Joliet Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee Meeting

The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) met on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 10:00 AM in City Hall Council Chambers to continue developing housing strategies for the comprehensive plan. The committee, led by acting Chairman Hugh O’Hara (in place of absent Chair Jim Roolf), heard a presentation from consultants Lesley Roth (Lamar Johnson Collaborative) and Stephen Carvelis (Converged Architecture), reviewed existing housing conditions, and participated in small-group workshops to define key housing terms and types. The meeting included a staff report on upcoming presentations by Urban3.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the April 1, 2026 CPAC meeting were approved unanimously (D’Arcy, Cardenas, Gruenberg, Howard, O’Hara, Randich, Rico, Rouse, Walker, Zdunich aye; Bottomley, Dorris, Martin, Parker, Pryor, Roolf absent).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Citizens to be Heard on Agenda Items: None.
• Public Comment (non-agenda): None.

Discussion Items

• Draft Plan – Housing Strategies: Consultant Lesley Roth introduced the session’s objectives: creating a shared language on housing policy, reviewing the existing conditions report (focused on housing age, household income, renter vs. owner concentrations, and affordability challenges), and aligning with the vision and goals document. She presented best practices from New York City, Los Angeles, Nashville, Grand Rapids, and Charlotte, highlighting definitions of affordable housing, workforce housing, and zoning reforms. Committee members then split into three groups to complete worksheets on housing terms and housing types.
  • Housing Terms Workshop: Each group identified its top three terms. Group One selected attainable, market rate workforce (combined), and luxury. Group Two chose workforce, market rate, and attainable. Group Three selected attainable, workforce, and market rate. Common themes: attainable housing was seen as a positive substitute for “affordable” to avoid negative reactions; workforce housing was emphasized for current Joliet workers; and market rate was considered neutral and inclusive of diverse costs. Groups largely agreed that these terms should apply citywide, across all populations (multi-generational, seniors, young adults), and in contexts from downtown to suburbs.
  • Housing Types Workshop: Groups reported top housing types. Group One (with a “cheated” fourth) listed single-family, duplex/townhouse, multifamily, and mixed-use, advocating for infill over new greenfield development. Group Two collapsed categories into single-family, multifamily/mixed-use, and senior housing, noting that multifamily includes duplexes, triplexes, ADUs, and mixed-use, and urged infill and adaptive reuse. Group Three similarly selected single-family, multifamily, and senior housing, but group member Doug Pryor cautioned against entirely rejecting greenfield single-family, noting Will County’s role as Illinois’ top single-family builder and the need for all housing types. Additional topics included supportive housing, visitability/universal design (citing Bolingbrook’s ordinance), and the importance of broadband and infrastructure in new housing areas.
• Staff Reports: Jayne Bernhard announced two events on June 17, 2026 with Urban3 principal Joe Minicozzi: a Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Harrah’s Joliet Hotel & Casino (11:30 AM, fee for lunch) and a free public presentation at Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park (doors open 6:30 PM, presentation at 7:00 PM).

Key Outcomes

• Consensus on housing terms: The committee broadly agreed to use attainable, workforce, and market rate as key terms, with the understanding that they cover a range of populations, costs, and locations. All groups rejected “affordable” as a term due to its negative connotations.
• Consensus on housing types: Common support for single-family, multifamily/mixed-use, and senior housing as primary typologies, with an emphasis on infill development, adaptive reuse, and strategic placement along corridors (e.g., Route 30, mall area) and downtown. Some members advocated for continued greenfield single-family development.
• Next steps: Consultants will incorporate the workshop input into the draft comprehensive plan, which will be iterative with multiple review opportunities for the committee. A glossary will be included. The final plan will include an implementation phase identifying partners.
• No formal votes on policy; the meeting was a collaborative consensus-building exercise.