Planning & Development

City planning in Quincy is focused on fostering growth while preserving the livability, attractiveness and welcoming nature of our neighborhoods for both residents and visitors. Planning efforts began in 1946 with Quincy’s first master plan. The city shifted over time from relying on outside consultants to building an in-house planning and development team, enabling more community-driven decision-making. The Planning and Development Department is committed to balancing growth with open space, ensuring Quincy remains a comfortable, healthy and attractive place to live and visit.

Meet the Team and Learn What We Do

Jason Parrott
Director

David Adam
Community Planner and Developer

Kelly Seifert
Community Development Administrator

Kara Mester
Administrative Assistant

Department Responsibilities

Provide staffing assistance and take minutes for Plan Commission, Tree Commission, Public Art Commission, Quincy Riverfront Development Corporation, Zoning Board of Appeals, Bet on Q Committee and City-County Ad Hoc Committee
Oversee Quincy/Adams County/Brown County Enterprise Zone, River's Edge Redevelopment Zone, Mid-Town Business District, housing initiatives, economic development initiatives
Issue special permits and special permits for planned development
Conduct and coordinate site plan reviews
Oversee multiple city budgets related to planning and economic development
Long-range planning
Oversee regional transportation plan
Enforce City Code Chapter 162 (Zoning Regulations)
Update City zoning map, which governs the division of zoning districts and the regulation of the use of premises within the corporate city limits and all contiguous unincorporated territory within 1.5 miles of said corporate limits.
Manage annexations
Oversee implementation of Comprehensive Plan

What Does the City Zoning Map Do?

Quincy's zoning districts explained
The city and the continuous unincorporated territory within one and one-half miles of the Quincy corporate limits are divided into seven types of zoning districts.

View Chapter 162.015 (Zoning Districts) Municipal Code of the City of Quincy

The City of Quincy Zoning Map (2024)(PDF, 2MB) governs the division of zoning districts and the regulation of the use of premises within the corporate city limits and all contiguous unincorporated territory within 1.5 miles of said corporate limits. It also:

Promotes and protects the public health, safety, morals, comfort, and general welfare of the city;
Provides adequate light and air;
Encourages the most appropriate use of land throughout the city;
Conserves and enhances the taxable value of land and buildings;
Prevents the overcrowding of land;
Avoids undue concentration of population;
Fosters a more rational pattern of land use relationship between residential and non-residential uses;
Protects residential and non-residential areas from harmful encroachments by incompatible uses;
Prevents such additions to and alterations of remodeling of existing buildings or structures as would not comply with the restrictions and limitations imposed hereunder;
Lessens congestion on the public streets;
Preserves and increase the amenities of the city;
Provides for the gradual elimination of non-conforming uses of land, building and structures which adversely affect the character and value of desirable development in each district;
Protects the air, water and land resources of the city from the hazards of pollution;
Preserves and maintain the essential character of the city and existing amenities;
Preserves and protect buildings, groups of buildings, neighborhoods and communities of distinguished architectural character and appearance;
Provides for the orderly and functional arrangement of land uses and buildings;
Establishes standards for the orderly development or redevelopment of neighborhoods, or functional and geographic parts of neighborhoods;
Secures for the public adequate locations for housing, employment, shopping, education and recreation;
Facilitates the adequate provision of transportation, utility systems, schools, parks and other public requirements;
Provides for orderly sequences of growth in neighborhoods and the community;
Promotes the economic diversity of the community and enhance opportunities for participation in the economic and social system of the community;
Encourages the construction and maintenance of a full range of housing opportunities;
Establishes a comprehensive land use regulation ordinance to serve the City of Quincy and the unincorporated territory within 1.5 miles of the corporate limits, based upon the community's development plans and overall city policies and objectives; and
Exercises the full power and authority granted it under the Constitution of the State of Illinois and all applicable laws of said state or the United States as they pertain to zoning.

Boards, Committees and Commissions

Planning and Development provides administrative support, meeting coordination and recordkeeping for the following City boards, commissions and committees.

Bet On Q Committee
Provides financial support for local tourism events.
Meets at 4 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month.

Enterprise Zone Board
Oversees the Enterprise Zone Program for the City of Quincy and Adams County.
Meets as needed.

Plan Commission
Prepares and recommends a comprehensive plan for the city's growth.
Meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

Quincy Economic Development Loan Committee
Manages the city's Revolving Loan Fund to review public financing applications.
Meets as needed.

Quincy Next Development Commission
Make recommendations to the City Council in the implementation of the Quincy Next Strategic Plan
Meets as needed.

Quincy Preservation Commission
Identifies, protects, and promotes Quincy's historic landmarks and districts.
Meets the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m.

Quincy Public Art Commission
Supports, enhances and promotes the visual public art environment.
Meets the first Monday of each month at noon.

Quincy Sports Commission
Creates and improves local sports environment, identifies opportunities for sports tourism growth
Meets as needed

Quincy Tree Commission
Administers arboricultural specifications and regulations for the care of trees along city streets
Meets quarterly the first Thursday of January, April, July and October

TIF Joint Review Board
Reviews and monitors the City's TIF districts
Meets as needed

Washington Theater Redevelopment Commission
Formulates plans for the development and redevelopment of the Washington Theater
Meets the fourth Tuesday of each month

Zoning Board of Appeals
Hears and decides appeals of any decision, order or interpretation of the director of planning and development
Meets the third Tuesday each month

Incentives for Development Projects

Central Business District-Revolving Loan Fund
Provides funding for building renovations to current or prospective owners of commercial or commercial/residential properties used for business purposes.

Quincy/Adams County/Brown County Enterprise Zone
Offers tax abatements, sales tax exemptions on building materials and reduced permit fees to encourage investment.

Quincy Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund
Offers public financing to businesses that are already working with private sector lenders.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Method of funding public investment in one of three districts slated for redevelopment by capturing, for a time, all of the increased tax revenue that may result if the redevelopment stimulates private investment.

Downtown II Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Encourages investment and development in the area is generally bound by Ninth Street to the east, Broadway to the north, Fifth Street to the west and York to the south.

River Edge Redevelopment Zone
Helps revive and redevelop environmentally challenged properties adjacent to rivers in Illinois through sales tax exemption and property tax abatement incentives.

Retail Incentive Programs
The City of Quincy offers financial incentives to attract specialty retailers, revitalize existing retail properties and redevelop vacant stores.

Central Business District Loan Program and CBD Revitalized Loan Program
Stimulates the preservation and revitalization of the city’s historic downtown by providing financial assistance.

Downtown Rental Rehabilitation Program
TIF funds are set aside to encourage private investment in renovating vacant upper-floor residential properties.

Small Rental Rehabilitation Program
City still has the program but is not accepting new proposals.

Mid-Town Business District
Promotes the renovation and repurposing of portions of the Quincy Mall and the other properties within the area to make them more resistant to future retail and commercial development trends and facilitate their redevelopment.

54th Street Business District
Induces private investment in the construction of buildings and site improvements related to commercial development of five commercial lots on approximately 8.1 acres at the intersection of 54th and Broadway.

45 x 30 Plan
Aims to utilize multiple financial incentives and initiatives to increase the city’s population from about 40,000 residents to 45,000 by 2030.

Retail Marketing and Recruitment Initiative
Allows the city to work with NextSite, a national commercial development firm that specializes in identifying and connecting development opportunities to communities, tenant representatives and end-users.

SeeQuincy 2021 Marketing Plan
Aims to promote Quincy as a travel destination, targeting leisure travel and group travel for overnight stays and/or day trip adventures.

Long-Range Plans, Assessments and Reports

Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment (2023)
This study evaluated the need for housing in Adams County with a focus on Quincy, identifying gaps between supply and demand. The study evaluates the effectiveness of past programs while engaging stakeholders on what specific steps the entities could do to encourage additional investments in housing.

Riverfront Master Plan (2021)
Conveys a comprehensive approach for the redevelopment of prime real estate within four blocks of the Mississippi River, reimagining the area as a dynamic community gathering place and welcoming gateway.

Quincy Regional Transportation Plan (2020)
Provides an objective analysis of transportation in Quincy and Adams County and offers recommendations to serve as a roadmap for future projects and strategy implementations.

Neighborhood Beautification Ad Hoc Committee Report (2020)
Reviews the city's nuisance abatement policies, practices and staffing levels, offers suggestions on how to improve the city’s efforts regarding nuisance abatements.

GREDF Strategic Plan (2020)
This plan is designed to preserve and enhance the business climate in Quincy and Adams County through targeted and strategic economic development activities.

Quincy Next Strategic Plan (2018)
Provides the city with stability despite changing external conditions, helping to guide adaptation and movement towards creating a diversified and resilient community.

Two Rivers Economic Development District Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (2017)
This regional planning document was developed to guide economic growth and community development across seven western Illinois counties: Adams, Brown, Cass, Morgan, Pike, Schuyler and Scott.

Neighborhood Land Use Plan (2013)
Compares today's city with a community vision of the future, assessing policies and actions recommended to achieve that vision.

Adams County Greenways and Bikeways Plan (2006)
This plan was part of an ongoing effort to preserve green space and promote recreational bikeways within Adams County and the region.

Broadway Corridor Land Use and Access Management Plan (1997).pdf(PDF, 22MB)
Plan for the future land use and transportation system along the Broadway Corridor to create a safer arterial route, which provides acceptable site access and establishes an improved aesthetic character.