today," Marisa Schulz, principal at the urban planning firm All Together, said at the July 28 meeting. "What does change is the zoning map, residential districts, and what we are recommending consolidate into neighborhood zones, allowing additional home types like two flats and duplexes that already exist."

What's changing

The proposal, developed by consulting firm Opticos Design and All Together, would not eliminate single-family homes. Homeowners would retain the right to sell, expand, or rebuild. The shift is in what neighbors could build next door: the new zones would permit housing types that already dot Oak Park's blocks but are currently nonconforming under a zoning ordinance dating to 1921.

Craig Failor, Oak Park's development services director, has been leading community engagement on the project. A Zoning Comparison Tool is being developed to let property owners see how the changes could affect their specific parcels.

Timeline ahead

The August 6 meeting is a preliminary step. The Village Manager's weekly report outlines six community workshops planned for late summer and early fall, each featuring a presentation and open-house access to the comparison tool. The first is projected for Thursday, August 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Recreation Center on Madison Street.

After those workshops wrap up, the Plan Commission will hold a formal public hearing tentatively set for Thursday, September 17. Village Manager Kevin Jackson said in July that at least four public engagement meetings will take place before the commission begins those hearings.

A final Village Board decision is not expected until October.

What property owners should watch

The village was recently featured on the cover of Northern Illinois Real Estate magazine, which reaches more than 12,000 readers in the real estate, contracting, and lending industries. That visibility underscores the attention the zoning proposal is drawing from investors and developers beyond Oak Park's borders.

The board's July 21 vote against an advisory referendum on the proposal — 5-1, with Trustee James Taglia casting the lone vote in favor — means the Plan Commission and Village Board process is the only formal path for public input on the changes.

Residents can find project updates, a survey, and the forthcoming comparison tool at www.engageoakpark.com/shape.