St. Charles — Title 19 Inclusionary Housing [legal-review: § 19.02.110 rent-amount text] § 19.02.080
Density bonus
Operative Text
A. A density bonus shall be permitted when affordable units are constructed within the residential development in accordance with Section 19.02.060 (B). One bonus dwelling unit shall be permitted for each affordable unit constructed within the residential development; however, in no event shall the total number of dwelling units constructed within the residential development exceed one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the base density. B. In implementing this density bonus, the following requirements of Title 17 of the St. Charles Municipal Code, the St. Charles Zoning Ordinance, may be varied without additional justification: 1. Lot area. 2. Lot width. 3. Building coverage.
Section 19.02.080 of St. Charles's Inclusionary Housing ordinance establishes a density bonus program that rewards residential developers who include affordable units in their projects. For every affordable unit built in compliance with Section 19.02.060(B), one additional market-rate dwelling unit may be constructed beyond the base zoning density, though the total unit count can never exceed 120% of that base density. To accommodate the extra units, certain zoning standards — specifically lot area, lot width, and building coverage requirements under Title 17 — may be adjusted without requiring additional justification from the developer.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Developers and property owners pursuing a density bonus under § 19.02.080 generally ensure that their affordable units are constructed in strict conformance with Section 19.02.060(B), since that compliance is the prerequisite for earning each bonus unit. Compliant operators track the 120% cap carefully during project planning, confirming that the total unit count — base units plus bonus units — does not exceed that ceiling. When the bonus triggers adjustments to lot area, lot width, or building coverage under Title 17, operators typically document those variances as permitted by § 19.02.080(B) rather than pursuing a separate variance process.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 19.02.080 is primarily a development-side provision, but it directly shapes the supply of affordable housing in St. Charles residential projects, which affects the pool of income-restricted units available to renters. Tenants seeking to understand whether a particular development was required to include affordable units — and whether those units were properly counted to justify any density bonus — can review the project's compliance with § 19.02.080 through public records or by contacting the St. Charles planning or housing department. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents interpret how this provision interacts with affordability requirements and what remedies may exist if a development failed to deliver the affordable units that supported its bonus density.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation