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Cost of Zoning Code Rewrite Questioned

CHICAGO-There is scant criticism of the city's first rewrite of its zoning ordinance in 46 years. However, some aldermen wonder if departments charged with enforcing it have the manpower to oversee all the additional projects added to their plates.

By Mark Ruda | Updated on April 11, 2003

CHICAGO-Administering the city’s new zoning law may take more manpower than the tight budget allows, members of the city council’s committee on zoning concede. The city’s first rewrite of the zoning code in 46 years calls for more reviews of site plans as well as lower thresholds before multifamily projects become planned developments, requiring greater oversight by planning and development staff.

Consultant Kirk R. Bishop says commercial developments larger than 75,000 sf will require the developer to go through the planned development process, which includes public hearings in addition to city staff review. Previously, projects being built on sites larger than four acres fell under the planned development umbrella. Also, more residential buildings will be scrutinized, he notes. Height limits have been lowered from 180 or 285 feet to 100 or 150 feet in the city’s densest multifamily zoning categories.

While projects smaller than 100 units were able to fly under the radar in the previous zoning code, a 40-unit townhouse proposal might be large enough to trigger the planned development process, according to the rewrite.

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