The Commissioner — Winter 2006

Commissioner's Voice

Zoning for a Better Community

Zoning Board of Appeals, Country Club Hills, Illinois

By Jeri Parish

As a member of my community's ZBA for 13 years, I have watched my community change and have helped it accommodate that change. An equally important part of the job is resisting granting variances to our ordinances that are not in the best interest of the community's character or that do not comply with the law.

Country Club Hills is a suburb south of Chicago. It is situated on 4.6 square miles and had a population of 16,000 in 2000.

Our board deals primarily with variances related to property, such as extending a driveway or overly tall fences. From time to time we also deal with requests for variances that have larger implications, such as the request for a taller building to house senior citizens. More recently, we have been responding to the need to accommodate more commercial buildings, which is important for our community's economy. Developers are planning to build a large commercial strip area with a theater, gas station, stores, and a Wal-Mart on previously vacant land. The project required numerous variances and stirred a lot of interest and even controversy in the community.

It is important when acting as an official to remember that not all decisions will make everyone happy. Decisions also need to be specific to the site and the circumstances; we are not setting precedents and making long-term policy. We are applying the code, the law, and the plan to the specific case.

Participating in government in a small town has its challenges. Staying impartial is important; if a close neighbor is applying for a variance, I will sometimes recuse myself to avoid a conflict of interest.

What advice can I offer my fellow planning officials after 13 years of service? Get training! I had the advantage of working at the American Planning Association when I was appointed and I had access to many useful publications, including Zoning News (now Zoning Practice). Country Club Hills is committed to training and twice a year we attend live workshops, such as those offered by Governors State University for ZBA members and planning commissioners. Even after years of service, I found the book You Be the Judge, by Jim Driscoll and Ted Hunter, to be tremendously helpful.

What do officials need to know? Zoning, first and foremost. But it is also very important to know how to run public meetings, how to encourage the public to participate, and how to manage that participation. Also, learning how to create and prepare findings of fact is crucial. Therefore, I recommend that all ZBA members read this helpful book written for our needs.