[Amended 6-17-2013]
There is hereby established a Planning and Development Commission
which shall assume and be responsible for the duties of the Plan Commission
and the Zoning Board of Appeals and such other powers as enumerated
in 65 ILCS 5/11-12-4 and 65 ILCS 5/11-13-3.
[Amended 6-17-2013]
The Village President shall name a member "Chairman" and a member
"Vice-Chairman." The Chairman shall conduct the meetings of the commission
and may call special meetings on his own, or at the request of two
or more members of the Commission. He shall have the right to vote
on all questions before the Commission and shall be a member thereof.
The Chairman may administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses.
The Vice-Chairman shall conduct the meetings of the Commission in
the absence of the Chairman.
[Amended 6-17-2013]
The concurring vote of four members of the Planning and Development
Commission is necessary to reverse any order, requirement, decision
or determination of such administrative office, to decide in favor
of the applicant any manner upon which it is required to pass under
an ordinance or to effect any variation in the ordinance, or to recommend
any variation nor modification in the ordinance or zoning map to the
corporate authorities.
[Amended 6-17-2013; 4-5-2021]
A. Meetings, Hearings:
1.
The regular meeting of the Plan and Development Commission of
the Village of Thornton shall be held on the second Wednesday of each
month at the Thornton Village Hall, and shall convene at 6:30 p.m.
and will be held on the following Thursday in the event the meeting
falls on a legal holiday.
2.
All meetings and hearings conducted by said Commission shall
be open to the public and shall be in compliance with the Illinois
Open Meetings Act.
3.
The Commission shall keep minutes of its proceedings showing
the vote of each member upon each question, or if absent or failing
to vote, indicating such fact and shall also keep records of its hearings
and other official actions. Findings of fact shall be included in
the minutes of each case of a requested variation, and the reasons
for making or denying such variation shall be specified.
4.
Every rule or regulation, every amendment or repeal thereof,
and every order, requirement, decision, or determination of the Commission
shall be filed immediately in the office of the Board and shall be
a public record.
5.
Rules of Procedure. The Commission shall adopt its own rules
of procedure not in conflict with this chapter or with the Illinois
Statutes in such case made and provided.
[Amended 6-17-2013]
The Planning and Development Commission shall have the following
powers and duties.
A. Comprehensive Plan. To prepare and recommend to the Board of Trustees
a comprehensive plan for the present and future development or redevelopment
of the Village. Such plan may be adopted in whole or in separate geographical
or functional parts, each of which, when adopted, by the Board of
Trustees shall be the official Comprehensive Plan, or part thereof,
of the Village. This plan may include reasonable requirements with
reference to streets, alleys, public grounds and other improvements
hereinafter specified. The plan, as recommended by the Plan Commission
and as thereafter adopted in the Village, may be made applicable,
by the terms thereof, to land situated within the corporate limits
and contiguous territory not more than 1 1/2 miles beyond the
corporate limits and not included within the Village. Such plan may
be implemented by ordinances:
1.
Establishing reasonable standards of design for subdivision
and for resubdivisions of unimproved land and of areas subject to
redevelopment in respect to public improvements as herein defined;
2.
Establishing reasonable requirements governing the location,
width, course and surfacing of public streets and highways, alleys,
ways for public service facilities, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street
lights, parks, playgrounds, size of lots to be used for residential
purposes, storm water drainage, water supply and distribution, sanitary
sewers and sewerage collection and treatment; and
3.
May designate land suitable for annexation to the Municipality
and the recommended zoning classification for such land upon annexation.
B. Plan Changes. To recommend changes, from time to time, in the official
Comprehensive Plan.
C. Improvements Recommended. To prepare and recommend to the Board of
Trustees, from time to time, plans for specific improvements in pursuance
of the official Comprehensive Plan.
D. Aid in Plan. To give aid to the Village officials charged with the
direction of projects for improvements embraced within the official
plan, to further the making of these projects, and, generally to promote
the realization of the official comprehensive plan.
E. General Powers. To exercise such other powers germane to the powers
granted by this chapter as may be conferred by the Board of Trustees.
F. To prepare and recommend to the corporate authorities schemes for
regulating or forbidding structures or activities which may hinder
access to solar energy necessary for the proper functioning of solar
energy systems, as defined in § 1.2 of the Comprehensive
Solar Energy Act of 1977 (30 ILCS 725/1.2), or to recommend changes
in such schemes.
G. Improvements Considered. The Village Clerk shall from time to time
furnish the Plan Commission for its consideration a copy of all ordinances,
plans and data relative to public improvements of any nature. The
Plan Commission may report in relation thereto if it deems a report
necessary or advisable, for the consideration of the Board of Trustees.
H. The Zoning Board of Appeals shall hear all applications for special
use, variations, amendments, planned unit development and appeals,
and such other relief as provided in Title 11 of the Municipal Code
of the Village of Thornton and the Illinois Municipal Code.