Southeast Urbana Overlay District

Boundary of the Southeast Urbana Overlay District

The Southeast Urbana Overlay District is an area generally bounded by Colorado Avenue to the north; Philo Road to the east; East Harding Drive and East Mumford Drive to the south; and Fletcher Street, Bruce Drive, and Anderson Street to the west.  For the exact boundaries of the Southeast Overlay District, please see map above.

Intent

The Intent of the Southeast Urbana Overlay District is to improve the quality of life within the District and in the surrounding neighborhood, specific environmental design standards are established and which apply to certain properties in the District. These standards are referred to as the Guidelines for Construction. The guidelines for construction focus on four key areas: Natural Surveillance, Maintenance, Territoriality, and Accessibility.  They apply only to multiple family residential principal use structures within the District.  Lower density residential and commercial principal use structures are exempt.

Purposes

The Purposes of the Southeast Urbana Overlay District area as follows:

1. To ensure that planning and development are consistent with the goals and objectives of the Urbana Comprehensive Plan, particularly as this plan relates to the protection of neighborhoods.
2. To protect the health, life, safety and welfare of the residents residing within and nearby the District.
3. To ensure that any new development or substantive redevelopment is constructed so as to be compatible with the fabric and character of the surrounding neighborhood.
4. To build residential pride through the promotion of development and redevelopment that residents and visitors recognize as being of a high quality.
5. To encourage the incorporation of design elements in new developments and redevelopments that contributes to and improves the functionality and appearance of the area.
6. To protect property owners’ investments in the area by encouraging the timely and appropriate maintenance of property within the District.
7. To preserve and enhance the overall quality and condition of the neighborhood.
8. To prevent and ameliorate any evidence of blight within the area.

Guidelines for Construction (Section XIII-8.E of the Urbana Zoning Ordinance)

Generally. The provisions of the City of Urbana Zoning Ordinance, as amended, apply to all new construction, major additions, and major renovations of multiple-family residential structures in the Southeast Urbana District, except as otherwise stated or modified in this section. The following are Guidelines for Construction:

1. Pedestrian Access Networks and Points. Development patterns that are appropriate and of human scale for pedestrians shall be promoted. Access provisions that are connected and continuous without the need to cross barriers to and from sidewalks, carports, parking lots, bus stops, entrances and exits of buildings shall be ensured.
2. Landscaping and Screening. Each Special Use Permit application shall include a landscape plan indicating the type, number, size and location of trees, shrubs and any other landscaping features to be retained or provided. The use of low maintenance landscaping is encouraged. Placement of landscape materials should be such that it does not interfere with sight lines. For example, shrubs should be no higher than three (3) feet tall and tree canopies shall be no lower than eight (8) feet, especially around entryways and windows.
3. Facades.  Blank facades should be avoided in order to encourage natural surveillance of the area. As a general guideline, no more than one third of a façade should be blank. In addition, windows that look out on streets and alleys should not be blocked by landscaping.
4. Lighting. Lighting shall be appropriately placed and oriented and should not result in excessive shadow or glare. For example, pedestrian access networks should not have unnecessarily tall, upwards-facing lighting. Lighting fixtures should be well spaced and kept in good working order. Alleys, walkways, and parking lots should be well lit. Lighting should be placed in outdoor common spaces and apartment lobbies and should reflect the intended hours of operation. Motion sensing lights are optimal for these common areas. (Refer to Section VI-8 Outdoor Lighting Requirements for more detailed lighting standards.)
5. Entrances/ Exits. Entrances and exits should be clearly visible and well-lit both internally and externally, without excessive shadow or glare. Entrances and exits should be located such that they can be clearly legible from the street. Signage should be clearly legible from the street, with lobbies that are visible from the outside. Recessed doorways should be avoided.
6. Public versus Private Spaces.  A thoughtful separation between public and private property should be created, taking into consideration fencing, landscaping, screening and sight lines. These distinctions may be made using features such as low walls, fencing, seating, landscape features, and changes of material and texture. Unnecessarily high fences and “keep out” signs should be avoided.
7. Materials. The use of context appropriate, durable and low-maintenance building materials are encouraged. Materials should also be graffiti and vandalism-resistant.
8. Natural Imperatives. Additional items not listed herein should be considered to promote healthy behaviors and reduce mental fatigue. These can include such measures as providing adequate natural lighting, ventilation for fresh air, additional, landscaping, and access to water features. In addition, proximity to bus stop locations, provision of tenant amenities, and access to exercise equipment can improve health outcomes.
9. Security. The installation of appropriately placed security cameras is encouraged, such as in stairwells and elevators and other locations where sight lines may be blocked or which may feel isolated. Elements should be employed which help to clearly define private property from the public domain. When considering fencing, medium to low heights and use of transparent durable materials should be considered.

Important:  A special use permit shall be required for any development in the Southeast Urbana Overlay District which involves:  a) Construction of a new principal use multiple-family residential structure; b) Increasing the building footprint or the floor area ratio of an existing multiple-family residential structure by more than 15%; or Renovations of a multiple-family residential structure that would result in an estimated construction cost of more than 50% of the current estimated market value of the improvements on the property, as calculated by the Champaign County Assessor.

Assistance

If you have Planning and/or Zoning related questions or require assistance, please contact the Planning Division staff by email at Planning [at] urbanaillinois.us (Planning[at]urbanail[dot]gov)