(60 ILCS 1/105-35)

Sec. 105-35. Township plan commission.

(a) In townships located in counties with a population of less than 600,000 and in townships with a population of more than 500 located in counties with a population of more than 3,000,000, the township board may by resolution create a township plan commission. The commission shall consist of 5 members appointed by the township supervisor with the advice and consent of the township board. Their terms of office shall be prescribed by the township board. The township supervisor shall designate one of the members as chairman, and the plan commission may appoint other officers it deems necessary and appropriate. The township board may authorize a plan commission to have necessary staff and shall pay the expenses of that staff.

(b) Every township plan commission may have the following powers and duties:

(1) The commission may prepare and recommend to the township board a comprehensive plan for the present and future development or redevelopment of the unincorporated areas of the township. The plan may be adopted in whole or in separate geographical or functional parts, each of which, when adopted, shall be the official plan, or part of the official plan, of that township. The plan may include reasonable requirements with reference to streets, alleys, public grounds, and other improvements specified in this Section. The plan may recommend (i) establishing reasonable standards of design for subdivisions and for resubdivisions of unimproved land and of areas subject to redevelopment with respect to public improvements as defined in this Section and (ii) establishing reasonable requirements governing the location, width, course, and surfacing of public streets and highways, alleys, ways for public service facilities, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street lights, parks, playgrounds, school grounds, size of lots to be used for residential purposes, storm water drainage, water supply and distribution, sanitary sewers, and sewage collection and treatment.

(2) The commission may from time to time recommend changes in the official comprehensive plan.

(3) The commission may from time to time prepare and recommend to the township authorities plans for specific improvements in pursuance of the official comprehensive plan.

(4) The commission may give aid to the officials charged with the direction of projects for improvements embraced within the official plan to further the making of these projects and, generally, may promote the realization of the official comprehensive plan.

(5) The commission may prepare and recommend to the township board schemes for regulating or forbidding structures or activities in unincorporated areas that may hinder access to solar energy necessary for the proper functioning of solar energy systems, as defined in Section 1.2 of the Comprehensive Solar Energy Act of 1977, or may recommend changes in those schemes.

(6) The commission may exercise other powers germane to the powers granted by this Section that are conferred by the township board.

(c) If the county in which the township is located has adopted a county zoning ordinance under Division 5-12 of the Counties Code, the recommendations of the township plan commission may be presented by the township board to the county board of that county.

(Source: P.A. 91-721, eff. 6-2-00; 91-738, eff. 1-1-01; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01.)