Summit is located in Cook County, approximately 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Since its incorporation in 1890, this historic and ethnically diverse community has grown rapidly and is now home to approximately 11,000 residents who enjoy family-oriented neighborhoods, good schools, and easy access to the region's highways and transit network.
The village worked with CMAP's Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program to create a comprehensive plan that explored ways to improve the built environment, capitalize on the village's strategic location, and identify opportunities for housing and transit-oriented development. The new comprehensive plan serves as a guide for elected officials, municipal staff, community residents, business owners, and potential investors, allowing them to make informed community development decisions affecting land use, transportation, infrastructure, and capital improvements.
With help from CMAP's LTA program, the Village of Summit and local stakeholders have embarked on a community-based process to update and modernize the village's zoning ordinance. The updated zoning ordinance will help the village align its development regulations, land use practices, and vision for the community with its adopted comprehensive plan. Specific topics to be addressed through this project include land use; off-street parking; landscaping; sign requirements; and updates to the zoning districts and bulk regulations. This project is being led by Duncan Associates who received the project from CMAP’s LTA program through a competitive request for proposals process in 2019.
The planning process to revise the ordinances includes three main phases. The first phase consists of a detailed review of existing conditions, stakeholder interviews, and identifying the major issues with the ordinances. The second phase consists of drafting the standards for each section of the unified development ordinance (UDO), including zoning districts, signs, and application procedures. During the third and final phase of the project, the UDO document will be presented for public review and village board approval.