The Mayor's Zoning Reform Commission voted last week to transfer the first chapter of proposed text -- dealing with open space -- to the City Council. This kicks off the first phase of the text approval process.
On October 15, 2002 the City of Chicago’s Mayor’s Zoning Reform Commission voted to transfer the
first module of zoning rewrite text — addressing residential, park and open space
districts — to the City Council. This marks the beginning of the end of the
text-writing phase of the new code, and heightens the importance for communities to
prepare for the next and final phase, mapping.
The text is being created in five modules which will each pass to the
City Council from the Commission’s hands at the rate of about one per month.
After receiving the modules the council will assign them to the committee on
zoning, where they will undergo the normal process for ordinance approval. However, upon
completion of that process, modules will be held until all have been approved
by the committee then moved as a group to the full council.
Based upon presentations to the Mayor’s Zoning Reform
Commission, the residential, parks and open space module has many
new features consistent with policies the Metropolitan Planning Council promotes. Our neighborhood
research last year stressed the need for a series of districts that
allowed for the preservation of neighborhood character based upon building type — i.e.,
blocks with predominantly single family homes could be preserved as single
family while blocks with a preponderance of two and three
flats would remain in that form. The current code allows for three types to
be included under a single district, while the proposed code will provide for maintaining
the character of individual blocks. The proposed code also has more clear onsite
yard requirements, which should eliminate the practice of building lot line to lot
line. This has resulted in projects that cover every square foot of
the lot, because it requires certain amounts of impervious surface to remain on
site. The new provision, which allows for more permeable areas to remain, will aid
storm water run-off.
For the first time ever, Chicago
will designate specific districts for parks and other open space. Now, many of Chicago’s parks
are actually sited in a manufacturing or a residential designation. The proposed code
establishes criteria for regional parks, natural areas and even cemeteries,
among other open space designations. The new classifications will allow land
planners to better monitor the noise, landscaping and use on a given plot of
land designated as open space under one of the proposed subheadings.
The next module the
commission will consider is business, commercial and manufacturing districts. As the text becomes
finalized, focus turns to where on the city map these new districts
will be applied. To address community leaders' concerns over the future of their
areas, the Metropolitan Planning Council is holding two workshops in November to
train them on creating a zoning change strategy. These workshops will review the basic
function of zoning, present the latest thoughts of the Mayor’s Zoning Reform
Commission and offer a step-by-step process for creating a zoning change
strategy. After the workshops, the Metropolitan Planning Council will offer
technical assistance to selected groups in creating their strategy, and continue to
focus on global issues related to mapping.