Commission on Chicago Landmarks

The Commission on Chicago Landmarks, established in 1968 by a Chicago (USA) City Ordinance, is composed of nine members appointed by the Mayor and the Chicago City Council. It is responsible for presenting recommendations of individual buildings, sites, objects, or entire districts to be designated as Chicago Landmarks, therefore providing legal protections. The commission is staffed by the Landmarks Division of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

Landmark requirements

To be recommended for landmark status, a building or district must meet at least two criteria: critical part of Chicago's heritage, site of a significant event, association with a significant person, important architecture, important architect, distinctive theme as a district, or unique visual feature. It must also retain a high degree of architectural integrity. The commission is responsible for reviewing proposed alteration, demolition or new construction affecting individual landmarks or properties in landmark districts as part of the permit review process.

In January 2005, 259 sites had achieved Chicago Landmark designation, including 217 individual designations, 38 landmark districts, and four district extensions, totalling 6,500 properties.

Current commission members include:

• David Mosena, Chairman
• John W. Baird, Secretary
• Lisa Willis
• Phyllis Ellin
• Christopher R. Reed
• Edward I. Torrez
• Ernest C. Wong
• Ben Weese

Controversy

There are widespread concerns in Chicago that the Landmarks Commission has strayed from its designated mission of helping preserve things of historic and architectural significance and has become, instead, a political tool dedicated to upholding the city's tradition of "aldermanic prerogative". This is an unwritten tradition maintained by the city council that gives each alderman dictatorial control of all zoning matters within their wards. The concept has now been expanded to include control over building size, appearance, materials, proposed demolitions, and proposed landmark designations. In short, the concern is that the Landmarks Commission gets all marching orders from individual aldermen and is a rubber stamp body whose recommendations are arbitrary and capricious.

See also

• Chicago Plan Commission
• Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois
• NIMBY

External links

• Chicago Landmarks Homepage