Northcenter Neighborhood Association is committed to keeping its residents informed about development in our community. We are also working to ensure transparency in government processes relating to zoning and land use. Working with our Alderman and other community organizations, we are encouraging responsible zoning and development within Northcenter. Our job is to make sure that the voice of Northcenter is heard to keep our neighborhood diverse, sustainable and supportive of our neighbors.

 

The mission of the Zoning Committee of NNA has several components:

1. We independently review requests for zoning changes or variances submitted to the office of the 47^th Ward Alderman for both residential and commercial properties in the NNA’s area. The committee then provides feedback that can help the Alderman make the decision to approve or deny each request.
2. The committee monitors major zoning and land use issues that arise in areas immediately adjacent to the NNA’s official area. The committee can then alert the NNA board and membership to implications of these situations that could have significant impact on our community.
3. The committee identifies and studies land use and zoning issues that are of continuing significance to our community, formulating recommendations on how to best approach those issues. It brings its findings to the attention of the NNA board and, with the board’s approval, brings those findings to the broader community, including the 47^th Ward Alderman and the City of Chicago.
4. The committee responds to concerns of the membership and community on issues related to zoning and land use.

Zoning Committee Current Members

 

Lynsey Sorrell, Chair

Kevin Sullivan, Board Liaison                                               

James Nathan, Secretary                                                                                                                         

Jack Lydon

Stephen Waguespack

Michael O’Connor

Howard Luecke

Ed Schwartz

Mary Jo Nathan

Paul Merkey

Tim Reynolds

Lorraine Shearing

Please contact us if you are interested in joining the committee. 

Click here for a list of Zoning Committee Position Letters. 

Read our recent Water Run Off/Shading Study and Lot Coverage Opinion Letter.

Committee Meetings

The committee typically meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, and NNA members are welcome to join us. Meeting dates and locations can be found on the NNA Calendar.

Zoning Code Summary

For a summary of the City of Chicago Zoning Code, click here. This summary sets out the various zoning classifications and the limits of each classification in terms of building height, floor area, required setbacks and other constraints.

Interactive Chicago Zoning Map

To make use of the City of Chicago’s interactive zoning map, which can quickly help you find the zoning classification of each city lot, click this link.

Development Guidelines

The Zoning Committee has set out its development priorities in a set of Guidelines. We urge developers to consult these Guidelines in shaping their proposals, and we encourage NNA members to review the Guidelines and let the committee know where you believe changes or additions would be helpful. The Guidelines can be downloaded here.

For Developers

Developers interested in presenting their plans for new projects in the NNA area should submit to the Zoning Committee copies of any documentation they have submitted or plan to present to either the 47^th Ward office or the City of Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals or Plan Commission.  The NNA Zoning Committee can be reached here.

Western Avenue South TIF

There is an existing TIF (Tax Increment Financing) District in the NNA area, the Western Avenue South TIF.  You can learn more about how TIFs work by downloading the TIF fact sheet to learn more about how TIFs work and what they mean to Northcenter.  See below for a map of the Western Avenue South TIF.