Part I Planned Development applications undergo a thorough review process, per Sec. 17-13, that may include Department of Planning and Development (DPD) staff, the Committee on Design (CoD), the Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) and the Chicago City Council. The process proceeds as follows: Step 0: Concept Review Prior to an Intake Meeting and filing, the Applicant is encouraged to schedule a Concept Review. This is held between DPD staff and the applicant team to discuss the concept and main goals of an application. This meeting will be used to identify any possible obstacles and solutions based off what the Applicant is trying to accomplish. To schedule an appointment, email CPC@cityofchicago.org. Step 1: Intake Prior to filing an application, the Applicant is encouraged to schedule an Intake Meeting with DPD. This is a meeting held between the applicant team, DPD, impacted departments, and sister agencies. An Intake Meeting is used to discuss the application and to address questions from the Applicant’s Intake Submission, related to compliance with Sec. 17-8 and alignment with relevant adopted plans and guidelines. Step 2: Departmental Review Departmental review consists of in-depth internal reviews regarding critical zoning, urban design, siting, massing, density, land uses, landscaping, transportation, and potential community issues. DPD’s review consists of both a Zoning Project Review to address any fundamental zoning issues followed by a Planning and Design Review to address massing, siting, and regional standards and guidelines.

Zoning Review
The Chicago Zoning Ordinance requires Planned Development review and approval for many types of projects, based on size and zoning district. PD applications must satisfy the overall Zoning Project Review requirements, which includes being in substantial compliance with Sec. 17-8-0100 and other relevant Zoning Ordinance regulations prior to Planning and Design Review. DPD works with the Applicant and the Zoning administrator continuously until the application meets all zoning requirements.

Planning and Design Review
All PD applications are required to go through Planning and Design Review. The intent of Planning and Design Review is not to be overly specific or to dictate certain designs or styles but to ensure the various types of applications meet, to the extent possible, Chicago’s Design Excellence Guiding Principles (Design Excellence) and any existing design guidelines that may pertain to a project’s site. To be approved, PD applications must satisfy the overall Planning and Design Review requirements, which includes being in substantial compliance with Sec. 17-8-0900 and relevant adopted plans and guidelines. Not all plans and design guidelines will apply, given the infinite number of possible planning and design situations. After initial Planning and Design Review, DPD staff will recommend if an application should continue through Staff Review or CoD Review:

Staff Review
Once the application has gone through a zoning review and if selected for Staff Review, DPD works with the Applicant and Planning and Design staff continuously until the application meets all planning and design requirements as well as requirements from relevant departments and sister agencies. Staff Review is reserved for applications that require extensive review and discussion to sufficiently address planning and design compliance issues, this may include multiple rounds of revisions to the application.The Staff Review process is complete once the Applicant has satisfied all Planning and Design Review requirements, which may include all internal review recommendations, as determined by DPD.  

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CoD Review
The CoD is an advisory committee appointed by the commissioner of DPD to provide an enhanced peer review of certain projects. Once the application has gone through a zoning review and if selected for CoD Review, DPD works with the Applicant to prepare the application to be presented to the CoD. The intent of the CoD is to provide recommendations to help the application meet Design Excellence standards. The CoD Review process is complete once the Applicant has satisfied all Planning and Design Review requirements, including fulfilling the recommendations by the CoD, as determined by DPD. To determine if a project may be referred to the CoD, visit chicago.gov/COD.

Reviews should be ongoing with relevant sister agencies that may include but are not limited to: Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT); Department of Housing (DOH); Department of Buildings (DOB); Chicago Park District (CPD); Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH); Assets, Information and Services (AIS); Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), and/or Metra; Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD); and Chicago Fire Department (CFD). Additionally, community feedback and metrics that pertain to Sustainability and Minority and Women- Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) will be reviewed. An application may go through multiple reviews until it satisfies all zoning requirements and/or planning and design requirements.

Step 3: Applicant Files
At the time an application is filed, five copies of the entire submittal and the property survey are delivered by the applicant to the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development/Zoning Administrator’s office. The filing fee shall be attached to the application in check form. (Sec. 17-13-0103 for current fees).

Step 4: Introduction and Notice of PD Application
At the time an application is filed, five copies of the entire submittal and the property survey are delivered by the applicant to the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development/Zoning Administrator’s office. The filing fee shall be attached to the application in check form. (Sec. 17-13-0103 for current fees).

Step 5: Executive Project Review (Final Internal Review Process)
Once an application satisfies all zoning, planning, and design requirements, DPD staff takes the application to the internal Executive Project Review (EPR). An application must be approved by executive staff in order to proceed toward CPC.

Step 6: Finalize CPC Packet
When Departmental Review and EPR is complete, the applicant prepares a hearing packet containing all the required documents. The hearing packet must address all comments and changes that were requested throughout the review process. The applicant’s name, property address, date of filing, and hearing date shall be on the bottom of the revised exhibits. The packet must be received 20 days (or next business day if the date falls on a weekend or holiday) prior to the proposed hearing in order to be considered for the agenda. Incomplete hearing packets, or packets received less than 20 days before the next hearing, will not be considered for that date.

Step 7: Chicago Plan Commission and Presentation
The Plan Commission conducts public hearings in City Council chambers on the third Thursday of each month but must legally advertise the hearing in a newspaper at least 15 days in advance. Materials are posted for public review ahead of each meeting at chicago.gov/cpc.