The City of Urbana has three areas with specific design review requirements: one zoning district and two design review overlay districts, each with its own set of guidelines.
Mixed Office Residential (MOR) Zoning District
This district covers a significant portion of Elm Street and Green Street. Its purpose is to review and approve or disapprove site plans for new structures and land uses within the MOR Zoning District, excluding cases where an existing structure is being adaptively reused.
The Design Review Board has the following objectives for reviewing applications in the MOR, Mixed Office-Residential Zoning District:
- Encourage compatibility by minimizing impacts between proposed land uses and the surrounding area
- Encourage the design of new construction to be compatible with the neighborhood's visual and aesthetic character through design guidelines
- Determine if proposed development plans meet the intent of the MOR Zoning District
Lincoln-Busey Corridor Design Review Overlay District
This district serves as a framework for understanding and evaluating the design of both new construction and renovation projects within the corridor. The aim is to facilitate future growth in the Lincoln-Busey Corridor while maintaining compatibility with the existing built environment. It also helps transition from the larger-scale buildings near Lincoln Avenue to the single-family homes in the West Urbana Neighborhood to the east.
East Urbana Design Review Overlay District
The East Urbana Design Review Overlay District is designed to assist property owners and designers when planning changes to non-single-family residences, including multi-family residential buildings, duplexes, commercial structures, and institutional buildings. This district is generally bordered by South Urbana Avenue, East Elm Street, Grove Street, East Main Street, South Webber Street, East Green Street, South Maple Street, and East Illinois Street.
The accompanying design guidelines offer a consistent framework for the Design Review Board to make decisions during project reviews. These guidelines aim to acknowledge and preserve the distinctive character of the Historic East Urbana Neighborhood and act as a visual transition zone between the Central Business District (downtown) and the adjacent residential neighborhood.