Today’s e-mail from 48th Ward Ald. Harry Osterman led me indirectly to the 48th Ward Community Process for Zoning and Land Use Approvals (PDF). The process, which is “intended to benefit the community and the incoming business by streamlining the decision making process …” requires, among other things, that an applicant for a zoning or land use change give notice by certified mail to residents within 1,000 feet of the affected property.
Written notice is not required by the Chicago Zoning Ordinance in all of the cases covered by the 48th Ward policy. When it is, notice is generally required only to property owners within 250 feet of the affected property and Certified Mail is not required, per section 17-13-0107-A of the Ordinance.
Depending on a property’s location in the 48th Ward (PDF), the ward policy could require that certified mail be sent to more than 10,000 individuals. According to the US Postal Service, the cost of Certified Mail varies between $3.29 and $5.59 per piece. That doesn’t include the cost of identifying all individuals to whom the notice must be given or the costs of assembling the mailings.
It doesn’t take much thought, given the frequency with which people come and go in the Edgewater neighborhood, to realize that it’s clearly impossible to comply with the policy as written.
Dan Luna, Ald. Osterman’s Chief of Staff, was in a meeting when I called to inquire about how this process streamlines zoning and land use approvals, and how rigorously it’s enforced.
A knowledgeable observer – an ex-con – once told me that “every aspect of government in this town is structured to maximize opportunities for corruption.” Is that the case here?
I believe that the city is making things more and more difficult for developers and investors, instead of easier.
I am rehabbing a 2 flat on the northwest side and despite the fact that I am investing in a decaying building, creating housing for city residents, and giving workers employment, I live in fear for being caught because I have not obtained a permit for every single little thing I’m doing. It is ludicrous that we have to get permits for every single little thing, a rule clearly designed to enrich the city’s coffers and give work to overpaid cronies.
These rules were clearly meant to be broken, which gives the City the advantage of always having leverage over everybody (“we know you’re doing this illegally but we won’t hold it against you unless you tick us off” mentality).
Zoning is just as silly. No wonder so many people have illegal apartments. The process whereby a property owner gets a GRANDFATHERED multiunit building approved is just plain expensive and time-consuming. First you have to pay an architect, then go through zoning, then pay for a permit, then get get an inspection, etc etc. On top of it all, I have heard cases where the city’s Zoning Dept doesn’t even honor a Certificate of Zoning Compliance that THEY themselves have issued!
I couldn’t agree more that Chicago has it ALL wrong when it comes to encouraging investment, at least when it comes to real estate.
tup,
Have you made your move to Chicago? Nice to see you back.
Joe, I still live in Wisconsin.
But I prefer to invest in Chicago. I am learning the ropes, and boy are there a lot of them.
As we speak, my architect, whom I am paying $4000, is getting permission from Zoning to allow me to have the units in my building, as if these units haven’t been around for 120 years or anything….
tup,
I’m curious about what neighborhood you chose to invest in, and why you chose it.
But wouldn’t you a) be able to just mail it to the board/management of big buildings (and not to other commercial LL’s) rather than say, individual unit owners? and b) this only applies in a change of zoning – most of the high density part of the hood is already zoned high, so I’d guess fewer changes there.
I know some of my former neighbors (former 48th resident) weren’t happy that Harry O was the only real choice in the last election. I always found him a non-entity as far as his state rep job – he didn’t even have a website I could find or engage the community in his “decision making” processes in Springfield. I told him I wouldn’t sign his petition to his face, regret not telling him why. He can’t be any better or much worse than the beloved MAS though (who at least had a website, if that was about all in her favor).