Kankakee County, IL Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Kankakee County Code Chapter 119 sets up the county's Historic Preservation Commission to identify and nominate landmarks and historic districts across the unincorporated county. Under Sec. 119-1, the chapter exists to identify, designate, protect, and preserve properties reflecting the historical, cultural, artistic, social, economic, ethnic, or political heritage of the county, state, or nation, and Sec. 119-2 defines a landmark as any property or structure designated by county board ordinance because of its historic, scenic, or architectural significance. Designation starts with a prequalification form filed with the county planning department; the commission responds within 14 days, and a full nomination form triggers a public hearing with 15-day mailed and published notice.

Within 60 days of the hearing's close, the commission recommends designation to the county board, which must act within another 60 days by ordinance or send the recommendation back for revision. Once a property is designated, Sec. 119-76 requires a certificate of appropriateness from the preservation commission before any significant alteration, construction, demolition, or removal, whether or not a building permit is also required; the building and zoning division cannot issue a permit until that certificate issues. A denial can be appealed as an administrative decision under Section 3-101 of the Illinois Administrative Review Law.

Owners who buy a landmark after its designation lose eligibility to apply for a certificate of economic hardship under Sec. 119-78. If a landmark is later annexed into a municipality with its own preservation ordinance, that city's rules take over; otherwise the county's chapter continues to govern per Sec. 119-52.