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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Alex Voigt, Asst. Chief of Staff
Legal Department
Development Services - Zoning and Planning
DATE: September 20, 2018
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance repealing Resolutions R93-427 and R99-464 and Ordinance O87-5641 and O94-046 and re-establishing and amending Chapter 2, Article VI., Division 5. Entitled "Riverwalk Commission" to be renamed "The Foxwalk Overlay District Design Review Committee".
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this proposed amendment is to take two underutilized commissions and combine them into one with a similar scope and focus, but now aligned with the implementation of the new Master Plan for Downtown Aurora adopted by the city in 2017 (O17-080; attached).
BACKGROUND:
In 1987 the City of Aurora established the "Aurora Riverwalk Commission" (O87-5641; attached) to "advance economic development, promotion of recreational and leisure activities, beautification of the landscape and encouragement of pedestrian movement along the Fox River" and underwent an amendment regarding membership in 1994 (O94-046; attached).
In 1993, the City voted to accept the "FoxWalk Overlay District Intent, Rules and Regulations" (R93-427; attached) which established the "FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee" otherwise known as the DRC. The DRC underwent an amendment in 1999 regarding membership (R99-464; attached).
In August of 2006, the City Council approved the "Seize the Future Master Plan for Downtown Aurora", which provided a ten year plan and long term vision for downtown.
Lastly, in September of 2017, the Council approved "A Master Plan for Downtown Aurora", which was created in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) over a two year period. The most recent master plan utilized citizen input and successes from previous plans. Following the 2017 reorganization of city departments and key staff changes, the appropriate staff and departments are in place to focus on implementation of the new master plan.
DISCUSSION:
The Mayor's Office manages the administrative component of Boards and Commissions, of which there are currently approximately thirty (30). Over the past year, staff has committed to reviewing all of the various boards and commissions and making updates where necessary. For example, the membership numbers for Sustainable Aurora were reduced from twelve (12) to seven (7) based on feedback from staff and longtime members.
Following the initial approval of the Downtown Master Plan, staff requested to review the effectiveness of both the Riverwalk Commission and DRC. Six months ago, a committee comprised of members from the Mayor's Office, Legal and Planning & Preservation and Zoning began reviewing the establishing documents of both commissions in earnest. It was discovered the duties of the Riverwalk Commission, over its thirty-one years in existence, where being carried out largely by city departments. The DRC held up a bit better in terms of purpose, but was again essentially out of date.
The core values of the both have carried through all of the various master plans, which was an important point of consideration, but both plans are out of date and the Riverwalk Commission's general purposes are being carried out through other avenues. It was unanimously agreed upon that both commissions, while extremely valuable in their initial stages, would benefit from revisions. Closer review led to the conclusion that the two commissions would be most valuable to the implementation of the new master plan and downtown development as a whole if they were combined into one commission with streamlined tasks and duties.
It was determined for the sake of consistency and utilization/reference of the FoxWalk Plan, where appropriate, to propose the new commission carry on the DRC name. The revised DRC would assume any relevant duties of the Riverwalk Commission.
The suggested membership/bylaws are proposed to be consistent with other Planning & Development Boards/Commissions and include one (1) member of each of the following: Aurora Downtown, Aurora Public Art Commission, Bicycle, Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Board, Fox Valley Park District, the Historic Preservation Commission and also four (4) general members for a total of nine members. All members will follow the standard appointment process with nomination by the Mayor and subject to the approval of the City Council.
The organizations selected to appoint representatives were based off of the previous Riverwalk and DRC memberships as well as newer commissions that assist in fulfilling the goals established in the most recent Downtown Master Plan.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The proposed revision to Chapter 2 will have a positive impact on the ability of the City to work effectively with the community to implement the new Downtown Master Plan, and, create a more effective use for the DRC.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully requested this proposal be forwarded to the Tuesday, October 2, 2018 Committee of the Whole.
cc: Planning & Development Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
ORDINANCE NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
An Ordinance repealing Resolutions R93-427 and R99-464 and Ordinance O87-5641 and O94-046 and re-establishing and amending Chapter 2, Article VI., Division 5. Entitled "Riverwalk Commission" to be renamed "The Foxwalk Overlay District Design Review Committee"
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee was originally established by Resolution R93-427 and amended by R99-464;
WHEREAS, the Riverwalk Commission was originally established by Ordinance O87-5641 and amended by O94-046;
WHEREAS, in furtherance of its home rule powers, it is necessary and desirable for the City of Aurora to amend the establishing ordinance for the Riverwalk Commission; rescind the resolutions creating and amending the FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee; and create the new FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee in order to carry out the intended purpose as further set forth herein; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows:
Section One: Resolutions R93-427 and R99-464 and Ordinance O87-5641 and O94-046 are hereby rescinded; and therefore both the FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee and the Riverwalk Commission are hereby dissolved. Any and all of the FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee and Riverwalk Commission’s functions and duties shall be from this date forward assumed by the new FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee Commission as explicitly specified herein.
Section Two: That the provisions of Chapter 2, Article VI. Division 5. of the City of Aurora Code of Ordinances shall be and hereby are amended as set forth in Exhibit "A".