Ordinance O2014-9405
Passed
Amendment of Municipal Code Title 2 by adding new Chapter 157 establishing Large Lot Program and authorization to enter into agreement with Local Initiatives Support Corp. for maintenance and hosting of program-related website
Sponsors
| Sponsor | Ward | |
|---|---|---|
|
Emanuel, RahmPrimary Sponsor |
History
Legislation Text
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL
MAYOR
November 19,2014
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
At the request of the Commissioner of Planning and Development, I transmit herewith an ordinance adding Section 2-157 to the Municipal Code regarding the Large Lot Program, and associated authorization for an agreement with LISC.
Your favorable consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated.
Mayor
Very truly yours,
ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago ("City") is a home rule unit of government under Section 6(a), Article VII ofthe Constitution ofthe State of Illinois of 1970 and may exercise any power related to its local governmental affairs; and
WHEREAS, the City has acquired title to numerous parcels of vacant property located throughout the City of Chicago pursuant to its responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare; and
WHEREAS, many of the City-owned parcels are of minimal value, yet are costly for the City to clean up and maintain; and
WHEREAS, it is the City's intention to establish by this ordinance a program (such program, the "Large Lot Program") for the disposition of certain City-owned, vacant parcels, which would allow local residents to have greater control over land in their neighborhood, and provide opportunities to possibly profit from selling those parcels in the future as the areas in which the parcels are located revitalize; and
WHEREAS, Local Initiatives Support Corporation ("LISC") developed and currently hosts a website (the "Large Lot Website") that contains information relating to the Large Lot Program, including the addresses of parcels and whether persons have submitted applications to own them, and the City wishes to subsidize LISC's continued maintenance and hosting of such website; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:
SECTION 1. The above recitals are expressly adopted herein as the legislative findings ofthe City Council and incorporated herein and made a part of this ordinance.
SECTION 2. Title 2 of the Municipal Code of Chicago is hereby amended by adding a new Chapter 2-157, as follows:
2-157-010. Legislative Findings. The City has acquired title to numerous parcels of vacant property located throughout the City of Chicago pursuant to its responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare. Many of the City-owned parcels are of minimal value, yet are costly for the City to clean up and maintain. It is the City's intention to establish by this ordinance a program for the disposition of certain City-owned, vacant parcels, which would allow local residents to have greater control over land in their neighborhood, and provide opportunities to possibly profit from selling those parcels in the future as the areas in which the parcels are located revitalize.
2-157-020. Establishment of Program. Pursuant to the powers and authority granted under Article VII ofthe Constitution ofthe State of Illinois of 1970, and the home
rule powers granted thereunder, the City hereby establishes the "Large Lot Program", which shall be administered by the City's Department of Planning and Development.
2-157-030. Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter:
"Block" means a City Block on which a Qualifying Property Owner owns a parcel of real property, plus the parcels along the face ofthe City Block across the street from such Qualifying Property Owner's parcel.
"City" means the City of Chicago.
"City Block" means the smallest possible area of land bounded on all sides by streets and/or boundaries of standard geographic areas (e.g., rivers, embankments and railroads, but not alleys), and commonly referred to as a 'City block'.
"City Parcel" means a parcel of City-owned vacant (i.e., no structures) real property, which is zoned residential.
"Department" means the Department of Planning and Development.
"Person" means any natural individual, firm, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, for-profit corporation or other legal entity, other than a not-for-profit corporation.
"Program" means the Large Lot Program.
"Qualifying Property Owner" means (i) a Person who owns a parcel of real property located on the same Block as a City Parcel, and who is not delinquent in the payment of any property taxes or any debt owed to the City, County of Cook or State of Illinois, or (ii) a non-sectarian, not-for-profit corporation in good standing with the State of Illinois which owns a parcel of real property located on the same Block as a City Parcel, and which is not delinquent in the payment of any property taxes or any debt owed to the City, County of Cook or State of Illinois.
2-157-040. List of City-owned real estate - Required. The Department shall prepare and maintain, or cause to be prepared and maintained, a list of City-owned real estate which shall include those City Parcels available for sale under the Program. This list shall be made available to the public during normal business hours.
2-157-050. Purchase Price Required - Sale Procedures. The Department is authorized to prepare applications designed to provide all the information needed by the City to fairly and completely evaluate proposals for participation in the Program. The purchase price for each City Parcel shall be One Dollar ($1.00). A Qualifying Property
Owner may not purchase pursuant to the Program more than two (2) City Parcels per parcel of real property that the Qualifying Property Owner owns on the same Block as the City Parcels. Completed applications which conform to the requirements ofthe Program, as determined and identified by the Department, shall be submitted by the Department to the City Council and shall thereafter be referred to the City Council committee having jurisdiction over the disposition of City-owned real estate; provided, however, the Department shall not submit at a City Council meeting more than one completed application per City Parcel. If the Department receives complete applications from more than one Qualifying Property Owner for a particular City Parcel, then the Department will select the application to submit to City Council based on a random (e.g., blind lottery) selection process; provided, however, if only one of the complete applications was submitted by a Qualifying Property Owner who owns a parcel of land adjacent to the City Parcel, then the Department will submit such Qualifying Property Owner's application to the City Council. The applications shall be promptly placed on the committee's agenda and a public hearing shall be held within a reasonable time thereafter. The committee shall promptly consider the applications and then forward its recommendation(s) to the City Council. The City Council may authorize or reject the proposed conveyance of the City Parcel(s) to a Qualifying Property Owner by a majority vote.
2-157-060. Covenants in Deed - Termination of Covenants. Any deed conveying a City Parcel to a Qualifying Property Owner may contain such covenants as the Department reasonably deems necessary, including, but not limited to, covenants that require the Qualifying Property Owner for a period of five (5) years commencing on the date on which the City conveys title to such City Parcel to the Qualifying Property Owner (a) to remain in title to the City Parcel and (b) to maintain the City Parcel. The City shall have a right of reverter if the Qualifying Property Owner fails to comply with such covenants. The Department may require the Qualifying Property Owner to execute a reconveyance deed, for the purpose of facilitating the City's exercise of its right of reverter, if necessary.
2-157-070. Rules and Regulations. The Department may establish rules, regulations and procedures for the advertising, bidding and sale of City Parcels pursuant to the provisions of the Program. All such rules, regulations and procedures shall be published and made available by the Department.
SECTION 3. The Commissioner of the Department (the "Commissioner") is authorized to enter into an agreement with LISC, for a term of five (5) years with two (2) one-year extensions at the option of the City, to provide a subsidy to LISC, in an amount that may not exceed $21,000.00 in each year, for LISC's continued maintenance and hosting of the Large Lot Website and for other community outreach services relating to the Large Lot Program to be performed by LISC, upon such terms and conditions the Commissioner deems reasonable.
SECTION 4. If any provision of this ordinance shall be held to be invalid or
unenforceable for any reason, the invalidity or unenforceability of such provision shall not affect any ofthe other provisions of this ordinance.
SECTION 5. All ordinances, resolutions, motions or orders inconsistent with this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
SECTION 6. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its passage and approval.