WELCOME!

McHenry County has begun the process of revising and updating its current Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations and other development regulations, and integrating them into a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). To create an effective UDO, the County is eager to work with the public and various stakeholder groups throughout the process to ensure that needs and concerns are addressed appropriately.

AUGUST 2011

Public Open House: Technical Review Memorandum - August 16

On Tuesday August 16th, the County will host a public open house on the Technical Review Memorandum from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Everyone is invited to attend for an overview of the memorandum. There will be no formal presentation. Instead, attendees can visit "stations" for main topic areas, such as administration or zoning districts, where the big ideas for each topic will be displayed, and a presenter available to answer questions and take comments.

We will also present an executive summary of the Technical Review Memorandum to the County Board following the open house at 7pm.

View the County's Press Release

JULY 2011

Review of Technical Review Memorandum - July 21
Two-Part Review

The second part of the review of the Technical Review Memorandum will take place on July 21st. This meeting will cover districts and site development standards.

See the "Materials" page of this site to download a PDF copy of the report. A copy of the PowerPoint presented at the July 7th meeting is also available on the "Materials" page.

JULY 2011

Review of Technical Review Memorandum - July 7
Two-Part Review

The Planning and Development Committee and the Zoning Board of Appeals will review the Technical Review Memorandum (June 2011) on July 7th. This memorandum outlines the findings of the technical review of the McHenry County ordinances that will be consolidated into a new Unified Development Ordinance, performed by the consultant team. The purpose of this review is three-fold. First, the review provides our understanding of the current development regulations. Second, it allows for the identification of additional problems and issues not identified during initial meetings and interviews with County staff and stakeholders. Third, it allows for the introduction and discussion of concepts and regulatory approaches that will set direction for substantive revisions to be included in the new UDO.

This review will take place in two parts. The meetings on July 7th will introduce the memorandum and summarize the proposed revisions to administrative provisions. The second meeting, currently scheduled for July 21st, will cover districts and site development standards.

See the "Materials" page of this site to download a PDF copy of the report.

MARCH 2011

Public Workshop - April 6th
Introduction to the McHenry County Unified Development Ordinance Project

WE NEED YOUR INPUT!

You are invited to a public workshop on April 6th to provide feedback for the McHenry County Unified Development Ordinance project. This project will update and combine the County's Zoning, Subdivision, Sign, and miscellaneous development regulations into a new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The UDO will regulate all aspects of development in unincorporated areas of the County. The UDO will help implement the County's 2030 Comprehensive Plan and Water Resources Action Plan.

The project consultant, Camiros, Ltd, has conducted key informant interviews with representatives of local governments, real estate interests, agricultural interests, and environmental interests, who utilize the County's existing regulations on a regular basis. Your input will help the County understand the land use issues that are important to residents and property owners.

The public workshop will be held from 6:00 PM to 8:45 PM. A brief presentation will be provided at 6:00 PM and repeated at 7:20 PM. The presentation will provide a description of the scope of the project, an overview of the process, and a summary of land use issues identified through the key informant interviews. Following each presentation, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments.

When: Wednesday, April 6, 2011 - 6:00pm to 8:45 pm
Where: McHenry County Administration Building
Conference Rooms A/B
667 Ware Road
Woodstock, IL 60068

For more information about the UDO project, including an opportunity to review comments provided during the key informant interviews, visit the "Materials" page of the website. Click on the following linkages to read more about the County's 2030 Comprehensive Plan www.mchenrycounty2030plan.com and Water Resources Action Plan www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/waterresources.

For additional information, please contact Dennis Sandquist, Director of Planning and Development, at 815-334-4560.

FEBRUARY 2011

A summary of the Key Stakeholder Interviews has been posted on the materials page of this site that summarizes the key issues and concerns we heard from stakeholders during our February interviews. Thank you to everyone who participated.

JANUARY 2011

Introduction

The McHenry County Board has determined that, with the adoption of the new Comprehensive Plan, that it is time to update the County's zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations and related development regulations to create a single Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The County has hired the consulting firm of Camiros, Ltd. to assist in the update project. Camiros will work closely with staff to ensure that the final project reflects the future development goals of the County.

This UDO will be the County's key tool for implementing many of the policies contained in the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan as it will regulate the use of land, the siting and bulk of new structures, and other development controls, like conservation design. A good UDO is, among other things, dependant upon a careful understanding of existing patterns of land use, development and ownership, as well as agreement as to how the policies of the Plan are interpreted and applied across the County. Informed input of interested residents and businesses within the County is needed so that all points of view can be considered as ordinance revisions are made.

This process will allow numerous opportunities for public input. We enocurage you to check this website for information on the UDO's progress, notices of public meetings, and downloads of memorandums and drafts.

In addition, the following list of Frequently Asked Questions about zoning and other ordinances provides additional information about this project and development regulations in general.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is zoning?
Zoning regulates how land is used, where a structure may locate on a lot, and how tall and large that structure can be. It also regulates other elements of site development, such as accessory structures, temporary uses, parking, landscaping and signs. Zoning regulations are divided into zoning districts, so that use, bulk, yard and development regulations are tailored to the character of the particular zoning district.

What is subdivision?
Subdivision regulations provide the rules for dividing up land into buildable lots as well as the rules for street and access design, proper drainage, required utilities, and well and septic design that serve those lots. In addition, the subdivision regulations also contain the regulations for conservation design, which apply to proposed subdivisions that contain and/or abut sensitive natural resource areas.

What is a Unified Development Ordinance?
A Unified Development Ordinance combines zoning and subdivision regulations, as well as other County ordinances, such as the sign regulations, into a single ordinance. The UDO is the "rule book" for land development and building within the County. Currently these "rules" are contained in seperate ordinances in the County Code. The purpose of combining these and kindred ordinances is to assure consistency among development requirements, make it easier to develop land within the County, and to make sure that the County's review and approval processes are as complete and efficient as possible. The ordinance will also contain cross-references to other County Codes that are not part of the new UDO, such as the Stormwater Management Ordinance, to ensure that the user is aware of all applicable regulations.

What is the relationship between the Comprehensive Plan and the UDO?
The UDO is one of the key tools to implement the McHenry County Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan provides mapped and written policy about how land should be managed and how development upon the land should occur. The UDO takes these policies as its base and provides a set of development requirements, generally organized by zoning district, each containing specific regulations key to those policies. A zoning map identifies the location of these districts, thereby specifying the development requirements affecting each parcel of land within the County.

Does the UDO regulate land within the corporate limits of municipalities within the County?
No. The UDO regulates only land that is outside of municipal boundaries, generally referred to as the unincorporated County. Municipalities within McHenry County each have their own zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations.

How can I be involved in the new UDO? Where can I get more information?
The UDO development process provides several opportunities for direct citizen involvement. This website will post notice of those public meetings and will make all documents available for public review. Please check this website often!

MEETING ON TECHNICAL REVIEW MEMORANDUM FINDINGS
Thursday, September 1
8:30am
Special Meeting of the Planning and Development Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals
McHenry County Administration Building
Conference Room
667 Ware Road, Woodstock IL
Meeting to discuss outstanding zoning direction issues