A. Title: This Title shall be known as THE OAK LAWN ZONING ORDINANCE OF 1975.
B. Introduction: Formal planning in Oak Lawn began with the appointment of a Planning and Zoning Committee in 1937. A State planning grant was initiated in 1960 and placed with the firm of Stanton and Rockwell. The mission was to develop a guide for the future land use of Oak Lawn.
A Planning and Development Commission was named in 1963 and it became evident that Oak Lawn was to be in the path of substantial growth and would need direction and protection to achieve orderly development. A new Appeals and Review Board was created at the same time to assist in this era of rapid development.
After discussion of the Stanton and Rockwell recommendation, it was agreed that further input from community organizations and residents was needed. A community group met over a period of about two (2) years, reviewing the community, block by block, taking field trips to examine the solutions in other areas and consulting those affected by anticipated growth.
The study developed into a master plan consisting of the annotated zoning ordinance and a zoning map reflecting current practice and further plans. The ordinance created a Planning and Development Commission with the responsibility of carrying out the ordinance, holding hearings, doing periodic reviews and making recommendations for change. An Appeals and Review Board was also instituted to carry out specific functions outlined in the ordinance (Ordinance 191).
Oak Lawn has always been in the vanguard of communities planning carefully for the future. There are innovative features of Ordinance 191, now known as Title 4 of the 1985 Village Code, which have been widely copied. Oak Lawn is known for its deliberate speed in considering change and for the opportunity of the public to participate.
The Planning and Development Commission is hereby amended and renamed the Zoning & Planning Commission, effective retroactively to June 1, 2019.