The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) consists of five (5) members appointed by the County Board Chairman and confirmed by members of the County Board. The ZBA holds hearings in regards to an appeal of a decision made by the Zoning Officer and petitions for Variances, Conditional Uses, Special Uses, Text Amendments and Map Amendments.

2024 Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing Schedule

The ZBA generally meets the first Thursday of the month and the hearings are scheduled for 7:30 pm. Special meetings may be held in order to accommodate a continuation of a meeting or hear more than one application in a particular month. The regularly scheduled hearing dates for 2022 are as follows: 

 * Applications for Conditional Use, Special Use, and Map / Text Amendments require Planning Commission review prior to the ZBA hearing. In these cases the ZBA will schedule a hearing the first Thursday following a Planning Commission meeting (first Wednesday of each month).

2023 Hearing Dates: Agenda Minutes
January 5
February 2
March 2
April 6
May 4
June 8*
July 6
August 3
September 7*
October 5
November 2
December 7*

2022 Hearing Dates: Agenda Minutes
January 6
February 3
March 3
April 7*
May 5
June 2
July 7
August 4
September 1*
October 6
November 3
December 1* 

Standards for Variances

A variation shall be permitted only if the evidence in the judgment of the Zoning Board sustains each of the following:

• That the property in question cannot yield a reasonable return, if permitted to be used only under the conditions allowed by the regulations in that zoning district; and
• That the plight of the owner was not created by the owner and is due to unique circumstances; and
• That the variation, if granted, will not alter the essential character of the locality.
• For the purpose of implementing the standards for variations, the Zoning Board in making its decision, whenever there are practical difficulties or particular hardship, shall also take into consideration the extent to which the following facts favorable to the applicant have been established by the evidence that:
  1. The particular physical surrounds, shape, or topographical conditions of the specific property involved would bring a particular hardship upon the owner, as distinguished from a mere inconvenience, if the regulations were strictly enforced.
  2. The conditions upon which the petition for variation is based would not be applicable generally to other property within the same zoning classification.
  3. The alleged difficulty or hardship has not been created by any person presently having an interest in the property, or any person through whom the applicant claims title.
  4. The granting of the variations will not be substantially detrimental to the public welfare, or injurious to other property or improvements in the neighborhood in which the property is located.
  5. The proposed variation will not impair an adequate supply of light and air to adjacent property, or substantially increase the danger of fire, or otherwise endanger the public safety, or substantially diminish or impair property values with the neighborhood.

Standards for Conditional Uses / Special Uses

• The establishment, maintenance or operation of the conditional use will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals, comfort or general welfare.
• The conditional use will not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity for the purpose already permitted nor substantially diminish property values within the neighborhood.
• The establishment of the conditional use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the district.
• Adequate utilities, access roads, drainage or necessary facilities have been or will be provided.
• Adequate measures have been or will be taken to provide ingress and egress so designed as to minimize traffic congestion in the public streets.

Guidelines for Map Amendments (Rezone)

While the Logan County Zoning Ordinance does not provide for specific criteria in reviewing a request to rezone property, the Illinois Supreme Court has provided some guidance and among the facts which may be taken into consideration are the following:

• The existing uses and zoning of nearby property:
• The extent to which property values are diminished by the particular zoning restrictions:
• The extent to which the destruction of property values of plaintiff promotes the health, safety, morals, or general welfare of the public:
• The relative gain to the public as compared to the hardship imposed upon the individual property owner:
• The suitability of the subject property for the zoned purposes:
• The length of time the property has been vacant as zoned considered in the context of land development in the area in the vicinity of the subject property:

Application Process Overview

APPLICATION FORM: The application must be completed in its entirety. The application must address how each requested application meets the applicable standards contained in the Zoning Ordinance.

APPLICATION FEE: The application fee ($235.00) is to be paid at the time of filing the application. Checks should be made payable to the "Logan County Clerk". This fee is not refundable.

SITE PLAN: The applicant shall provide a plan, drawn to scale, which shows the location and dimensions of all property lines, existing structures, setbacks, location of existing wells and septic systems, and proposed buildings or uses.

PROPERTY OWNER NOTIFICATION: The applicant shall provide a list of all property owners within two hundred (200) feet in areas zoned residential, three hundred (300) feet in areas zoned business or manufacturing, and one-quarter (1/4) mile in areas zoned agricultural or special district. Notice will be given at least twenty-five (25) days prior to the hearing.

APPLICATION PROCESS: The ZBA has authority to grant Variances and the review process will require a public hearing by the ZBA. The County Board has the authority to grant Conditional Uses, Special Uses, and Map / Text Amendments and the review process for these is a three (3) step process. The application will first be reviewed by the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals. A public hearing will then be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Zoning Board of Appeals will make a recommendation to the County Board. The County Board will make the decision to either approve or deny the requested application.

HEARING SCHEDULE: The Planning Commission generally meets the first Wednesday of the month. The Zoning Board of Appeals generally meets the first Thursday of the month. The County Board's Board of the Whole meeting is held on the Thursday before the Board's Adjourned Meeting held on the third Tuesday of the month.

APPLICATION SUBMITTAL: All applications must be submitted to the Zoning Office at least THIRTY (30) DAYS prior to the Zoning Board meeting at which it will formally be reviewed. This allows time for the required legal notice and property owner notification.

HEARING: The applicant must be present at all public hearings to present the application request and answer any questions the Boards may have.