Harwood Heights will soon have a new village planning and zoning commission after trustees unanimously voted to combine two former commissions together at a recent meeting.
The move to combine the zoning board of appeals and the plan commission into one was to reduce the cost to the village, Mayor Arlene Jezierny said. Commissioners are paid $150 per meeting before taxes.
The commissioners can also share each other’s expertise, have more hearings, and streamline the process for the public, Jezierny explained.
“They almost go hand in hand because you have planning and then once the plans are done, if someone comes for the zoning board of appeals, they go to the zoning board at that time to find out what they can do with their property,” Jezierny said.
The board will have 11 members, made up of commissioners who previously served on the zoning board of appeals and the plan commission. There are no new appointees, Jezierny said.
More Top Picks Best Hose
The commission will recommends decisions to the village board based on information gathered in public hearings.
It can recommend changes to the villages comprehensive plan and zoning amendments, set standards of design, and consider planned developments, special use permits and zoning variances, according to the ordinance that created the commission.
The commission will also hear and decide appeals related to zoning, and designate land suitable for annexation.
The meetings are open to the public and will take place the last Wednesday of every month. The first meeting of the new board will be Aug. 26.