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deemed The Burnham Plan,
was the city's first comprehensive plan and called for an extensive system
of lakefront parks along Lake Michigan and the 67,000-acre Cook County
Forest Preserve system. Burnham's plan also gave attention to the Loop, the
area's future highway system, and it also led directly to the creation of
the Chicago Plan Commission and to a new department of city government,
presently known as the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and
Development. A number of planning documents were established after the
creation of this department. Those include - The Comprehensive Plan of
Chicago (1966); The Lakefront Plan of Chicago (1972); Chicago River Urban
Design Corridor, Volume 1, Downtown Corridor (1990); and Volume 2, North
Branch Riverwalk (1990). The planning furthered in 1923 by a group of
citizens who formed the Chicago Regional Plan Association. Lead by Burnham,
it promoted planning at all levels of government throughout the area and
into three counties in southern Wisconsin and three in Northwest Indiana.
The year 1956 welcomed another document, Planning the Region of Chicago,
which focused on the growth in suburban areas and introduced chapters on
sanitation, land use, industry, and water supply.
It is important to note
that Cook County maintains its own Department of Planning and Development
and Zoning Board of Appeals, whose roles are to assist the public in
appealing any rezoning to land use in the unincorporated areas. According
to their website, the Cook County DPD's mission is to “promote community and
economic growth in the region by investing in affordable housing, public
infrastructure/safety, and the retention and expansion of businesses and
jobs in Cook County.” With an incredible 6,266 square mile land size edge
over Cook County, Chicago's goals and mission in the Department of Planning
and Development are similar. Both depend on and value partnership, and pride
themselves on undertaking efforts to both retain and attract businesses, and
thus employment, into the community. Both governmental bodies promote
growth, preservation and longevity.
To this end, the city's
Department has established several Divisions that provide specific
assistance and perform activities for the public:
*Landmarks Division -
assists owners and architects regarding landmark structure issues including
permit applications, surveys, and recommendations to City Council of
landmark designations. This division also administers the Façade Rebate
Program.
*Development Support
Services - helps new and established businesses with residential, commercial
and industrial development projects. This division also offers tax
incentive, loan and bond programs.
*Real Estate Division -
manages all property held by the city of Chicago and works in conjunction
with the departments of Buildings, Law, General Services and Environment, as
well as Cook County, to sell city property through different programs. It
is made up of five sections: Acquisition, Disposition, Relocation, Property
Management, and the Tax Exemption and Tax Reactivation/Demo Lien programs.
*Regions Division - is
comprised of seven Community Development Planning Districts, each with a
district coordinator, who study and implement planning and development in
coordination with private sector and governmental entities.
*Zoning and Land Use
Planning Division - creates long-range land use plans, provides mapping
support to the Department of Planning and Development (and other agencies),
evaluates planned developments, reviews zoning amendments and management of
NeighborSpace (intergovernmental partnership to create neighborhood parks
and open space), among other duties.
Additionally, there are
also Commissions, or agencies, which cover a variety of issues including:
*Chicago Plan Commission
(18 members; staffed by the Zoning Division) - makes technical reviews and
recommendations regarding land use proposals in Tax Increment Finance (TIF)
zones, lakefront preservation, and planned developments. They vote on any
proposal by a public body or agency to purchase, dispose, or change any real
property in the city and whether it complies with Chicago's long-term
planning objectives and goals.
*Commission on Chicago
Land-marks (9 members) - makes recommendations to the City Council that
specific buildings, sites or districts be identified as historical Chicago
landmarks.
*Community Development
Commission (15 members) - reviews and makes recommendations to the City
Council concerning the sale of city-owned property in TIF districts, the
establishment of new TIF districts, redevelopment area designations,
appointment of members to the Community Conservation Council, and the
provision of TIF financing to help private redevelopment projects.
So, as illustrated by the
sub-areas listed above, Chicago's Department of Planning and Development
encompasses many responsibilities and several agendas. Both small and large
businesses benefit financially from resources available from the DPD through
low-interest loans, market information, and site location assistance. The
Department of Zoning works in conjunction with DPD in regulating the land
used for development in Chicago and dictates where people live and work, the
lot sizes of their homes, and location of stores. The Department updates
zoning maps, enforces zoning ordinances, and provides standards for
developers on permitted uses, parking, landscaping, signage, dimensions and
other criteria.
Also, very important to
discuss is Tax Increment Financing (TIF). TIF is a special way to generate
property tax dollars for economic development in specific areas. A TIF
district, which is created by the City Council, is an area where this tax
increment financing is available. This financing allows the city to
re-invest all new property tax money from the neighborhood it came from for
a 23-year period. After these property tax dollars are frozen from the
district for 23 years, the money goes back to the city to pay for services.
The property tax money comes from owners of residential, commercial, and
industrial property. Originally, TIFs were established to help promote
redevelop-ment in 'distressed' communities that weren't likely to attract
private investments without this financing. The amount of property taxes the
city gets from each district to use on schools, parks, libraries, etc, is
frozen, then the city borrows it and spends it on ways to make that area
more attractive. Some of the uses of TIF dollars are local infrastructure
(sidewalks, bridges), public improvements (parks, schools, libraries),
redevelopment and renovation projects, and job training.
There are over 130 TIF
districts in Chicago and the local taxing bodies that get revenue from
property tax include the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, Cook
County, and the Chicago Park District. Any additional revenue or new
property taxes generated (by inflation or increases in property value) over
the base equalized assessed value (EAV) goes into the TIF Fund, which is
used to build more infrastructure and developments, thus, generating more
property taxes. Basically, property owners in TIF districts pay the same tax
rate, but the overage goes to the TIF Fund instead of schools, parks,
libraries, etc. As with many issues in city government, there are also many
critics who question whether these special tools are being mismanaged and
overused. With the community's participation, these districts and financing
can be useful in revitalizing neighborhoods through better parks and
schools, affordable housing, employ-ment and improved overall economic
redevelopment.
In a nutshell, the
Department of Planning and Development, through its numerous branches,
offers its residents a proud place to call home through thorough and
historically-based planning. With its 'sister team' in the Department of
Zoning, the DPD assesses whether an idea will fit and if it will make sense.
The DPD asks, does this idea support the vision for the city? The
Department of Planning and Development and the Department of Zoning strive
to create a safe and strong city with beautiful neighborhoods and a
flourishing economy. Whether it's a new condominium development in the West
Loop, updated light fixtures along the lakefront or the grand opening of a
new business, these agencies have their eye on the future of Chicago and a
plan in place for continuous improvement.
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Kellye Fox is a Realtor®
with Property Consultants Realty. She can be reached at
312-492-3234 or via e-mail
at kfox@propertyconsultants.com. |
