13-48-030 Maximum allowable building heights.

Every building or structure hereafter erected shall conform to the requirements of height limitation as provided in Sections 13-48-020 to 13-48-040, inclusive.

(Prior code § 51-1)

13-48-020 Application of height limitations.

(a) The maximum height of buildings shall be governed by the occupancy classification and type of construction as required in this chapter.

(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted to prevent the application of other limitations required by the Chicago Zoning Ordinance.

(c) The height in feet shall be taken as the vertical distance from the average grade to the highest point of the building. In determining height limits, parapet walls not exceeding three feet in height, penthouses, roof tanks, bulkheads, chimneys and similar roof structures shall not be included unless the aggregate of such structure exceeds one-third of the area of the roof of the building.

(d) The number of stories shall be taken as the actual number of stories above grade.

The following shall not be regarded as stories:

(1) Any level located more than four feet below grade adjacent to the level in question. For single-family dwellings (Class A-1) and townhouse (Class A-2) buildings, the pertinent grade shall be the average of the front and rear grades, provided that for single-family dwellings (Class A-2) and townhouse (Class A-2) buildings having a split-elevation below- grade floor condition, the level that is more than four feet below grade shall not be counted as a story but rather as a basement when the below grade level exceeds 50 percent of the footprint area of the dwelling unit.

(2) Mezzanine floors or balconies having an area not exceeding 20 percent of the floor area of the story in which they occur. In one story building of Types II, III-A or III-B construction when unlimited areas are permitted, mezzanine floors shall not exceed 8,000 square feet in area.

(3) Enclosed monitor spaces in industrial or storage units used only for employees' toilets, lockers or similar uses.

(e) The roof of a special rooftop club licensed pursuant to Chapter 4-388 shall be counted as one story, and every deck level constructed on or above the roof shall be counted as an additional story; provided that if the space between the roof and the first deck constructed immediately on or above the roof is only interstitial space, then the roof and first deck shall be counted as one story. The floor area of the roof level, as that term is defined in Section 4-388-010, shall be included in calculating the floor area of the building.

(Prior code § 51-1.1; Amend Coun. J. 10-2-95, p. 8040; Amend Coun. J. 10-28-97, p. 54731; Amend Coun. J. 1-20-99, p. 88461; Amend Coun. J. 1-11-06, p. 68371, § 3)

13-48-030 Maximum allowable building heights.

Except as provided in Section 13-48-040, no building shall be hereafter erected to exceed the maximum allowable heights established in Table 13-48-030 of this Code. School height limitations are not applicable to Type III schools in buildings of mixed occupancies in construction Type III or better. Type III schools shall not be permitted in buildings of Type IV- A or Type IV-B construction. Intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled – 15 or less shall not be permitted in any building of Type IV-A or Type IV-B construction. (See Table 13-48-030.)

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the height limitation for a building in the Wrigley Field Adjacent Area in which a special club license is located shall be as provided in Chapter 4-388.

Table 13-48-030 Maximum Allowable Heights of Buildings
Occupancy Classification		Construction Type
Occupancy Classification			I-A	I-B	I-C	II	III-A	III-B	III-C	IV-A	IV-B
A.	Residential	Stories	NL	12	6	1	4(d)	4	2(a)(h)	2(a)(g)(h)	2(a)
		Feet	NL	150	80	20	55(d)	55	40f	40f	30

B.	Institutional	Stories	NL	10	4	1	1	1	NP	NP	NP
		Feet	NL	130	55	20	20	20	–	–	–

C-1.	Large	Stories	NL	8	2	NP	2(b)	2	NP	NP	NP
	Assembly	Feet	NL	105	50	–	50(b)	50	–	–	–

C-2.	Small	Stories	NL	10	4	1	2(b)	2	1	1	1
	Assembly	Feet	NL	130	55	30	50(b)	50	30	30	30

C-3.	Schools	Stories	NL	10	4	1	2	2	1	1	1
		Feet	NL	130	55	20	30	30	20	20	20

D.	Open Air Assembly		Maximum height established in Chapter 55

E.	Business	Stories	NL	12	6(b)	1	5(b)	4	3	1	1
		Feet	NL	150	80(b)	20	65(b)	55	45	20	20

F.	Mercantile	Stories	NL	8	4	1	5(b)	3	2	1	1
		Feet	NL	105	80	20	65(b)	45	30	20	20

G-1.	Industrial	Stories	NL	12	6(b)	2	5(b)	4	3	1	1
	Low	Feet	NL	150	80(b)	40	65(b)	55	45	30	30

G-2.	Industrial	Stories	8(c)	5(b)	4(b)	1	5(b)	4	2(b)	1	1
	Moderate	Feet	105(c)	65(b)	55(b)	40	65(b)	55	30(b)	30	30
	Hazard

H-1.	Storage	Stories	NL	12	6(b)	2	5(b)	4	3	1	1
	Low Hazard	Feet	NL	150	80(b)	40	65(b)	55	45	30	30

H-2.	Storage	Stories	8(c)	5(b)	4(b)	1	5(b)	3(b)	2(b)	1	1
	Moderate	Feet	105(c)	65(b)	55(b)	40	65(b)	45(b)	30(b)	30	30
	Hazard

H-3.	Garages	Stories	4(c)	3	3	1	2	2	1	NP	NP
		Feet	55(c)	40	40	20	30	30	20	–	–

I.	Hazardous Use		Maximum allowable heights established in Chapter 60

J.	Miscellaneous Buildings and Structures		Maximum allowable heights established in Chapter 61

K.	Intermediate care facilities for develop- mentally disabled – 15 or less(e)	Stories	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	NP	NP
K.		Feet	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	NP	NP

NOTES:
(a) Attic floor exceeding 30 feet above grade allowed in addition when used for mechanical equipment only, but shall not exceed 20 percent of floor area below.
(b) One additional story and 15 feet additional height allowed when the building is equipped throughout with approved automatic sprinkler system.
(c) Height shall not be limited when building is equipped throughout with approved automatic sprinkler system.
(d) In an existing heavy timber building the height may be increased to 120 feet, 80 feet for new buildings, regardless of the number of stories when the building is brought into full compliance with the following:
(1) Chapter 13-76;
(2) Smoke alarms, Sections 13-64-120 through 13-64-180;
(3) “Controlled Materials”, Section 13-120-040;
(4) In existing buildings over 80 feet in height, an automatic general alarm shall be installed and be audible throughout the corridors of the building and shall be activated by the sprinkler flow alarm and smoke detectors.
(e) For purposes of defining a story in this occupancy, any level above or below the first floor used by the residents, for any purpose other than personal laundry, shall be deemed a story.
(f) The finished floor level of the third floor shall not exceed 25 feet above grade.
(g) Mechanical equipment areas shall be equipped with smoke detector connected to electrical system, when building exceeds 30 feet in height and mechanical equipment is located in area above 30 feet.
(h) Other requirements notwithstanding, three floors shall be permitted in one-, two-, and three-family structures when exterior wood frame walls provide one hour protection from fire exposure inside and out, when the third floor area of any separate unit does not exceed 800 square feet and when the ground floor area does not exceed 1,600 square feet.
NP – Not permitted.
NL – Not limited.

(Prior code § 51-1.2; Amend Coun. J. 12-21-84, p. 12140; Corrected. 4-20-88, p. 12481; Amend Coun. J. 3-30-88, p. 11381; Amend Coun. J. 11-29-89, p. 8272; Amend Coun. J. 10-2-95, p. 8040; Amend Coun. J. 1-11-06, p. 68371, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. VI, § 7)

13-48-040 Exceptions to height limitations.

(a) Towers, steeples and similar structures, not intended or used for human occupancy and not exceeding in area 25 percent of the ground area of the building on which they are erected, may be erected to a height not exceeding 60 feet above the height limitations established in Section 13-48-030, except that water tanks or towers for fire protection purposes, whether supported directly on buildings or on independent ground structures, may be erected to a height not exceeding 60 feet above the maximum height of the building or group of buildings which is served or protected by such water tanks; provided that the height limitation of such structures constructed on a building in the Wrigley Field Adjacent Area in which special club license is located shall be as provided in Chapter 4-388.

(Prior code § 51-1.3; Amend Coun. J. 1-11-06, p. 68371, § 3)

13-48-050 Area limitations.

Every building or structure hereafter erected shall conform to the requirements of area limitations as provided in Sections 13-48-060 to 13-48-090, inclusive.

(Prior code § 51-2)

13-48-060 Application of area limitations.

(a) The maximum floor area of buildings shall be governed by the occupancy classification, the number of stories and the type of construction as required in this section.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prevent the application of other area restrictions required by the Chicago Zoning Ordinance.

(c) In the application of area limitations, each part of a building separated from all other parts of the building by fire walls as defined in Section 15-8-020 shall be deemed to be a separate building.

(d) The area of a basement shall not exceed the maximum floor area permitted for the building; provided, however, that every basement exceeding 40,000 square feet in area shall be subdivided by fire walls complying with the requirements of Section 15-8-010 into areas not exceeding 40,000 square feet. The maximum undivided area of a basement may be increased to 80,000 square feet when the building is equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Chapter 15-16 of the municipal code.

(Prior code § 51-2.4; Amend Coun. J. 2-13-85, p. 13526)

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