Building on yesterday’s blog post, Ancel Glink just released Quorum Forum Podcast Episode 103: Zoning, Preemption, and Housing: Navigating the BUILD Plan. In this episode, Ancel Glink attorneys Erin Monforti, David Silverman, and Greg Jones break down
Governor Pritzker’s proposed BUILD Plan (Building up Illinois Development).
This initiative intends to reduce costs and eliminate barriers to housing
development, but it
includes proposals that could significantly limit local authority over zoning,
building codes, and fees. The team discusses what these potential statewide
mandates could mean for the future of Illinois communities.
Highlights:
- The
BUILD Plan: An overview of the Governor’s
February 2026 proposal to cut “bureaucratic red tape” through
new legislative and regulatory standards. - “Middle
Housing” Mandates: A look at bills that would
require local governments to allow duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes in
any area currently zoned for single-family homes. - Limits
on Local Review: Discussion on provisions that
would prevent municipalities from requiring special use permits or
variances for middle housing if those same rules don’t apply to
single-family homes. - Statewide
Zoning Standards: The potential shift toward
inflexible statewide rules for residential building heights, setbacks, and
how much of a lot can be covered by a building. - Accessory
Dwelling Units (ADUs): How proposed laws would
normalize “granny flats” across the state, potentially making it
easier for homeowners to get financing while increasing local density. - Standardizing
Impact Fees: Assessing the move toward
mandatory state formulas for school and park impact fees to make costs
more predictable for developers. - Strict
Permit Deadlines: New requirements for
municipalities to complete plan reviews within 15 to 30 days, or else
developers may hire their own third-party inspectors to do the work. - Public
Comment: A critical update for FOIA officers regarding emails
caught in spam filters. A recent court ruled that a request is considered
“received” even if it is automatically quarantined by your IT
system.
