This Ordinance shall be known as and may be cited and referred to as the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Flora, Illinois.

This Ordinance continues to regulate the structures and land uses in order to preserve, protect and promote public health, safety and welfare through the implementation of the Flora Comprehensive Plan as previously outlined and adopted by the City Council of Flora, Illinois, on July 16, 1990 as Ordinance No. 90-1046, and as amended or revised. Furthermore, the City Council has taken into consideration the necessary changes based upon growth, public health, safety and welfare. More specifically, this Ordinance is intended to continue to assist in achieving the following objectives:

A. To encourage the development of buildings and uses on appropriate sites in order to maximize community-wide social and economic benefits while accommodating the particular needs of all residents;

B. To protect and enhance the character and stability of sound existing residential, commercial and industrial areas;

C. To conserve and increase the value of taxable property throughout this municipality;

D. To ensure the provision of adequate light, air and privacy for the occupants of all buildings;

E. To protect property from damage caused by fire, flooding, poorly controlled storm water runoff, and adverse soil and topographical conditions;

F. To provide adequate and well-designed parking and loading space for all buildings and uses, and to reduce vehicular congestion on the public streets and highways;

G. To guide the provision of water mains, sanitary sewers, storm water sewers and other utilities and services, and to reduce the initial costs and future maintenance expenses thereof;

H. To provide for the efficient administration and fair enforcement of all the regulations set forth herein;

I. To clearly and concisely explain the procedures for obtaining variances, special use permits and amendments;

J. To eliminate, add, or reword definitions as contained in the original Ordinance; and

K. To eliminate, identify or create districts.

This Ordinance shall be applicable within the corporate limits of this municipality and within all territory located within the official maps of the City as shown in Exhibits A and B attached hereto and made a part hereof.

The Corporate Authority shall determine the zone district of any territory hereafter annexed to the City at the time of annexation. Any new annexed territory will be zoned the same as contiguous and adjacent properties previously lying within the City limits, unless otherwise amended or changed by the filing of the appropriate petitions with the Zoning Board as more fully set forth herein below. A map of the annexed territory shall be provided and the zoning amendment requirements and procedures of the code shall be followed.

This code is not intended to abrogate or annul any building permits, certificates of occupancy, variances or other lawful permits issued before the effective date of this revised code; however, any requested change in any permit shall follow the procedures and requirements of this code.

A. Except as may be provided otherwise by statute or ordinance, no officer, board member, agent, or employee of this municipality shall render himself personally liable for any damage that may be accrued to persons or property as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge of his duties under this Ordinance. (See "Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act," Ill. Rev. Stat., Chapter 85, Secs. 1-101.)

B. Any suit brought against any officer, board member, agent, or employee of this municipality, as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge of his duties under this Ordinance, shall be defended by the Municipal Attorney until the final determination of the legal proceedings.

If any part or provision of this code or the application thereof to any person, property, or circumstance is adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall be confined in its operation and direction to the part, provision, section or application directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered and shall not affect or impair the integrity or validity of the remainder of this code or the application thereof to other person, property, or circumstances. The corporate authority hereby declares that it would have enacted the remainder of this code even without any such part, provision, section or application.

This Ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days after publication in pamphlet form and the date of filing of such Notice of Adoption of said Zoning Ordinance with the Recorder of Clay County, Illinois.