What is the Zoning Ordinance and what is a Variation?
In order for cities to develop in an orderly fashion, city governments will use future growth maps, zoning ordinances, and other planning tools to help stabilize property values, save money through more efficiently planned infrastructure, and ensure that public health, safety, comfort, and general welfare is both promoted and protected. Zoning is the tool by which local government can control urban form by specifying the building use, size, and placement. The Zoning Ordinance is Chapter 37 of the City of Champaign Municipal Code. Its purpose is to implement the policies of the City of Champaign Comprehensive Plan as adopted by the City Council. A variation is a grant of relief from the terms of the Zoning Ordinance. The purpose of a variation is to ensure that no property is unreasonably deprived of the development opportunities that are commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same locality and district. A variation from the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance may only be granted
