55 ILCS 5/5-12009.5

(55 ILCS 5/5-12009.5)

Sec. 5-12009.5. Special uses.

(a) The county board may, by an ordinance passed under this Division, provide for the classification of special uses. Those uses may include, but are not limited to, public and quasi-public uses affecting the public interest; uses that have a unique, special, or unusual impact upon the use or enjoyment of neighboring property; and uses that affect planned development. A use may be permitted in one or more zoning districts and may be a special use in one or more other zoning districts.

(b) A special use may be granted only after a public hearing conducted by the board of appeals. There must be at least 15 days' notice before the hearing. The notice must include the time, place, and date of the hearing and must be published in a newspaper published in the township or road district where the property is located. If there is no newspaper published in the township or road district where the property is located, the notice must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The notice must also contain (i) the particular location of the property for which the special use is requested by legal description and by street address, or if there is no street address, by locating the property with reference to any well-known landmark, highway, road, thoroughfare, or intersection; (ii) whether the petitioner or applicant is acting for himself or herself or as an agent, alter ego, or representative of a principal and the name and address of the principal; (iii) whether the petitioner or applicant is a corporation, and if so, the correct names and addresses of all officers and directors of the corporation and of all stockholders or shareholders owning any interest in excess of 20% of all of the outstanding stock or shares of the corporation; (iv) whether the petitioner or applicant, or his or her principal, is a business or entity doing business under an assumed name, and if so, the name and residence of all actual owners of the business or entity; (v) whether the petitioner or applicant, or his or her principal, is a partnership, joint venture, syndicate, or an unincorporated voluntary association, and if so, the names and addresses of all partners or members of the partnership, joint venture, syndicate, or unincorporated voluntary association; and (vi) a brief statement of the proposed special use.

In addition to any other notice required by this Section, the board of appeals must give at least 15 days' notice before the hearing to (i) any municipality whose boundaries are within 1-1/2 miles of any part of the property proposed as a special use and (ii) the owner or owners of any land adjacent to or immediately across any street, alley, or public right-of-way from the property proposed as a special use.

The petitioner or applicant must pay the cost of the publication of the notice required by this Section.

(c) A special use may be granted only upon evidence that the special use meets the standards established for that classification in the ordinance. The special use may be subject to conditions reasonably necessary to meet those standards.

(d) The board of appeals shall report to the county board a finding of fact and a recommendation as to whether the county board should deny, grant, or grant subject to conditions the special use. The county board may, by ordinance and without a further public hearing, adopt any proposed special use on receiving the report or it may refer the proposal back to the board of appeals for further consideration.

(e) The county board may, by ordinance, delegate to the board of appeals the authority to grant special uses subject to the restrictions and requirements of this Section. The ordinance may delegate the authority to grant all special uses or to grant only certain classes of special uses while reserving to the county board the authority to grant other classes of special uses. If the county board enacts an ordinance delegating its authority, the board of appeals must, after conducting the required public hearing, issue a finding of fact and final decision in writing on the proposed special use.

(Source: P.A. 90-175, eff. 1-1-98; 91-334, eff. 7-29-99.)