TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jayne Bernhard, Planning Director
SUBJECT:
title
Ordinance Approving the First Amendment to the Development Guidelines for the Rock Run Collection Planned Unit Development (PUD-9-26)
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BACKGROUND:
The applicant, Cullinan Joliet, LLC, wishes to amend the Development Guidelines for the Rock Run Collection Planned Unit Development (PUD) to better align Guideline criteria with the envisioned built environment for the project area. The subject properties lie within the Rock Run Crossings Redevelopment Project Area, which was designated as a Tax Increment Financing District (“TIF District”) in 2021. When it was established, it was the intention of the TIF District to include a future mixed-use development that would contain retail, restaurant, entertainment attractions, recreational amenities, and a multi-family residential neighborhood over the entire 310-acre TIF District area. In 2023, a Planned Unit Development for the Rock Run Collection Subdivision was created to help provide a unified development review process and site-specific development guidelines for the project area.
The applicant and staff have worked on several site development reviews since the PUD Development Guidelines were approved in 2023. Given the complex scale and evolving nature of development needs within the project area, both the applicant and City staff felt there was a need to update certain guidelines to help achieve a more thoughtful and efficient development review process.
The updated PUD Development Guidelines document contains several sections, most of which are similar in structure to the existing Development Guidelines document. Introduction and Applicability sections provide a contextual framework for the Development Guidelines and explain when the Development Guidelines are applicable in lieu of City of Joliet ordinances. The Applicability section clarifies the geographic scope of the PUD Guidelines, which omits the multifamily residential portion (The View) in the northeast portion of the site and the industrial portion of the site in the southeast portion of the project area. These two areas will continue to be regulated by the City’s Zoning Ordinance and were omitted from the originally approved Planned Unit Development, due to previous PUD and subdivision approvals.
The Administration section provides a history of the PUD process to this point and provides context around when changes from the PUD should be considered major or minor changes. Major changes to the PUD must be processed by application to amend the Rock Run Collection PUD and require a public hearing before the Plan Commission and approval by ordinance of the Joliet City Council. These criteria will remain the same as written in the current Development Guidelines.
The next section of the Development Guidelines addresses specific land uses that are allowed within various alphabetic blocks in the greater project area (as shown in Exhibit 2.0 in the Development Guidelines document). The Land Use section assigns functional use zones and their associated allowable land uses within each block of the project area. Functional use zones are broken down as Mixed-Use Core District, Power Block District, Commercial Retail and Service District, Entertainment District, Flex, Multi-Family District, and Industrial District. Table 1.0 in the Development Guidelines details which land uses are allowed within each functional use zone. Exhibit 2.0 illustrates where the alphabetic blocks are located, and which functional use zones are allowed.
The Site Development Standards section contains information guiding development design pertaining to signage, parking and loading, landscaping, screening, lighting, sidewalk and bike path construction, and building design standards. Most of the proposed amendments can be found in Site Development Standards section.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES: The proposed Development Guideline changes are as shown below. Please note, that Block “H”, as referenced in the Plan Commission staff report, is not applicable, as it is outside of the geographic scope of the PUD Guidelines.
1. Creation of a new “Signage District” that contains specific criteria for reviewing signage within the project area. Proposed signage is expected to conform to the criteria detailed in the Development Guidelines to allow for a more predictable review process.
2. Allowance of digital signage on all signs unless a specific sign category states otherwise. Digital displays on Major and Minor Highway Pylon signs will be reviewed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
3. Drive-thru locations, as shown in Exhibit 1.0 of the Development Guidelines, are to be permitted with approval of the First Amendment to the Development Guidelines; however, administrative review of each proposed drive-thru is still required. Any proposed drive-thru locations that are not identified in Exhibit 1.0 must meet the City’s standard drive-thru permit review requirements.
4. Under “General Provisions”, removal of the requirement that the first floor of all buildings within the mixed-use core zone shall be occupied by retail, service, or commercial uses as found in the permitted use table (Table 1.0). The change would allow offices to occupy the first floor of buildings within the mixed-use core zone.
5. Several changes to sign sizes are proposed including:
a. Entry Pylon - Increase from 350 sf per side to 1,500 sf per side and 25 feet tall to 45 feet tall.
b. Single-Tenant Monument Sign - Increase from 60 sf per side to 75 sf per side and 8 feet to 10 feet tall.
c. Multi-Tenant Monument Sign - Increase from 100 sf per side to 150 sf per side and 20 feet to 30 feet tall.
d. Major Highway Pylon - Increase in height from 55 feet to 150 feet as approved by IDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Removal of the 300 square-foot cap on digital displays.
6. Requirement of at least 25 square feet of landscaping or comparable site enhancements including decorative paving, hardscape, water features, seat walls, public art, or decorative walls at the base of each ground-mounted sign.
7. Creation of a Building Foundation Planting Configuration Table that outlines specific requirements for building foundation plantings, based on the building’s proposed setback distance.
8. Creation of a Parking Lot Perimeter Planting Requirements Table to outline planting requirements for each lot, depending on the adjacent frontage and whether a parking lot or loading area is to be screened.
9. Addition of specific criteria pertaining to tree caliper sizes, species limits, and shade tree locations within parkways and parking islands. Double parking islands will still be required to have two shade trees per island.
10. Modification of building glazing requirements, depending on the building’s location within each functional use zone.
a. Mixed-Use Core - 60% glazing at ground-level, 30% above ground-level.
b. Power Block District - 50% at ground-level.
c. Entertainment District - 30% at ground-level.
11. Allowance of self-storage use via Special Use Permit within the Flex functional use zones.
The changes as proposed generally align with best practices for site development standards and the direction provided in the guidelines should allow for a predictable review process.
PLAN COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING:
The Plan Commission held a public hearing on this petition at its September 17, 2026, meeting. Dan Jutzi, Executive Vice President of Development and Construction at Cullinan Properties, represented the petition. No public comments were made in favor of or in opposition to the petition. Minutes of the meeting are attached hereto.
RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLAN COMMISSION:
recommendation
Wendell Martin moved that the Plan Commission recommend approval of PUD-9-26: The First Amendment to the Development Guidelines of Rock Run Collection Planned Unit Development. Michael F. Turk seconded the motion, which passed with six (6) aye votes. Voting aye were: Cox, Eulitz, Martin, Radakovich, Turk, and Hammac. Commissioners Crompton and Leon were absent.
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RECOMMENDATION OF THE ADMINISTRATION:
recommendation
Staff concur with the recommendation of the Plan Commission and recommend that the Mayor and City Council approve the following:
1. Ordinance Approving the First Amendment to the Development Guidelines for the Rock Run Collection Planned Unit Development