Berwyn, IL Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Animal hospital
- Permitted in C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4 and I
- Animal boarding
- Special use in C-4, permitted in I
- Outdoor dog runs
- One per establishment, C-4
- Outdoor enclosure
- Opaque fence, minimum six feet
- Hospital parking
- 1.5 spaces per exam room
- Boarding parking
- 1 space per 500 sq ft of gross floor area
Summary
In the City of Berwyn, Illinois, an animal hospital is a permitted use in the C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4 and I districts, while animal boarding needs a special use permit in the C-4 Corridor Commercial District and is permitted in the I district. Boarding in C-4 carries standards on adjacency, outdoor runs and noise.
Commercial C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 I P R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 ... Animal Boarding S P See § 1244.03(F) Animal Hospital P P P P P None ... (F) Animal boarding. The following standards apply to the C-4 District only. (1) Location. Animal boarding is not allowed directly adjacent to any residential use. (2) Outdoor boarding. One outdoor dog run per establishment is allowed. All outdoor animal boarding facilities shall be located in the interior side and/or rear yard and shall be enclosed with an opaque fence with a minimum height of six feet. ... ANIMAL BOARDING. ... An establishment where pet animals are temporarily boarded. ANIMAL BOARDING does not include ANIMAL HOSPITALS. ANIMAL HOSPITAL. An establishment for the care and treatment of ill or injured pet animals that may be temporarily boarded during the period of care and treatment.
Full Breakdown
Berwyn's Zoning Code separates veterinary care from kennel-style boarding. Table 1244.02-A in § 1244.02 marks Animal Hospital with a P (allowed by right) in five columns: C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4 and I. Animal Boarding gets an S (special use permit) in C-4 and a P in I, with no letter in any other district, so it is not allowed in C-1 through C-3, the P Public Areas District or the R-1 through R-4 residential districts.
The Code defines ANIMAL HOSPITAL as an establishment for the care and treatment of ill or injured pet animals that are temporarily boarded during the period of care and treatment. It states that ANIMAL BOARDING does not include animal hospitals, so a clinic that keeps patients overnight for treatment is not classified as a boarding business.
Section 1244.03(F) adds three standards for boarding in the C-4 District only. Boarding is not allowed directly adjacent to any residential use. One outdoor dog run per establishment is allowed, and every outdoor animal boarding facility has to sit in the interior side or rear yard and be enclosed with an opaque fence at least six feet high. Noise has to be managed so it does not create a public nuisance for surrounding properties, in compliance with § 1244.06(A) (Noise) and all other local noise regulations.
The off-street parking schedule requires 1.5 spaces per exam room for an animal hospital and 1 space per 500 square feet of gross floor area for animal boarding. A C-4 boarding operation goes through the special use permit procedure in § 1252.03(C) before it opens.
Violations & Fines
The Zoning Administrator enforces the Zoning Code under § 1240.06 and can ask the City Attorney to enjoin, abate or stop a violation. A boarding operation next to a home, or a C-4 dog run without the six-foot opaque fence, breaks § 1244.03(F). Violators are fined per offense under the Municipal Code, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense until corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a vet clinic open in a Berwyn commercial district without a special use permit?
Where is pet boarding allowed in Berwyn?
What are the outdoor dog run rules for a Berwyn boarding facility?
Does an animal hospital count as boarding if it keeps animals overnight?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berwyn
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