[in person] Field Trip! Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals
Chicago Zoning Board of AppealsDAY OF INSTRUCTIONS: We’ll have printouts of meeting materials and an assignment packet with some questions for you that will help us develop more explanatory content and programming.
Time: Meeting starts at 9 a.m. but you can arrive anytime before 11 a.m. Find Grace/India/Natalie and check in with us when you arrive and leave so we can officially assign you and log your attendance for payment.
Security: Be prepared with government-issued photo ID. Travel lightly; leave backpacks, metal water bottles, pepper spray, etc., at home.
Finding your way: The meeting will be held at Chicago City Hall (121 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 606014). We recommend using the Randolph St. entrance, which is on the north side of the building and across the street from the Thompson Center.
Once inside, walk straight to the security checkpoint and elevator bank. Most other members of the public will probably be there to go to the City Council meeting (hopefully it’s not too crowded), but you should head to the 11th floor, Room 1103.
If you run into any issues, you can reply to this email or call/text 708-820-2154.
DESCRIPTION
Chicago Documenters staff will be attending this month’s meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals, and you’re invited!
Think of this as a casual paid field trip / learning opportunity. ChiDocs staff will be there before the meeting starts but you can come and go on your own schedule. Instead of the usual notes or live-tweeting, we will plan to sit together and pool our observations and questions to create a resource/explainer.
This is a great opportunity for new Documenters to get a sense of what public meetings are like, and for more experienced Documenters to jam on zoning and development.
If you are interested in attending, register for this assignment to receive day-of updates. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. but you can show up any time before 11 a.m.; come find us and we’ll check you in and make sure you’re paid for the time you are in attendance.
About the Zoning Board of Appeals The Chicago ZBA is a small but powerful board of leaders in construction, design, real estate and urban planning that reviews complex zoning requests that don’t necessarily go before City Council. It has decision-making power on special use or variations from the standard zoning code and appeals of decisions made by the city’s zoning administrator. ZBA meetings tend to have more of a courtroom feel and sometimes last well into Friday night.
Attending City Hall
- Please note that the monthly City Council meeting is scheduled to meet in the Council Chambers that morning and the ZBA meeting has been relocated. Make sure you’re heading to the 11th floor, Room 1103.
- Bring government-issued photo ID
- Leave large backpacks, pepper spray, metal water bottles, coffee thermoses and Stanley cups at home. More tips in this message board post.
Email us at documenters@citybureau.org if you have questions.
Agency Information
Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals
To hear appeals of decisions by the Zoning Administrator.