Planning Commission

Meetings

• 7 pm
• 3rd Thursday of every month
• The Coliseum / City Hall
  212 3rd Avenue
  Council Chambers
  Sterling, IL 61081

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

View Most Recent Agendas and Minutes

Members

Overview

In order that adequate provisions be made for the preparation of a comprehensive City plan for the guidance, direction and control of the growth and development or redevelopment of the City and contiguous territory not more than 1.5 miles beyond the corporate limits and not included in any municipality, a Planning Commission is hereby created.

The Planning Commission shall consist of 7 voting members who shall reside within the City, or within territory contiguous to the City, and not more than 1.5 miles beyond the corporate limits of the City, and not included within the corporate limits of any other municipality, and who shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council on the basis of the qualifications for duties as a member of the Planning Commission. The 7 members of the Planning Commission appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council shall serve terms of 3 years each. Vacancies shall be filled by appointments for unexpired terms only. Present members shall serve out their unexpired terms. All members of the Planning Commission shall serve without compensation.

Immediately following their appointment the members of the Planning Commission shall meet, organize, elect such officers as it may deem necessary, and adopt and later change or alter, rules and regulations of organization and procedure consistent with City ordinances and state laws. The Commission shall keep written records of its proceedings, which shall be open at all times to public inspection. The Commission shall also file an annual report with the City Council setting forth its transactions and recommendations.

Powers & Duties

The Planning Commission shall have the following powers and duties:

1. To prepare and recommend to the City Council a comprehensive plan for the present and future development or redevelopment of the City. Such plan may be adopted in whole or in separate geographical or functional parts, each of which, when adopted, shall be the official comprehensive plan, or part thereof, of the City. This plan may include reasonable requirements with reference to streets, alleys, public grounds and other improvements specified in this section. The plan, as recommended by the Planning Commission and as thereafter adopted in the City, may be made applicable, by the terms thereof, to land situated within the corporate limits and contiguous territory not more than 1.5 miles beyond the corporate limits and not included in any municipality. Such plan may be implemented by ordinances:
   1. Establishing reasonable standards of design for subdivisions and for resubdivisions of unimproved land and of areas subject to redevelopment in respect to public improvements as defined in this section.
   2. Establishing reasonable requirements governing the location, width, course and surfacing of public streets and highways, alleys, ways for public service facilities, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, streetlights, parks, playgrounds, schoolgrounds, size of lots to be used for residential purposes, stormwater drainage, water supply and distribution, sanitary sewers, and sewage collection and treatment.
   3. May designate land suitable for annexation to the City and the recommended zoning classification for such land upon annexation.
2. To recommend changes, from time to time, in the official comprehensive plan.
3. To prepare and recommend to the corporate authorities, from time to time, plans for specific improvements in pursuance of the official comprehensive plan.
4. To give aid to the municipal officials charged with the direction of projects for improvements embraced within the official plan, to further the making of these projects, and, generally, to promote the realization of the official comprehensive plan.
5. To prepare and recommend to the City Council schemes for regulating or forbidding structures or activities which may hinder access to solar energy necessary for the proper functioning of solar energy systems, as defined in section 1.2 of the Comprehensive Solar Energy Act of 1977 (30 ILCS 725/1.2), or to recommend changes in such schemes.
6. To exercise such other powers germane to the powers granted by article 11 of the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/11-1-1 et seq.) as may be conferred by the corporate authorities.

Official Map

1. At any time, before or after the formal adoption of the official comprehensive plan by the City Council, an official map may be designated by ordinance, which map may consist of the whole area included within the official comprehensive plan, or one or more separate geographical or functional parts, and may include all or any part of the contiguous unincorporated area within 1.5 miles from the corporate limits of the City. All requirements for public hearing, filing of notice of adoption with the county recorder of deeds, and filing of the plan and ordinances, including the official map, with the City Clerk shall be complied with as provided for by law.
2. No map or plat of any subdivision or resubdivision presented for record affecting land within the corporate limits of the City or within contiguous territory which is not more than 1.5 miles beyond the corporate limits shall be entitled to record or shall be valid unless the subdivision shown thereon provides for standards of design, and standards governing streets, alleys, public ways, ways for public service facilities, streetlights, public grounds, size of lots to be used for residential purposes, stormwater and floodwater runoff channels and basins, water supply and distribution, sanitary sewers, and sewage collection and treatment in conformity with the applicable requirements of the ordinances, including the official map.

Reports

The City Clerk shall furnish the Planning Commission, for its consideration, a copy of all ordinances, plans and data relative to public improvements of any nature. The Planning Commission may report in relation thereto if it deems a report necessary or advisable, for the consideration of the City Council:

1. The Planning Commission may, with the approval of the Mayor or City Manager, employ a secretary or staff, or both, whose wages or salaries and other necessary expenses shall be provided for by the City Council from the public funds.
2. If the Planning Commission shall deem it advisable to secure technical advice or services, it may be done upon authority from the City Council and appropriations by the City Council therefor.

Fees

1. Approval of subdivision plats. The fee for application for approval of a subdivision or any portion thereof shall be $100 for up to 5 acres; over 5 acres, $100 plus $5 for each lot within the subdivision plus reimbursement costs for all required notices.
2. Zoning amendments. For any petition for amendment of the zoning chapter filed with the Planning Commission, the fee is $150 for each petition for amendment plus the cost of reimbursement for all required notices.
3. Appeals. For any petition to the Planning Commission for appeal from a decision of a City official requesting relief under the zoning chapter, the filing fee is $150 plus the cost of reimbursement for any required notices.