Community Development
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
A safe community is developed through effective planning, zoning and building inspection. Each year, city staff answers hundreds and hundreds of construction and code related questions to assist homeowners, developers, and businesses maintain and enhance structures and properties in the community.
Click the link to view the City's various GIS maps regarding zoning, development districts, TIF, Enterprise Zone and city owned parcels.
Please see the below sections as they relate particularly to zoning, code enforcement and building inspection.
BUILDING INSPECTIONS
To ask a question regarding building permits or requirements, or to schedule a building inspection, please contact the following generally Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM until 4:30 PM.
Contact:
Nic Maquet
Building and Community Development Director
(309) 478-5370
nmaquet@ci.pekin.il.us
By appointment, pre-development meetings can take place to review sketches, plans, drawings, or site locations during the very early stages of projects which can help identify areas of concern to prevent problems before they become costly. In instances where developers or builders are out of compliance with existing building codes, the City will work with the builder to come into compliance. Click the following for a link to the City's Building Codes, which incorporate the 2015 edition of the International Building Codes published by the International Code Council.
PLANNING & ZONING
Zoning is the way the City controls the physical development of land and the kinds of uses to which each individual property may be put. Zoning laws typically specify the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. For example, an R-1 residential zone might allow only single-family detached homes as opposed to duplexes or apartment complexes. On the other hand, a C-1 commercial zone might be zoned to permit only certain commercial or industrial uses in one jurisdiction, but permit a mix of housing and businesses in another jurisdiction. Besides restricting the uses that can be made of land and buildings, zoning laws also may regulate the dimensional requirements for lots and for buildings on property located within the city, the density of development, or even whether you can have certain animals. Some zoning ordinances also provide space for hospitals, parks, schools, and open space and still others protect places of historical significance within the community. In Pekin, zoning regulations are found in the City's Zoning Ordinance.
Petitions from property owners for site-specific modifications of the zoning regulations are typically referred to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The ZBA is authorized to grant variances from the adopted zoning code of the City to individual properties. Such variances are usually considered when enforcement of the zoning code would cause unnecessary hardships or practical difficulty.
All questions regarding zoning questions, re-zoning request, or ZBA variances should be directed to:
Nic Maquet
Chief Building Official
309-478-5370
nmaquet@ci.pekin.il.us