65 ILCS 5/ Illinois Municipal Code.

(65 ILCS 5/11-13-7) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-13-7)

Sec. 11-13-7. In addition to the notice requirements otherwise provided for in this Division 13, in municipalities of 500,000 or more population, an applicant for variation or special use shall, not more than 30 days before filing an application for variation or special use with the board of appeals, serve written notice, either in person or by registered mail, return receipt requested, on the owners, as recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds or the registrar of titles of the county in which the property is located and as appears from the authentic tax records of such county, of all property within 250 feet in each direction of the location for which the variation or special use is requested; provided, the number of feet occupied by all public roads, streets, alleys and other public ways shall be excluded in computing the 250 feet requirement. The notice herein required shall contain the address of the location for which the variation or special use is requested, a brief statement of the nature of the requested variation or special use, the name and address of the legal and beneficial owner of the property for which the variation or special use is requested, a statement that the applicant intends to file an application for variation or special use and the approximate date on which the application will be filed. If, after a bona fide effort to determine such address by the applicant for variation or special use, the owner of the property on which the notice is served cannot be found at his or her last known address, or the mailed notice is returned because the owner cannot be found at the last known address, the notice requirements of this sub-section shall be deemed satisfied. In addition to serving the notice herein required, at the time of filing application for variation or special use, the applicant shall furnish to the board of appeals a complete list containing the names and last known addresses of the owners of the property required to be served, the method of service and the names and last known addresses of the owners of the service and the names and addresses of the persons so served. The applicant shall also furnish a written statement certifying that he or she has complied with the requirements of this subsection. The board of appeals shall hear no application for variation or special use unless the applicant for variation or special use furnishes the list and certificate herein required. The board of appeals shall, not more than 30 days nor less than 15 days before the hearing at which the application for variation or special use is to be considered, send written notice to the persons appearing on the list furnished by the applicant, which notice shall contain the time and place of the hearing, the address of the location for which the variation or special use is requested and the name and address of the applicant for variation or special use and a brief statement of the nature of the variation or special use requested. Any notice required herein need not include a metes and bounds legal description of the property for which the variation or special use is requested, provided that the notice includes: (i) the common street address or addresses and (ii) the property index number ("PIN") or numbers of all the parcels of real property contained in the area for which the variation or special use is requested.

Any property owner within the above stated 250 feet notice requirement, who entered his or her appearance and objected at the board of appeals hearing, and who shows that his or her property will be substantially affected by the outcome of the decision of the board may, without proof of any specific, special, or unique damages to himself or herself or his or her property or any adverse effect upon his property from the proposed variation or special use, seek judicial relief from any order or decision of the board of appeals under the Administrative Review Law, and all amendments and modifications thereof, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto. If the board of appeals determines that the property of any such owner will not be substantially affected by the outcome of the decision of the board, such owner may initiate or join in judicial review under the Administrative Review Law, as provided in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 97-336, eff. 8-12-11.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-13-7a) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-13-7a)

Sec. 11-13-7a. Zoning variation and special use applicants and property owners, as set forth in Section 11-13-7 of this Act, shall have the following rights, in addition to any others they may possess in law, at any hearing before a board of appeals:

(a) to have subpoenas issued for persons to appear at board of appeals' hearings and for examination of documents by the person requesting the subpoena either before or at board of appeals hearings subject to the limitations in this Section. The board of appeals shall issue subpoenas as requested by zoning variation and special use applicants and by property owners within the terms of Section 11-13-7. Subpoenas shall only be enforceable against persons or for documents which have a substantial evidentiary connection with (i) the property for which a zoning variation or special use is requested, (ii) facts which would support or negate the requisite legal standards for granting a zoning variation or special use, and (iii) facts which support or negate the conclusion that property within the 250 feet notice requirement of Section 11-13-7 will be substantially affected by the outcome of the decision of the board. All matters relating to subpoenas concerning a particular zoning variation or special use case, including all enforcement and motions to quash, shall be heard in a single action, however, the court obtaining jurisdiction over any such matter may retain jurisdiction until the disposition of the case by the board of appeals. Service of such subpoenas shall be made in the same manner as summons in a civil action.

(b) To cross examine all witnesses testifying.

(c) To present witnesses on their behalf.

Property owners within the terms of Section 11-13-7 who object to the zoning application or special use application may, upon request, be granted 1 continuance for the purpose of presenting evidence to rebut testimony given by the applicant. The date of such continued hearing shall be in the discretion of the board of appeals.

This amendatory act of 1973 is not a limit upon any municipality which is a home rule unit.

(Source: P.A. 79-1363.)

(65 ILCS 5/11-13-8) (from Ch. 24, par. 11-13-8)

Sec. 11-13-8. In municipalities of 500,000 or more population, when any zoning ordinance, rule or regulation is sought to be declared invalid by means of a declaratory judgment proceeding, not more than 30 days before filing suit for a declaratory judgment the person filing such suit shall serve written notice in the form and manner and to all property owners as is required of applicants for variation in Section 11-13-7, and shall furnish to the clerk of the court in which the declaratory judgment suit is filed, and at the time of filing such suit, the list of property owners, the written certificate and such other information as is required in Section 11-13-7 to be furnished to the board of appeals by an applicant for variation. A property owner entitled to notice who shows that his property will be substantially affected by the outcome of the declaratory judgment proceeding may enter his appearance in the proceeding, and if he does so he shall have the rights of a party. The property owner shall not, however, need to prove any specific, special, or unique damages to himself or his property or any adverse effect upon his property from the declaratory judgment proceeding.

(Source: P.A. 76-583.)