17-13-1300 Zoning certification.
   17-13-1301 When Required. Except as hereinafter provided, no permit pertaining to the use of land or buildings may be issued by any officer, department, or employee of this City unless the application for such permit has been examined by the Office of the Zoning Administrator and the Office of the Zoning Administrator has certified in writing that the proposed building or structure complies with all the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance. Any zoning certification issued in conflict with the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance may be revoked in accordance with Section 17-16-0500.
   17-13-1302 Applications.
      17-13-1302-A Filing. Applications must be filed with the Zoning Administrator.
      17-13-1302-B Contents. Every application for a building permit will be deemed to be an application for a zoning certification and must be accompanied by:
         1.   A plat of the piece or parcel of land, lot, lots, block or blocks, or parts or portions thereof, drawn to scale showing the actual dimensions and certified by a professional land surveyor or professional engineer licensed by the State of Illinois, as a true copy of the piece, or parcel, lot, lots, block or blocks or portions thereof, according to the registered or recorded plat of such land; and
         2.   A plat drawn to scale in such form as may, from time to time, be prescribed by the Zoning Administrator, showing the ground area, height, and bulk of the building or structure, the building lines in relation to property lines, the use to be made of the building or structure or land and such other information as may be required by the Zoning Administrator for the proper enforcement of this Zoning Ordinance. When a building permit application for the repair, remodeling and/or alteration of residential buildings or buildings of mixed residential occupancy that have been in existence for 50 or more years and that contain no more than 6 dwelling units is filed with the Department of Planning and Development, and zoning certification is sought for the present number of dwelling units existing at the time of submittal of such application, such zoning certification must be limited to certify not more than one unit over the number of units originally authorized. The permit application must be accompanied by such documents and be in such form as prescribed by the Zoning Administrator to substantiate the lawful existence of dwelling units in the building. Such documents may include, but not be limited to, affidavits, leases, utility records, or any other instruments deemed necessary by the Zoning Administrator to make a determination of authorized nonconformity.
   17-13-1303 Performance Bonds. At the time the Zoning Administrator issues a zoning certification for a land use, building or parking lot that requires the submission of a landscape plan or the planting of parkway trees, the Zoning Administrator must require the posting of a performance bond or other form of financial security approved by the Zoning Administrator. The performance bond or other form of financial security must be in a form and amount as deemed adequate by the Zoning Administrator to ensure that the required landscape materials will be installed within 6 months or the next planting season.
      17-13-1303-A The Zoning Administrator may not require a performance bond or other form of financial security for a property that contains a detached house, two-flat or three-flat (multi-unit building containing only 3 dwelling units).
      17-13-1303-B Failure to install required landscape materials or parkway trees may not be relied upon as the basis for denying or withholding a certificate of occupancy provided that a performance bond or other form of financial security has been posted with the City in accordance with this section.
      17-13-1303-C The performance bond or other form of financial security must be released by the City after the premises have been inspected by the City and the owner has certified that all landscaping, including parkway trees, has been installed in accordance with the approved plans and specifications.
(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; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-21, p. 42674, § 10)