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Commission directs staff to draft text amendment to treat standalone massage businesses as special use
Summary
After reviewing Oak Forest's current Part III-B rules, commissioners directed staff to prepare a zoning text amendment that would remove the 25% accessory-floor-area limit and designate standalone massage establishments as a special use, returning the amendment for a public hearing on Aug. 5, 2026.
The commission continued a discussion on Part III-B of the zoning code that currently limits massage services to an accessory use occupying no more than 25% of a business's gross floor area, effectively blocking standalone massage businesses. Community Planner Hunter Heyman explained neighboring municipalities' approaches and said the existing accessory rule creates administrative enforcement challenges because gross floor area includes lobbies, break rooms and mechanical space.
Commissioners, including Commissioner Forbes, expressed preference for a special-use approach. The commission directed staff to prepare a text amendment designating massage establishments as a special use and to remove the massage-specific 25% accessory regulation, pending confirmation from the Police Department given past enforcement concerns. The text amendment will return as a public hearing at the August 5, 2026 meeting.
