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RM-5.5 Residential Multi-Unit District

Medium to high-density apartment buildings. Two-flats, townhouses, and single family homes are also allowed.


Specifications

Zoning Ordinance reference ยง 17-2-0104
View the Chicago Zoning Ordinance
Floor area ratio 2.5
Maximum building height 47 ft for residential buildings with lot frontage of less than 75 ft, 60 ft when lot front is over that. None for schools and churches.
Lot area per unit (density) 400 sq ft/dwelling unit, 400 sq ft/efficiency unit, 200 sq ft/SRO unit
Minimum lot area 1,650 sq ft
On-site open space All buildings with people living in them must have at least 36 sq ft of on-site open space per dwelling unit. (See 17-2-0308)

Setbacks

Front yard 15ft, or 12% of lot depth, whichever is less. Alternatively, setback can be the average front yard depth of nearest 2 lots (properties on primary boulevards have a slightly different rule). If any lots to be included in the calculation are vacant, assume that their front yard depths are 15 feet or 12% of lot depth, whichever is less.
Side Townhouses: complicated as hell, see 17-2-0500. All other buildings: Combined width of side setbacks must equal 20% of lot width, and neither setback can be less than 2 feet or 8% of lot width (whichever is greater.) But no setback is required to be wider than 5 feet.
Back yard For buildings with under 20 dwelling units, of which at least 33% are "accessible": 50 ft or 24% of lot depth, whichever is less. For other buildings: 50 ft or 30% of lot depth, whichever is less.