Tinley Park, IL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard added
- 1 foot above base flood elevation
- FIS source, Cook County
- FEMA study dated Nov. 1, 2019
- FIS source, Will County
- FEMA study dated Feb. 15, 2019
- Lowest floor rule
- elevated to FPE, § 152.23(C)(2)
- No-BFE fallback
- applicant-funded engineering study
- Permitting official
- Director of Community Development
- Max fine
- $50-$750 per offense, § 152.99
Summary
Village Code § 152.03 sets the base flood elevation for Tinley Park from the FEMA flood insurance studies for Cook County and Will County, and § 152.02 defines the flood protection elevation as that base flood elevation plus one foot of freeboard. New and substantially improved residential buildings must have their lowest floor built up to that flood protection elevation under § 152.23(C).
“FLOOD PROTECTION ELEVATION (FPE).” The elevation of the base flood plus one foot of freeboard at any given location in the floodplain. ... The BFE for the floodplains of the village shall be as delineated on the base flood profiles in the FIS of Cook County prepared by FEMA dated November 1, 2019 and Will County prepared by FEMA dated February 15, 2019 and such amendments to such study and maps as may be prepared from time to time. ... The lowest floor (including basement) ... of new construction of residential buildings, and substantially improved residential buildings, must be elevated to the FPE, subject to the more specific additional requirements in § 152.24 below.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-40: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2026-O-007, passed 2-17-2026, Resolution 2018-R-077, passed 10-2-18, and State legislation current through 2010 Pamphlet No. 7).
Full Breakdown
02 defines FREEBOARD as an increment of elevation added to the base flood elevation for safety against calculation uncertainty, future watershed development, unknown local conditions, wave action and effects like ice or debris jams, and defines FLOOD PROTECTION ELEVATION (FPE) as the base flood elevation plus one foot of that freeboard. 03 ties the base flood elevation itself to the FEMA Flood Insurance Study profiles for Cook County, dated November 1, 2019, and for Will County, dated February 15, 2019, including any later amendments to those studies and maps; the same profiles set the BFE for unincorporated Cook and Will County land within the village's extraterritorial jurisdiction or subject to annexation.
03(F) and (G) require the applicant to finance an engineering study using an accepted hydraulic model based on current industry standards, or in an AH or AO zone, to use the elevation or depth shown on the countywide FIRM. 24. 03(B) requires them to submit a detailed engineering study to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Office of Water Resources and FEMA for review before any development proceeds.
Violations & Fines
Section 152.99 makes failure to obtain a floodplain development permit, or failure to meet its conditions, a violation: the Director of Community Development must notify the owner by certified mail, and if the owner does not correct the problem within ten days, the village can seek a circuit court injunction or a fine of $50 to $750 per offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense, plus a recorded notice of violation on the property's title.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much freeboard does Tinley Park require above the base flood elevation?
Where does Tinley Park get its base flood elevation data?
What if there is no published base flood elevation for my site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tinley Park
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle flood elevation requirements.