Antioch proposes two-page zoning compliance certification and free fire district life-safety check for new businesses

Village staff presented a proposed zoning compliance certification as a lower-cost, less bureaucratic alternative to a business license. Administrator (S6) described a two-page application that would ask for basic business information (hours, uses, hazardous materials) and, when appropriate, a free life-safety inspection by the fire district before issuing a zoning certificate of compliance.

Administrator (S6) said the program is intended for new businesses or existing businesses that change use or relocate. "Once all that's done, and we've confirmed that you are, in fact, a permitted use, you don't need to come to the planning commission to get a special use first," he said, adding that the fire district would perform life-safety inspections at no cost and that a certificate of occupancy would still be required where permits apply. On enforcement, Administrator (S6) said without a certificate of occupancy, "you wouldn't be allowed to occupy the building" and staff could pursue remedies under general fines in the municipal and zoning code; he confirmed the village could "red tag" a property where necessary.

Trustees asked whether existing businesses could be enrolled to collect consistent contact and use information; Administrator (S6) suggested piggybacking on the fire district's annual inspection to ask businesses to complete the two-page form, and legal counsel (S10) said adding an equal-application provision in the ordinance would be permissible "as long as we do it for everybody and establish standards." Trustees asked that staff draft language to allow voluntary or mandatory catch-up enrollment when possible.

The board directed staff to include the suggested modifications in the draft ordinance and return with refined language for final consideration.