Building on yesterday’s blog post, Ancel Glink just released Quorum Forum Podcast Episode 103: Zoning, Preemption, and Housing: Navigating the BUILD Plan. In this episode, Ancel Glink attorneys Erin Monforti, David Silverman, and Greg Jones break down
Governor Pritzker’s proposed BUILD Plan (Building up Illinois Development).
This initiative intends to reduce costs and eliminate barriers to housing
development, but it
includes proposals that could significantly limit local authority over zoning,
building codes, and fees. The team discusses what these potential statewide
mandates could mean for the future of Illinois communities. 

Highlights:

  • The
    BUILD Plan:     An overview of the Governor’s
    February 2026 proposal to cut “bureaucratic red tape” through
    new legislative and regulatory standards.
  • “Middle
    Housing” Mandates:     A look at bills that would
    require local governments to allow duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes in
    any area currently zoned for single-family homes.
  • Limits
    on Local Review:     Discussion on provisions that
    would prevent municipalities from requiring special use permits or
    variances for middle housing if those same rules don’t apply to
    single-family homes.
  • Statewide
    Zoning Standards:     The potential shift toward
    inflexible statewide rules for residential building heights, setbacks, and
    how much of a lot can be covered by a building.
  • Accessory
    Dwelling Units (ADUs):     How proposed laws would
    normalize “granny flats” across the state, potentially making it
    easier for homeowners to get financing while increasing local density.
  • Standardizing
    Impact Fees:     Assessing the move toward
    mandatory state formulas for school and park impact fees to make costs
    more predictable for developers.
  • Strict
    Permit Deadlines:     New requirements for
    municipalities to complete plan reviews within 15 to 30 days, or else
    developers may hire their own third-party inspectors to do the work.
  • Public
    Comment:     A critical update for FOIA officers regarding emails
    caught in spam filters. A recent court ruled that a request is considered
    “received” even if it is automatically quarantined by your IT
    system.