Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards
September 14,2021 City Council Meeting
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago has a lengthy history of advisory bodies and ordinances pertaining to the protection of landmarks, to ensure that certain landmarked buildings and buildings within historic districts are protected by law; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago conducted a Chicago Historic Resources Survey, which was a decade-long research effort to analyze the historic and architectural importance of all buildings constructed in the city prior to 1940; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago maintains these planning structures through the Historic Preservation Division within the Department of Planning and Development, to promote the preservation of Chicago historic resources, and the Chicago Commission on Landmarks, to recommend buildings, structures, sites, and districts for legal protection, as well as reviewing proposed alterations and demolitions; and,
WHEREAS, numerous historic districts and landmarks across the City have experienced unsanctioned demolitions and purposeful neglect by building owners, which have been difficult for the City to enforce via fines and other legal actions; and,
WHEREAS, professional best practices in urban planning arid architectural fields, as well as cultural attitudes and aesthetics, have evolved over time to appreciate a wider range of vernacular and modem architectural styles, which would: benefit from an updated Chicago Historic Resources survey; and,
WHEREAS, there are numerous development practices withjn historic districts, with landmarks, and with vernacular forms of architecture, including two- and four-flats, that reduce the density of neighborhoods, which could adversely impact the benefits these historic districts provide to the City, as well as impacting the affordability of housing in these areas; and,
WHEREAS, the Corporation Counsel of the City of Chicago can provide legal guidance for updating the Municipal ...
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