Missing Middle Housing Zoning & Development

The city began an extensive engagement process with the In-Town neighborhood. Planning and Development staff held two neighborhood meetings that invited residents to share what design aspects of existing buildings they liked or found attractive, and which aspects of building design they did not like or would change. A resident working group then participated in six additional meetings over several months to help draft the new zoning district. The process included:

• Reviewing existing regulations, project goals, and ground rules.
• Reviewing revised zoning district descriptions, purpose statements, and land use regulations.
• Establishing clear zoning development standards for building height, setbacks, building footprint, lot coverage, and parking requirements.
• Establishing objective multifamily building design standards that addressed building orientation, exterior materials, fenestration and window glazing, landscaping, and roof pitch.
• Reviewing a complete package of zoning amendments with the resident group.

Although the process extended 90 days beyond the original 180-day goal, the initial timeline expectation helped maintain momentum. Concurrently, City staff also met with local developers and architects to better understand how regulations would impact project feasibility.

The resulting In-Town Development Standards take a new approach by focusing regulations on building size and design rather than density. Key features include:

• Maximum building footprints and lot coverage requirements work in tandem to encourage multiple house-scale buildings instead of long apartment blocks when multiple parcels are assembled.
• Design standards require street-facing facades, covered entrances with sidewalk connections, high-quality materials, and thoughtful approaches to windows and roofs.
• Reduced parking requirements of ¼ space per bedroom allowed for increased financial feasibility for new projects while better reflecting the In-Town neighborhood’s walkability, proximity to Downtown, access to robust transit services, and availability of on-street parking.

Because building size is carefully regulated, density limits (lot area per dwelling and dwelling units per acre) were removed, allowing developers flexibility to respond to market demand and site conditions. The standards were also designed to be straightforward to administer. All new construction is reviewed through a by-right building permit and zoning review process. The City of Champaign does not have a design review board.

In reflecting on the project, City leaders noted the benefit of setting clear expectations with neighborhood stakeholders about project goals, scope, and the need for an efficient process to review draft zoning regulations.