The Zoning Ordinance regulates the height and openness of fencing. Additional regulations relative to the type of fences and locations permitted in your neighborhood may be made by your local civic or neighborhood association or in restrictive covenants listed in your deed. 
In single-family residential districts, a permit is required for front and corner side yard fencing. In rear yards, fences may be six feet high. In side yards, fences may not exceed four feet high. Fences located between two houses may be six feet high if there is at least ten (10) feet between the fence and both houses. On a corner lot, fencing or planting that might obstruct vision may not be located near an intersection.

Prior to the issuance of a building permit, site plans must be submitted to the City of Peoria Planning & Growth Management Department and approved for new construction or building additions. All single family residential requests for new construction or building additions may be approved administratively. However, non-single family residential additions or new construction and change of use requests must go through at least the Site Plan Review Board. The procedure for this process is: 
(1) When preparing a site plan, confer with a member of the Planning & Growth Management staff. The Zoning Ordinance requires that plans be prepared by and drawn to an identifiable scale. A complete list of necessary information will be supplied by the Planning Department. 
(2) Eight (8) copies of the completed plan and a review fee are submitted to the Planning Department. The plans will be distributed to county departments and state agencies who will review the plans relative to specific areas of responsibility. 
(3) After all agencies return comments to the Planning Department, the applicant is advised in writing that the plan has either been approved as submitted; approved subject to certain conditions, or the applicant is requested to revise the plan per specific comments and resubmit if for further review. Generally, properly prepared plans can be reviewed in 2-3 working days.

A Special Use Permit is a special permit which requires review by the Planning Department, the Zoning Commission, and ultimately the City Council. Uses which require special use permits are outlined in the City Zoning Ordinance. Applications may be obtained in the Department of Planning & Growth Management. 
The special use permit process involves a public hearing; one before the Zoning Commission and final approval by the City Council. Obtaining a special use permit takes between 42 and 60 days. There are no guarantees that special use permit will be granted. Each request is evaluated on its own merit. The deadline for filing special use permit applications is the first Thursday of every month.

A rezoning or a conditional use is required when a property owner proposes to use their land for purposes other than those permitted by the current zoning classification. The filing procedure for applications is the same. The following is the process: 
(1) A meeting should be scheduled with a Planning Department Staff person to discuss the proposal in detail and receive staff suggestions on how to proceed. 
(2) After the conference, the applicant submits the completed application form, site plan (if required), and the processing fee. 
(3) The application is reviewed by the Planning Department staff who then prepares an analysis and recommendation for the Zoning Commission. The time, date and place of the Zoning Commission meeting is advertised in local newspapers and all adjacent property owners are notified. 
(4) The Zoning Commission will consider each request at a public hearing. The applicant and the general public may present information to the Commission which may recommend approval as submitted; approval subject to certain conditions; denial of the application; or deferral of the case to a future meeting. After the Zoning Commission makes a recommendation, rezoning and special use requests are heard by the City Council. The Council will take final action on the request. If the request is approved, the property owner may proceed with development plans, taking into consideration any conditions which may have been imposed by the Council.

All land in the City of Peoria is zoned for either commercial, industrial, or residential uses. The Zoning Ordinance, adopted by the City Council, specifies purposes for which land in each zoning category may be used. The various zoning districts have restrictions designed specifically for each zone. Some uses are premitted as a matter of right, and others require Use Permits.

All new or modified signs, even painted signs, require a sign permit from the Planning Department. Illuminated signs also required an electrical permit.
Temporary signs such as banners and pennants also require approval. Streamers and pennants are allowed for new business openings only and for no more than 14 days from the date of opening. Temporary signs also require a sign permit from the Building Division. Inflated devices (Air-Dancer) are not allowed as signs. 
Window signs do not need permits, but may not cover more than 20% of the area of each window for window areas of 8 sq.ft. or more than 50% of window areas with 8 sq.ft. or less. Signs shall not be placed on any fence, telephone pole, or traffic control device. No sign shall be placed in the right-of-way without a permit. Signs shall not be placed on any public or private sidewalk.  No sign shall physically or visually obstruct or impede pedestrian or vehicular movement.
The City's Zoning Code limits the number of and sizes of signs allowed. Copies of the sign regulations and permit submittal requirements are available in the Planning Department.

A site plan or subdivision plat may need to be submitted to the Department of Planning & Growth Management when:
(1) an addition or other kind of exterior structural improvement is planned for a home or business;
(2) an individual intends to buy or sell real property in the City for which a recorded plat does not exist; 
(3) any site plan work is planned. If you are missing the site plan for your city property, check with the Department of Planning & Growth to see if we have a copy.

Building a single family house in the City of Peoria does not have to be complicated. Although it is not required, a State Registered contractor should hired to coordinate all phases and types of construction. A zoning certificate must be obtained from the Planning Department. 
Before issuing the zoning certificate, two sets of plans must be presented to a planner for review and approval. Applications for single family residential zoning certificates may be obtained from the Planning Department. A zoning certificate is necessary prior to the issuance of any building permits. Zoning certificate applications must be accompanied by two (2) copies of site plans drawn to scale, showing property lines, existing streets and the placement of all buildings. A zoning certificate fee of $120 must also be included. After the zoning certificate is issued, permits for electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems and building permits must be obtained.

Variance permits are requested by citizens in specific cases where strict enforcement of a zoning regulation would cause unnecessary or unusual hardship. The Board of Zoning Appeals hears requests for variances and can vary or modify a regulation. An application for a variance must contain a surveyed plat and a statement of the unusual circumstances or unique physical characteristics which would cause an unreasonable hardship on the applicant with the strict enforcement of the requirements of the Zoning ordinance. These may include exceptional narrowness, shallowness, size, or topographic conditions of the property. 
The process for a variance is as follows: 
(1) Bring proposed plans to the Planning Department where staff will provide pre-application counseling. An application form and other necessary information will need to be presented to the Board of Zoning Appeals in preparation for a public hearing. 
(2) Upon receipt of the complete application form and required fee, the Planning staff and representatives from other City departments will review the request. 
(3) A site inspection will be made. All staff analysis and recommendations will be prepared and submitted to the Board and the applicant. During this time, the request will be advertised in local newspapers, and notice of requests will sent to adjacent property owners.

At the public hearing, the applicate or a representative must appear to present the proposal and answer questions. Other interested parties will also be allowed to speak. After hearing the testimony, the Board will take action on the request by either approving the request (with or without conditions); deny the request; or defer for additional consideration. The process takes approximately one month.

Conditional zoning or covenants are a special type of zoning that involves the use of deed restrictions to specify opportunities available on a particular piece of property. Information on existing conditionally zoned properties is available in the Planning Department.

The City of Peoria will consider a petition of annexation of any property owner that is submitted to the City. 
Pre-annexation agreements are also entered into by the City for areas that are not contiguous to the City, but have the potential to be contiguous in the future.

The Comprehensive Plan is the document which defines the City's long-range intentions regarding the nature and direction of future development. It contains elements on land use, transportation, community facilities, urban design and housing. 
Prepared every 5 to 10 years by the Planning Department, it reflects contributions from other city departments, public agencies and citizens. Adopted by the City Council after a series of public hearings, the Comprehensive Plan establishes policy for evaluating choices about the physical development of the City.

The Peoria Planning Commission meets the third Wednesday of each month. Meetings are held at 1:30PM in the Council Chamber, 419 Fulton, Room 400. The Peoria Planning Commission recommends changes in the city's Comprehensive Plan and provides recommendations to the City Council for preliminary plats and site plans. It also provides recommendations to the City Council regarding annexations to the City or preannexation agreements. The Planning Commission has nine members and they are appointed for five year terms by the Mayor.

Subdivisions must be reviewed by the Planning Commission and approved by the City Council before construction. The process is as follows: 
(1) The applicant must meet with a member of the Planning Department to discuss the project. 
(2) After a preliminary subdivision plan is prepared, the applicant submits fourteen (14) copies of the plan, one copy reduced to 8 1/2" x 11", a 100 scale map of the preliminary plan and the required fee to the Planning Department. 
(3) Those plans are distributed to county and state agencies for review. An analysis and recommendation is prepared by staff and sent with the tentative plans to the Planning Commission. 
(4) The preliminary subdivision plan is reviewed at a public hearing conducted by the Planning Commission on the third Wednesday of each month. The plan will either be granted approval; granted approval with changes or conditions; approval denied; or the case will be deferred. The applicant and their representative should attend the Commission meeting. If the approval is granted, the applicant has one year to complete the process of final approval and record the subdivision.

Subdivisions using public water and sewer, or building public roads, must have construction plans approved. After the necessary changes are made, a final plat is submitted for part or all fo the preliminarily approved subdivision. Twelve copies of the final plat are then submitted to the Planning Department for review and approval. The Director of Planning sends the final plat to the City Council for final approval. Once final plat approval is obtained, the applicant may have the subdivision recorded by going to the Recorder of Deeds Office at the County Courthouse. Once the plat is recorded, construction may begin.

The city's Zoning Ordinance controls the location, size, and height of structures such as fences, buildings, garages and additions to houses. The Zoning Ordinance also controls what is permitted in different parts of the city. For example, a commercial business cannot be conducted in a residential area, except under certain conditions.

Peoria Statistical Abstracts - $4.00 each
Comprehensive Plan Document - $10.00 each 
Census Tract City Map - $1.00 each 
Future Land Use Map - $5.00 each 
City Base Maps - $1.00 each 
Zoning Map - $4.00 each 
Thoroughfare Maps - $1.00 each

The City of Peoria requires a Certificate of Occupancy for any of the following: 
(1) Occupancy and use of a building hereafter erected or enlarged; 
(2) Change in use of an existing building; 
(3) Occupancy and use of vacant land except for the raising of crops; 
(4) Change in the use of land except for the raising of crops; 
(5) any change in use of a nonconforming use. No occupancy of a building shall take place until a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. In a case of undue hardship, the administrator may issue a temporary or partial Certificate of Occupancy good for period up to eight (8) months for any building or structure, provided that the administrator finds that: (a) The site development requirements are essentially completed, but that due to unavoidable delays, they cannot be entirely completed as required is a reasonable time. (b) The owner or their agent must provide to the City of Peoria a performance obligation requiring corrective action and payable to the City of Peoria sufficient to insure satisfactory completion

A rezoning is required in order to change the uses legally allowed upon a piece of property. Rezoning applications are made to the Planning Department, which evaluates them and makes recommendations to the Zoning Commission. 
The Zoning Commission conducts a public hearing on each rezoning application and recommends either approval or denial to the City Council. The City Council also holds a public hearing and must vote on a rezoning request before the change becomes effective.

Demographic and Census information for the City is maintained by the Planning Department. This collection of information includes the 1980 and 1990 census. A more complete collection of information is available at: 

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission - (309)694-9330 
Peoria Public Library, Business, Science & Technology Dept. - (309)672-8845.