[1983 Code]
It shall be the duty of the Administrative Officer designated by the President and Board of Trustees to enforce this Title. Appeal from the decision of the Administrative Officer may be made to the Board of Appeals as provided in § 11-10-4 of this chapter.
[1983 Code]
A. 
No application for a building permit or other permit or license, or for a certificate of occupancy shall be approved by the Administrative Officer of this Title, and no permit or license shall be issued by any other Village department which would authorize the use or change in use of land or building contrary to the provisions of this Title, or the erection, moving, alteration, enlargement or occupancy of any building designed or intended to be used for a purpose or in a manner contrary to the provisions of this Title.
B. 
All applicants for permits to construct single-family residences shall certify to the Building Commissioner the number of houses of the same design and shape as the plan being submitted now existing in the block in which the proposed residence is located, and the Building Commissioner shall not issue a permit for the construction of such residence if there are more than four such residences on either side of the street in that block, or if located next to each other.
C. 
No order of the Board permitting the erection of a building shall be valid for a period longer than one year, unless a building permit for such erection or alteration is obtained within such period and such erection or alteration is started and proceeds to completion in accordance with the terms of such permit.
No order of the Board permitting a use of a building or premises shall be valid for a period longer than one year, unless such use is established within such period; provided, however that where such use permitted is dependent upon the erection or alteration of a building, such order shall continue in force and effect if a building permit for said erection or alteration is started and proceeds to completion in accordance with the terms of such permit.
D. 
Each application for a building permit shall be accompanied by a plat in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the actual dimensions of the lot to be built upon, the size, shape and location of the building to be erected and such other information as may be necessary to provide for the enforcement of this Title. A record of applications and plats shall be kept in the office of the Administrative Officer.
[2-19-2001]
A. 
A special use permit for the uses listed in § 11-9-2 of this Zoning Ordinance may be granted and the applicable district regulations modified only if evidence is presented to establish that:
1. 
The proposed building or use at the particular location requested is necessary or desirable to provide a service or a facility which is in the interest of the public convenience and will contribute to the general welfare of the neighborhood or community;
2. 
The proposed building or use will not have a substantial or undue adverse effect upon adjacent property, the character of the neighborhood, traffic conditions, utility facilities and other matters affecting the public health, safety and general welfare;
3. 
The proposed building or use will be designed, arranged and operated so as to permit the development and use of neighboring property in accordance with the applicable district regulations;
4. 
The proposed building or use complies with the more specific standards and criteria established for the particular building or use in question by this Zoning Ordinance;
5. 
The proposed building or use has been considered in relation to the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan of the Village;
6. 
There shall be reasonable assurance that the proposed building or use will be completed and maintained in a timely manner, if authorized.
[1983 Code]
A. 
Subsequent to the effective date hereof, no change in the use or occupancy of land, nor any change of use or occupancy in the existing building other than for single-family dwelling purposes shall be made, nor shall any new building be occupied for any purpose until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the Administrative Officer. Every certificate of occupancy shall state that the new occupancy complies with all provisions of this Title.
B. 
No permit for excavation for, or the erection or alteration of, any building shall be issued before the application has been made for certificate of occupancy and compliance and no building or premises shall be occupied until that certificate and permit is issued.
C. 
A record of all certificates of occupancy shall be kept on file in the office of the Administrative Officer, and copies shall be furnished on request to any person having a proprietary or tenancy interest in land or in a building affected by such certificate of occupancy.
D. 
Certificate of occupancy shall be required for all nonconforming uses of land or buildings created by the passage of this Title. Application for such certificate of occupancy for nonconforming uses shall be filed with the Administrative Officer by the owner or lessee of the land or building occupied by such nonconforming use within two years from the effective date hereof. It shall be the duty of the Administrative Officer to issue a certificate of occupancy for nonconforming uses.
E. 
A certificate of occupancy is required for each unit in a two-family or multiple-family dwelling structure.
[1983 Code]
A. 
Initiation.
1. 
An appeal for a variance may be taken to the Zoning Board of Appeals by any person or by any officer, department, board or bureau of the Village affected by a decision of the Administrative Officer. Such appeal shall be taken within such time as shall be prescribed by the Zoning Board of Appeals by general rule, by filing with the Administrative Officer and with the Board of Appeals, a notice of appeal, specifying the grounds thereof. The Administrative Officer shall forthwith transmit to the Board all of the papers constituting the record upon which the action appealed from was taken.
2. 
An appeal shall stay all proceedings in furtherance of the action appealed from, unless the Administrative Officer certifies to the Board of Appeals after the notice of appeal has been filed with him that, by reason of facts stated in the certificate, a stay would, in his opinion, cause imminent peril to life or property, in which case the proceedings shall not be stayed otherwise than by a restraining order which may be granted by the Board of Appeals or by a court of record on application, on notice to the Administrative Officer and on due cause shown.
B. 
Hearing. The Board shall select a reasonable time and place for the hearing of the appeal and give due notice thereof to the parties and shall render a decision on the appeal without unreasonable delay. Any person may appear and testify at the hearing, either in person or by duly authorized agent or attorney.
[1983 Code; amended 10-21-2019; 12-2-2019]
A. 
Authority.
1. 
In considering all appeals and all proposed variations to this Title, the Board shall, before making any variation from this Title in a specific case, first determine that the proposed variation will not impair an adequate supply of light and air to adjacent property, or unreasonably increase the congestion in public streets, or increase the danger of fire or endanger the public safety, or unreasonably diminish or impair established property values within the surrounding area, or in any other respect impair the public health, safety, comfort, morals or welfare of the inhabitants of the Village. The concurring vote of four members of the Board shall be necessary to reverse any order, requirements, decisions or determination of the Administrative Officer or to decide in favor of the applicant in any matter upon which it is authorized by this Title to render a decision. Copies of all findings, orders and decisions of the Board shall be transmitted to the Board of Trustees for their final approval.
2. 
Nothing herein contained shall be construed to give or grant to the Board the power or authority to alter or change the Zoning Title or the District Map, such power and authority being reserved to the Village Board. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to give to the Board the power or authority to give final approval on any appeal for a variance, such power and authority being expressly reserved to the Village Board.
B. 
Authorized Variations. When a property owner shows that a strict application of the terms of this Title relating to the use, construction or alteration of buildings or structures, or to the use of the land, imposes upon him practical difficulties or practical hardship, then the Board may make such variations of the strict application of the terms of this Title as are in harmony with its general purpose and intent when the Board is satisfied, under the evidence heard before it, that a granting of such variation will not merely serve as a convenience to the applicant, but is necessary to alleviate some demonstrable hardship or difficulty so great as to warrant the variation in the following instances:
1. 
To permit the extension of a district where the boundary line of a district divides a lot in single ownership as shown of record.
2. 
To permit the reconstruction of a nonconforming building which has been destroyed or damaged to an extent of more than 60% of its value, by fire or Act of God or the public enemy, or to permit the continued nonconforming use of a building or premises in the event that said use is discontinued or its normal operation stopped for a continuous period of over one year, where the Board shall find some compelling public necessity requiring a continuance of the nonconforming use, or satisfactory evidence is presented regarding the necessity and justification of discontinued use or normal operation, and in no case shall such a permit be issued if its primary function is to continue a monopoly.
3. 
To permit the erection and use of a building or the use of premises in any location for a public service corporation for public utility purposes which the Board deems reasonably necessary for the public convenience or welfare.
4. 
To make a variance where, by reason of an exceptional situation, surroundings or condition of a specific piece of property, or by reason of exceptional narrowness, shallowness or shape of a specific piece of property of record, or by reason of exceptional topographical conditions, the strict application of any provision of this Title would result in peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties or particular hardship upon the owner of the property and amount to a practical confiscation of property as distinguished from a mere inconvenience to such owner, provided such relief can be granted without substantial detriment to the public good and without substantially impairing the general purpose and intent of the Comprehensive Plan as established by the regulations and provisions contained in this Title.
5. 
To interpret the provisions of this Title where the street layout actually on the ground varies from the street layout as shown on the District Map fixing the several districts.
6. 
To permit lots that were of record at the time of passage hereof and which contain less than the intensity of use requirements of the dwelling district in which they are located to be used for single-family dwellings and to vary the side yard regulations for such lots, but only when the owner or owners of such lots furnish substantial proof of the inability to acquire, or to acquire at a reasonable price, additional land adjoining the lot which would be necessary to provide the required lot area.
7. 
To extend the period within which a nonconforming commercial or industrial use is to be removed from a dwelling district, when the owner or owners can furnish substantial proof that the building was so extensively remodeled, reconstructed or structurally altered after the original construction that it practically resulted in a new building, but such extension of the period shall not exceed 40 years from the date of such remodeling, reconstruction or structural alteration.
8. 
To waive the parking requirements in the commercial, business or industrial districts whenever the character or use of the building is such as to make unnecessary the full provision of parking facilities or where such regulations would impose an unreasonable hardship upon the use of the lot as contrasted with merely granting an advantage or a convenience.
9. 
To permit land within 200 feet of a multiple dwelling to be improved for the parking spaces required in connection with a multiple dwelling, but only when there is positive assurance that such land can be used for such purpose during the existence of the multiple dwelling.
C. 
The applicant, at the time of filing the application for variation or change, shall furnish to the Village Clerk a list containing the names and addresses of each of the recorded owners, as shown by the Recorder of Deeds or Registrar of Titles in Cook County, of all property within 250 feet of any part of the lot line of the applicant's property for which the variation or change is requested. The Village Clerk shall serve written notice by U.S. postal card on said owners of record. Such notice shall be mailed at least seven days prior to the date of the hearing of applicant's petition and shall contain the post office address or other description of the applicant's property, a brief statement of the nature of the requested variation or change, the name and address of the applicant, and the date, time and place of the hearing on said application.
D. 
Hearing. The Board shall make no variation except in a specific case and after a public hearing conducted by the Board. A notice of the time and place of such public hearing shall be published in a paper of general circulation in the Village not more than 30 nor less than 15 days before the hearing. Such notice shall contain the address or location of the property for which the variation or other ruling by the Board is sought, as well as a brief description of the nature of the appeal.
E. 
Period of variation. Absent an extension granted by the President and Board of Trustees, any variation of the requirements contained in the Village of Thornton Zoning Code granted by the Village shall automatically become null and void unless construction is completed within one year of Board approval.
[1983 Code]
A. 
Authority. The Village President and Board of Trustees may from time to time, amend, supplement or change by ordinance the boundaries of districts or regulations herein established. Any amendment supplement or change shall first be submitted to the Plan Commission for its recommendation and report.
B. 
Notice. The applicant at the time of filing the application for variation or change, shall furnish to the Village Clerk, a list containing the names and last known addresses of each of the recorded owners as shown by the Recorder of Deeds or Registrar of Titles in Cook County, of all property within 250 feet of any part of the lot line of the applicant's property for which the variation or change is requested. The Village Clerk shall serve written notice by U.S. postal card on said owners of record. Such notice shall be mailed at least seven days prior to the date of the hearing of applicant's petition and shall contain the post office address of the applicant's property, a brief statement of the nature of the requested variation or change, the name and address of the applicant, and the date, time and place of the hearing on said application.
C. 
Hearing. A public hearing shall be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals and within 30 days of such hearing, it shall report to the Village Board any proposed amendments or special uses, notice of which hearing shall be given by publishing in some newspaper of general circulation not more than 30 days nor less than 15 days before the hearing, stating the time and place of such hearing. In case of written protest against any proposed amendment signed by the owners of 20% of the frontage proposed to be altered or by the owners of 20% of the frontage immediately adjoining or across an alley therefrom, or by the owners of 20% of the frontage directly opposite the frontage proposed to be altered as to such regulations or district and filed with the Village Board, such amendments shall not be passed except by the favorable vote of 2/3 of all the Trustees.
D. 
All applications for change in districts or uses for land held in trust or where the application is made in the name of a trustee, shall require the disclosure of the names and addresses of the beneficiaries of the trust.
[1983 Code; amended 4-16-1990; 12-4-2006; 8-5-2013; 7-19-2021]
A. 
Appeals. Before any action is taken as provided in § 11-10-4 hereof, a party or parties requesting an appeal of any decision of the Administrative Officer shall deposit with the Village Clerk the sum of $350 to cover the approximate cost of this procedure, and under no condition shall said sum, or any part thereof, be refunded for failure of said appeal to be enacted into law.
B. 
Certificate of occupancy. A fee of $50 shall be paid to the Village Clerk for each certificate of occupancy issued.
C. 
Amendments. Before any action shall be taken as provided in § 11-10-6 hereof, the party or parties proposing or recommending a change or special use in the district regulations or district boundaries shall deposit with the Village Clerk the sum of $350 to cover the approximate cost of this procedure, and under no condition shall said sum or any part thereof be refunded for failure of said amendment to be enacted into law.
D. 
Variance. Before any action shall be taken as provided in § 11-10-5 hereof, the party or parties proposing variations to this title shall deposit with the Village Clerk the sum of $400 to cover the approximate cost of this procedure, and under no condition shall said sum or any part thereof be refunded for failure of said proposal to be enacted into law.
[1983 Code]
Any person who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with or who resists the enforcement of any of the provisions of this Title shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $500 for each offense. A separate offense shall be deemed committed for each day such violation shall continue.