Warrenville, Illinois
Cantera Development Control Regulations

This project involved preparing a set of comprehensive development control regulations for a large-scale mixed-use development along the I-88 Corridor. Maintaining land use flexibility was a key objective of the project. While the mapped planned development zoning of the site granted wide flexibility, the challenge of the project was to incorporate the development rights granted by pre-existing zoning into a set of development regulations that allowed wide flexibility yet ensured development quality control.

To accomplish the project's objectives, an approach other than fixed mapped zoning districts or a standard planned development approval process was needed. The technique employed on the project established six categories of "use areas" - areas of like uses controlled by fixed design standards. The use areas were formulated to reflect state-of-the-art standards for developments such as office parks, industrial parks, institutional campuses, etc. The design standards for the use areas included yards, height, landscape design, signage, architectural controls and parking. The 600-acre site was also divided into eleven sectors. A menu of allowable use areas was established for each sector. In this way, the developer was granted significant discretion in location and quantity of various uses.

This project required extensive meeting between the City of Warrenville, Camiros, Ltd. and the developer, LaSalle Partners. Each aspect of development regulation was reviewed, discussed and compared to development industry standards. The result was a set of development standards that provided a level of quality control desired by both the city and the developer while avoiding excessive and unrealistic regulation.