In order to carry out the purposes and provisions of this ordinance, the City of Hickory Hills is divided into the following zoning districts:

 

   The location and boundaries of the districts established by this ordinance are shown upon the district zoning maps, which are attached to and incorporated into this ordinance. The said zoning maps, together with all notations references and other information shown thereon, and all amendments thereto, shall have the same force and effect and be as much a part of this ordinance as if fully set forth and described herein.

   (a)   Boundaries indicated as approximately following the center lines of streets, highways, or alleys or extensions thereof, shall be construed to follow such center lines or extensions thereof.

   (b)   Boundaries indicated as approximately following platted lot lines shall be construed as following such lot lines.

   (c)   Boundaries indicated as approximately following City limits shall be construed as following City limits.

   (d)   Distances not specifically indicated on the zoning map shall be determined by the scale appearing thereon.

   No person shall use land or a building or structure or erect, construct, reconstruct, move or structurally alter a building, structure, or part there of, except in conformance with the zoning schedules setting forth use regulation, lot, bulk and coverage regulations, and performance standards which follow in Sections 6.041, 6.042 and 6.043.

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To delineate those areas where predominantly residential development has occurred or is likely to occur in accordance with the General Plan of the City of Hickory Hills.

      2.   To upgrade the character of all residential areas in the City by requiring standards of land use and lot and building bulk and size which more accurately reflect existing development.

      3.   To protect the integrity of residential areas by prohibiting the incursion of incompatible non-residential uses.

      4.   To encourage open space.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   Single-family dwellings

      2.   Community Residence - Small provided that they are located not less than 1,000 feet from another community residence.

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES

      1.   Private garage

      2.   Home Occupation

      3.   Greenhouse for private use

      4.   Sign

      5.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Public parks and playgrounds

      2.   Golf courses

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To promote the public health, safety, and general welfare through the confinement of periodic floods to reasonable limits by regulating and restricting areas of development along or in natural watercourses, channels, drainage ditches and streams.

      2.   These districts and the regulations thereof shall apply in addition to regulations of any other zoning district, which now or in the future may lie within the boundaries of these districts.

      3.   To protect the integrity of residential areas by prohibiting the incursion of incompatible non-residential uses.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   Single-family dwellings

      2.   Community Residence-Small provided that they are located not less than 1,000 feet from another community residence.

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES

      1.   Private garage

      2.   Home Occupation

      3.   Greenhouse for private use

      4.   Signs

      5.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Public or parochial schools

      2.   Public parks and playgrounds

      3.   Golf courses

      4.   Places of worship

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To delineate those areas where predominantly residential development has occurred or is likely to occur in accordance with the General Plan of the City of Hickory Hills.

      2.   To upgrade the character of all residential areas in the City by requiring standards of land use and lot and building bulk and size which more accurately reflect existing development.

      3.   To protect the integrity of residential areas by prohibiting the incursion of incompatible non-residential uses.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   Single-family dwellings

      2.   Community Residence-Small provided that they are located not less than 1,000 feet from another community residence.

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES

      1.   Private garage

      2.   Home Occupation

      3.   Greenhouse for private use

      4.   Sign

      5.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Public or parochial schools

      2.   Public parks and playgrounds

      3.   Golf courses

      4.   Places of worship

      5.   Municipal operated water utility

      6.   Convents or Monasteries

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To delineate those areas where predominantly residential development has occurred or is likely to occur in accordance with the General Plan of the City of Hickory Hills.

      2.   To upgrade the character of all residential areas in the City by requiring standards of land use and lot and building bulk and size which more accurately reflect existing development.

      3.   To protect the integrity of residential areas by prohibiting the incursion of incompatible non-residential uses.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   Single-family dwellings

      2.   Community Residence-Small provided that they are located not less than 1,000 feet from another community residence.

      3.   Places of worship.

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES

      1.   Private garage

      2.   Home Occupation

      3.   Greenhouse for private use

      4.   Sign

      5.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Public or parochial schools

      2.   Public parks and playgrounds

      3.   Golf courses

      4.   Municipal operated water utility

      5.   Convents or Monasteries

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To delineate those areas where predominantly residential development has occurred or is likely to occur in accordance with the General Plan of the City of Hickory Hills.

      2.   To upgrade the character of all residential areas in the City by requiring standards of land use and lot and building bulk and size which more accurately reflect existing development.

      3.   To protect the integrity of residential areas by prohibiting the incursion of incompatible non-residential uses.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   Single-family dwellings

      2.   Two-family dwellings

      3.   Multi-family dwellings

      4.   Condominiums (residential)

      5.   Community Residence-Small provided that they are located not less than 1,000 feet from another community residence.

      6.   Community Residence-Large provided that they are located not less than 1,000 feet from another community residence.

      7.   Places of worship

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES

      1.   Private garage

      2.   Off-street parking area

      3.   Home occupation

      4.   Sign

      5.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Public or parochial schools

      2.   Public parks and playgrounds

      3.   Public libraries

      4.   Planned unit development

      5.   Hospitals

      6.   Nursery schools

      7.   Private club

      8.   Institutions of an educational or philanthropic nature

      9.   Police or fire stations

      10.   Municipal service or storage building or yards

      11.   Social halls, lodges and fraternal organizations

      12.   Planned Unit Developments (Mixed Commercial and Residential)

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To delineate those areas where predominantly mixed commercial and residential uses have occurred.

      2.   To encourage the continuance of residential uses to those which serve primarily the neighborhood.

      3.   Municipal uses that serve the community.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   The following uses are permitted provided they are operating entirely within an enclosed building except off street parking and loading facilities:

         A.   Art and School Supplies store

         B.   Bakeries - all goods are sold on premises at retail only

         C.   Banks and other financial institutions

         D.   Barber shops and Beauty Parlors

         E.   Book and Stationary stores

         F.   Business and professional offices, including medical offices

         G.   Camera and Photographic supply stores

         H.   Candy and Confectionery store

         I.   China, Glassware store

         J.   Coin and Philatelic stores

         K.   Currency Exchange

         L.   Drapery store and Fabric

         M.   Drug store

         N.   Dry Cleaning pickup and delivery depot

         O.   Dry Goods store

         P.   Florist

         Q.   Food stores

         R.   Gift shops

         S.   Haberdasheries and Millinery

         T.   Hardware stores

         U.   Hobby and Crafts store

         V.   Ice Cream store

         W.   Jewelry store - repair and sales

         X.   Laundries

         Y.   Locksmith shop

         Z.   Luggage and Leather goods store

         AA.   Musical Instruments - sales and repairs - retail only

         BB.   Photographic studio

         CC.   Radio, T.V., and Tape Recorder shop - sales and repairs

         DD.   Restaurants, excepting night clubs, cabarets, and similar establishments

         EE.   Shoe Repair shop

         FF.   Shoe sales

         GG.   Small Electrical Appliance shop - sales and repairs

         HH.   Sporting and Athletic Goods store

         II.   Tailor and Dressmaker

         JJ.   Toy store

         KK.   Wearing Apparel store

         LL.   Planned Unit Developments (Mixed Commercial and Residential)

      2.   Apartments and/or living quarters -- subject to the density requirements of the R-5 District, provided they are located above the main floor and above a business use permitted in this district.

      3.   Municipal Operated Utilities

      4.   Police or Fire Stations

      5.   Municipal service or storage buildings or yards

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES

      1.   Signs.

      2.   Off-street parking and loading.

      3.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use.

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Dry cleaning plant.

      2.   Nursery Schools.

      3.   Nursing or convalescent homes.

      4.   Taverns and cocktail lounges.

      5.   Package liquor stores.

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To delineate those areas where predominantly commercial development has occurred or is likely to occur in accordance with the General Plan of the City of Hickory Hills.

      2.   To encourage the development of modern commercial development with adequate off-street parking and other amenities to serve customers and employees.

      3.   Preserve the City’s property tax base and to generate sales tax revenue by limiting the uses to commercial retail stores, commercial establishments, service establishments, and professional offices that generate sales tax revenues, maintain the City’s tax base.

      4.   Provide convenient locations for the public to shop, obtain services and conduct business.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   Any use permitted in the C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District except residential (including within a planned development) and municipal uses.

      2.   Department stores

      3.   Funeral parlors

      4.   Hotels and Motels

      5.   Landscape nurseries, garden supplies

      6.   Medical and dental office building and testing laboratories

      7.   Package liquor stores

      8.   Specialty stores

      9.   Taverns and cocktail lounges

      10.   General retail stores

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES

      1.   Signs

      2.   Off-street parking and loading

      3.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Automobile repair shops

      2.   Automobile sales

      3.   Automobile service stations

      4.   Automobile washing establishment

      5.   Dry cleaning plants

      6.   Commercial indoor amusement enterprises including theatres, bowling alleys, billiard parlors, and other similar uses.

      7.   Night clubs and cabarets

      8.   Commercial parking garages

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To delineate areas appropriate for commercial uses which are either oriented to the highway or intended as service to vehicles.

      2.   Preserve the City’s property tax base and to generate sales tax revenue by limiting the uses to commercial retail stores, commercial establishments, service establishments, and professional offices that generate sales tax revenues, maintain the City’s tax base.

      3.   Provide convenient locations for the public to shop, obtain services and conduct business.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   Any use permitted in the C-2 General Commercial District

      2.   Animal hospitals, kennels, pounds

      3.   Automobile or service station training schools

      4.   Furniture stores

      5.   Interior decorating studios

      6.   Landscape nurseries, garden supplies

      7.   Music schools

      8.   Paint stores

      9.   Pet shops with no permanent boarding of animals

      10.   Variety stores

      11.   Wholesale establishments

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USE

      1.   Signs

      2.   Off-street parking and loading

      3.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Automobile repair shops

      2.   Automobile sales

      3.   Automobile service stations

      4.   Automobile washing establishments

      5.   Drive-in restaurants

      6.   Dry cleaning plants

      7.   Mobile home sales

      8.   Night clubs and cabarets

      9.   Commercial parking garages

      10.   Planned commercial developments

      11.   Cannabis Dispensing Organizations provided the organizations otherwise comply with the provisions of Article IX.

(Ord. 19-30, passed 12-12-2019)

   (a)   PURPOSE

      1.   To delineate areas best suited for industrial development because of location, topography, existing facilities and relationship to other land uses.

      2.   Uses incompatible with industry are not to be permitted.

   (b)   PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES

      1.   Professional and business offices, including medical and dental clinics.

      2.   Laboratories and research firms involved in a research, experimentation or testing of materials, goods or products.

      3.   Printing, publishing, or lithography establishments.

      4.   Miniwarehouses.

      5.   Direct selling establishments, where products are stored and distributed, but not displayed for retail sales.

      6.   All low nuisance, light manufacturing and industrial activities, including fabrication, processing, assembly, disassembly, repairing, cleaning, servicing, testing, packaging and storage of materials, products and goods that can be conducted wholly within enclosed buildings.

      7.   Contractor offices.

      8.   Rental and sale of motor vehicles and equipment.

      9.   Municipal buildings and facilities including public works and dog parks.

   (c)   PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES

      1.   Signs

      2.   Off-street parking and loading

      3.   Indoor and outdoor storage areas

      4.   Other uses normally accessory to the principal permitted use

   (d)   SPECIAL USES

      1.   Planned industrial developments

      2.   Restaurants

      3.   Cannabis Organizations provided the organizations otherwise comply with the provisions of Article IX.

(Ord. 19-24, passed 12-12-2019; Ord. 19-30, passed 12-12-2019; Ord. 25-14, passed 9-11-2025)

 

   (a)   Permitted and special exception uses enumerated in the I-1 Industrial District, and uses accessory thereto, are subject to the following performance standards.

      1.   SOUND - Sound levels shall be measured with a sound level meter and associated octave band filter manufactured according to standards prescribed by the American Standards Association. Measurements shall be made using the flat network of the sound level meter. Impulsive type noises shall be subject to the performance standards hereinafter prescribed, provided that such noises shall be capable of being accurately measured with such equipment. Noises capable of being so measured, for the purpose of this comprehensive amendment, shall be those noises which cause rapid fluctuations of the needle of the sound level meter with a variation of no more than plus or minus two (2) decibels. Noises incapable of being so measured, such as those of an irregular and intermittent nature, shall be controlled so as not to become a nuisance to adjacent uses.

      In the I-1 District, at no point in the boundary of a Residential or Commercial District shall be sound pressure level of any operation or plant (other than background noises produced by sources not under control of this Ordinance, such as the operation of motor vehicles or other transportation facilities) exceed the decibel limits in the octave bands designated below:

 

 

      2.   VIBRATION - In the I-1 District, any industrial operation or activity which shall cause at any time and at any point along the nearest adjacent lot line, earth-borne vibrations, (other than background vibrations produced by some source not under control of this ordinance, such as the operation of motor vehicles or other transportation facilities) in excess of the limits set forth in Column I is prohibited. In addition, any industrial operation or activity which shall cause at any time and at any point along a Residential District boundary line, earth borne vibrations in excess of the limits set forth in Column II is prohibited. Vibrations shall be expressed as displacement in inches and shall be measured with a three-component measuring system approved by the Zoning Board.

 

      3.   SMOKE AND PARTICULATE MATTER - In the I-1 District, the emission of more than twenty (20) smoke units per hour per stack is prohibited, including smoke of a density in excess of Ringelmann No. 2. However, once during any six-hour period each stack may emit up to thirty-five (35) smoke units - not to exceed Ringelmann No. 2 - when blowing soot or cleaning fires. Only during fire-cleaning periods, however, shall smoke of Ringelmann No. 3 be permitted, and then for not more than four (4) minutes per period.

      The rate of emission of particulate matter from all sources within the boundaries of any lot shall not exceed a net figure of one pound per acre of lot area during any one hour, after deducting from the gross hourly emission per acre the correction factor set forth in the following table.

 

   Determination of the total net rate of emission of particulate matter within the boundaries of any lot shall be made as follows:

         A.   Determine the maximum emission in pounds per hour from each source of emission and divide this figure by the number of acres of lot area, thereby obtaining the gross hourly rate of emission in pounds per acre.

         B.   From each gross hourly rate of emission derived in A. above, deduct the correction factor (interpolating as required) for height of emission set forth in the table, thereby obtaining the net rate of emission in pounds per acre per hour from each source of emission.

         C.   Add together the individual net rates of emission derived in B. above, to obtain the total net rate of emission from all sources of emission within the boundaries of the lot. Such total shall not exceed one pound per acre of lot area during any one hour.

      4.   TOXIC MATTER - In the I-1 District, no activity or operation shall cause, at any time, the discharge of toxic matter across lot lines in such concentrations as to be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort, or welfare, or cause injury or damage to property or business.

      5.   NOXIOUS AND ODOROUS MATTER - In the I-1 Districts, no activity or operation shall cause at any time, the discharge of matter across lot lines in such concentrations as to be noxious. The emission of matter in such quantities as to be readily detectable as an odor at any point along lot lines is prohibited.

      6.   FIRE AND EXPLOSIVE HAZARDS - In the I-1 District, the storage, utilization or manufacture of solid materials or products ranging from incombustible to moderate burning is permitted.

      The storage, utilization, or manufacture of solid materials or products ranging from free or active burning to intense burning is permitted provided the following condition is met:

      Said material or products shall be stored, utilized, or manufactured within completely enclosed buildings having incombustible exterior walls and protected throughout by an automatic fire extinguishing system.

      The storage, utilization, or manufacture of flammable liquids, or materials which produce flammable or explosive vapors or gases, shall be permitted in accordance with the following table - exclusive of storage of finished products in original sealed containers, which shall be unrestricted:

 

      7.   GLARE AND HEAT - In the I-1 District, any operation producing intense glare or heat shall be performed within a completely enclosed building in such manner as not to create a public nuisance or hazard along lot lines. Exposed sources of light shall be shielded so as not to create a nuisance across lot lines.

      8.   RADIOACTIVITY OR ELECTRICAL DISTURBANCE - No activities shall be permitted which emit dangerous radioactivity or electrical disturbance adversely affecting the operation of any equipment. All applicable Federal regulations shall be complied with.