The Planning and Zoning Division is charged with the responsibility of providing current planning guidelines as well as long-range visioning. When a property owner decides to develop in West Chicago, staff guides him through the review and approval process. A developer submits an Application for Certificate of Occupancy that is reviewed by the staff to determine if the use is prohibited, permitted or a special use. Certain types of development only require staff review to determine if it complies with zoning regulations, while others are more complex and require the involvement of the Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals before going to the City Council for consideration.
2018 Zoning Map - .pdf 6MB
Similarly, if one is interested in opening a new business in West Chicago, they must follow a procedure that includes filing an Application for Certificate of Occupancy for the building they wish to occupy. If the proposed use complies with the zoning regulations, the building must then pass the change of occupancy inspection. The City Inspector and West Chicago Fire District Inspector will inspect the property for minimum life safety requirements. Once the building passes the inspection, the new business owner will be asked to pay an inspection fee (a $100.00 base fee plus $.12 per square foot) and a business registration fee of $55.00. Businesses expanding or re-locating within West Chicago, and non-profits are exempt from these fees. When all steps are complete, the new business owner will be issued a Certificate of Occupancy and may occupy the building.
Applications necessary for opening a business and the following zoning requests are available here:
- Annexation Petition
- Application for Zoning Approval
- Deviation
- Minor Subdivision or Plat of Consolidation
- Minor Variance
- Planned Unit Development Preliminary
- Planned Unit Development Final
- Plat of Vacation or Plat of Dedication
- Preliminary and Final Plat of Subdivision
- Special Use Permit
- Text Amendment
- Variance
- Zoning Map Amendment
