Skip to code content (skip section selection)
Compare to:
Chicago Overview
Municipal Code of Chicago
MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO
TITLE 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE 2 CITY GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
TITLE 3 REVENUE AND FINANCE
TITLE 4 BUSINESSES, OCCUPATIONS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
TITLE 5 HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
TITLE 6 HUMAN RIGHTS*
TITLE 7 HEALTH AND SAFETY
TITLE 8 OFFENSES AFFECTING PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND WELFARE
TITLE 9 VEHICLES, TRAFFIC AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION
TITLE 10 STREETS, PUBLIC WAYS, PARKS, AIRPORTS AND HARBORS
TITLE 11 UTILITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
TITLE 12 RESERVED
TITLE 13 BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION
TITLE 14 RESERVED*
TITLE 14A ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS OF THE CHICAGO CONSTRUCTION CODES*
TITLE 14B BUILDING CODE*
TITLE 14C CONVEYANCE DEVICE CODE*
TITLE 14E ELECTRICAL CODE*
TITLE 14F FIRE PREVENTION CODE*
TITLE 14G FUEL GAS CODE*
TITLE 14M MECHANICAL CODE*
TITLE 14N 2022 ENERGY TRANSFORMATION CODE*
TITLE 14P PLUMBING CODE*
TITLE 14R BUILDING REHABILITATION CODE*
TITLE 14X MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS*
TITLE 15 FIRE PREVENTION
TITLE 16 LAND USE
TITLE 17 CHICAGO ZONING ORDINANCE
TITLE 18 BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE
APPENDIX TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO (RESERVED)*
TABLES
Chicago Zoning Ordinance and Land Use Ordinance
Loading...
17-1-0700 Development manual.
   17-1-0701 The city may establish submittal requirements, review procedures and design/development guidelines to supplement this Zoning Ordinance. These documents are referred to collectively as the Development Manual.
   17-1-0702 The Development Manual must be approved by the Zoning Administrator and made available for distribution, purchase or public inspection in the Department of Planning and Development.
(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. VII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-17-10, p. 106597, Art. IX, § 11; Amend Coun. J. 11-26-13, p. 67481, Art. I, § 30)
17-1-0800 Official zoning atlas and maps.
   17-1-0801 Adoption. The location and boundaries of the zoning districts established by this Zoning Ordinance are shown on the Official Zoning Atlas, which – together with all notations, references, data and other information shown on the maps that comprise the atlas – is adopted and incorporated into this Zoning Ordinance.
   17-1-0802 Maintenance. The Official Zoning Atlas is maintained in the office of the Zoning Administrator. In case of any dispute regarding the zoning classification of property subject to this Zoning Ordinance, the Official Zoning Atlas maintained by the Zoning Administrator governs.
   17-1-0803 Location of District Boundaries. The following rules apply in interpreting zoning district boundaries when the location of such boundaries is unclear.
      17-1-0803-A Where zoning district boundary lines are indicated as following streets or alleys or extensions thereof, such boundary lines are to be construed as the center lines of said streets, alleys or extensions.
      17-1-0803-B Where zoning district boundary lines are indicated as adjoining railroads, such boundary lines are to be construed as the boundary lines of the railroad rights-of-way, unless otherwise dimensioned.
      17-1-0803-C Where zoning district boundary lines are indicated as adjoining expressways, such boundary lines are to be construed as the boundary lines of the expressway rights-of-way, unless otherwise dimensioned.
      17-1-0803-D Dimensioned zoning district boundary lines shown on the zoning maps are intended to coincide with property lines. Where a dimensioned boundary line coincides approximately with but not exactly with a property line that existed on the effective date of incorporation of such boundary line into the zoning maps, that boundary line is to be construed as the property line that existed at that location at the time of incorporation of that boundary line into the zoning maps.
      17-1-0803-E Streets or alleys that have been vacated will be construed to fall in the same zoning district as the lots or parcels abutting both sides of the street or alley involved. If the lots or parcels abutting each side of the street or alley were classified in different zoning districts before the street or alley was vacated, the center line of the vacated street or alley will be construed as the boundary line between the respective zoning districts.
   17-1-0804 Zoning of Annexed Lands. Before annexation of any territory into the City of Chicago, a zoning plan for the area to be annexed must be forwarded to the City Council by the Commissioner of Planning and Development.
(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. VII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-8-12, p. 38872, § 242; Amend Coun. J. 11-26-13, p. 67481, Art. I, § 30)
17-1-0900 Minimum requirements.
   The provisions of this Zoning Ordinance are the minimum requirements deemed necessary to carry out the Zoning Ordinance's stated purpose and intent.
(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275)
17-1-1000 Conflicting provisions.
   17-1-1001 Conflict with State or Federal Regulations. If the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance are inconsistent with those of the state or federal government, the more restrictive provision will control, to the extent permitted by law. The more restrictive provision is the one that imposes greater restrictions or more stringent controls on development.
   17-1-1002 Conflict with Other City Regulations. If the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance are inconsistent with one another, or if they conflict with provisions found in other adopted ordinances or regulations of the city, the more restrictive provision will control. The more restrictive provision is the one that imposes greater restrictions or more stringent controls on development.
   17-1-1003 Conflict with Private Agreements and Covenants. This Zoning Ordinance is not intended to interfere with, abrogate or annul any easement, covenant, deed restriction or other agreement between private parties. If the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance impose a greater restriction than imposed by a private agreement, the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance will control. If the provisions of a valid, enforceable private agreement impose a greater restriction than this Zoning Ordinance, the provisions of the private agreement will control. The city does not enforce or maintain a record of private agreements.
   17-1-1004 Negative Use Restrictions Prohibited as Against Public Policy. Notwithstanding Section 17-1-1003, and subject to the following sentence, a private agreement that purports to impose recorded negative use restrictions upon real property in the City so as to prohibit or have the economic or practical effect of prohibiting the use of such real property for grocery store or drug store purposes after a grocery store or drug store owner or operator of a store in excess of 7,500 square feet has terminated operations at the site, when such uses would otherwise be permitted, including as a special use, under the Zoning Ordinance, and which negative use restriction has a term of more than one year, shall be against public policy, shall be void and unenforceable, and shall be subject to the City's remedial and enforcement powers under Section 17-16-0508, Section 17-16-0509, Section 17-16-0511 (with each day such negative use covenant remains of record or otherwise effective constituting a separate and distinct offense) and Section 17-16-0512. The foregoing prohibition shall not apply to an owner or operator of a grocery store or drug store which terminates operations at a site for purposes of relocating such operations into a comparable or larger store located within the city and within one-half mile of the site where operations have terminated, provided such relocation and the commencement of operations at the new site occurs within two years and the negative use restriction imposed does not have a term in excess of three years. The Zoning Administrator shall have discretion to extend the one-half mile limit set forth in the preceding sentence by one-half mile (i.e., to one mile) and to extend the two year commencement of operations period by one year (i.e., to three years) upon written request of an owner or operator and such requesting party's presentation of evidence establishing extenuating circumstances that establish good cause for such extension(s). The requesting party shall also provide notice and a copy of such written evidence to the alderman or aldermen in which the closed store and the new store are located at the same time such submission is made to the Zoning Administrator. The foregoing prohibition in this Section 2 shall apply regardless of whether the private agreement is incorporated in a deed restriction, a restrictive covenant, a lease or memorandum of lease, or any other recorded instrument.
(Added Coun. J. 9-14-05, p. 56223)
17-1-1100 Scope of regulations; effect.
   Nothing contained in this Zoning Ordinance is to be construed as a consent, license or permit to use any property or to locate, construct or maintain any building, structure or facility or to carry on any trade, industry, occupation or activity.
(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275)
Loading...