Waukegan, IL Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

06, Downtown and Lakefront District Signs, layers extra design standards on top of the citywide sign rules for any sign erected in the downtown and lakefront districts. Sec. B requires signs to reflect the character of the building style, limiting approved styles to surface-mounted, pin-mounted, interior and decal signs, and restricting materials to painted wood, stained brick, architectural glass and metal; natural metal finishes like brushed bronze, antique bronze, aluminum, stainless steel and painted cast iron are preferred, while highly reflective metallic signs are banned outright.

Internally lit cabinet and box signs and neon lighting are strictly prohibited, and any backlighting or spot lighting must be minimal, unobtrusive, and not visible from any street, sidewalk, or dwelling. Most signs must sit within the building's sign band, the horizontal wall area over the storefront and below the second-floor line. Sec. C then caps sign dimensions by type: a surface-mounted or pin-mounted commercial sign's height is capped at 80 percent of the sign band's height or 18 inches, whichever is less, and its lettering length at 80 percent of the sign band's length.

04. 07, which separately requires B4 Downtown District development along Sheridan Road to reach at least 60 feet and directs developers to the City's 2005 Design Guidelines for the Waukegan Lakefront-Downtown Master Plan (2003) for preferred structure height and placement.