The regulations by this Division authorized may provide that a board of appeals may determine and vary their application in harmony with their general purpose and intent and in accordance with general or specific rules therein contained in cases where there are practical difficulties or particular hardship in the way of carrying out the strict letter of any of such regulations relating to the use, construction or alteration of buildings or structures or the use of land; or the regulations by this Division authorized may provide that the county board may, by ordinance or resolution determine and vary their application in harmony with their general purpose and intent and in accordance with general or specific rules therein contained in cases where there are practical difficulties or particular hardship in the way of carrying out the strict letter of any such regulations relating to the use, construction or alteration of buildings or structures or the use of land; however, no such variation shall be made by such county board without a hearing before the board of appeals unless the variation sought is a variation of ten percent or less of the regulations by this Division authorized as to location of structures or as to bulk requirements under such regulations, in which case no public hearing is required and such variation may be granted by the administrative official charged with the enforcement of any ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to this Division. Provided, however, that before such variation may be granted, a notice of the intent to grant such variation shall be sent by certified mail to all adjoining landowners. If any adjoining landowner files a written objection with the administrative official within 15 days of receipt of such notice, the variation shall only be considered by the board of appeals in the manner provided in this Section. All other variations sought shall be made only by ordinance, resolution or otherwise in a specific case and after a public hearing before a board of appeals of which there shall be at least 15 days notice of the date, time and place of such hearing published in a newspaper of general circulation published in the township or road district in which such property is located. If no newspaper is published in such township or road district, then such notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county and having circulation where such property is located. The notice shall contain: (1) the particular location of the real estate for which the variation is requested by legal description and street address, and if no street address then by locating such real estate with reference to any well-known landmark, highway, road, thoroughfare or intersection; (2) whether or not the petitioner or applicant is acting for himself or in the capacity of agent, alter ego, or representative of a principal, and stating the name and address of the actual and true principal; (3) whether petitioner or applicant is a corporation, and if a corporation, the correct names and addresses of all officers and directors, and of all stockholders or shareholders owning any interest in excess of 20% of all outstanding stock of such corporation; (4) whether the petitioner or applicant, or his principal if other than applicant, is a business or entity doing business under an assumed name, and if so, the name and residence of all true and actual owners of such business or entity; (5) whether the petitioner or applicant is a partnership, joint venture, syndicate or an unincorporated voluntary association, and if so, the names and addresses of all partners, joint venturers, syndicate members or members of the unincorporated voluntary association; and (6) a brief statement of what the proposed variation consists.
     The costs or charges of the publication notice by this Section required shall be paid by the petitioner or applicant.
     Where a variation is to be made by ordinance or resolution, upon the report of the board of appeals such county board may by ordinance or resolution without further public hearing adopt any proposed variation or may refer it back to the board of appeals for further consideration and any proposed variation which fails to receive the approval of the board of appeals shall not be passed except by the favorable vote of 3/4 of all the members of the county board, but in counties in which the county board consists of 3 members only a 2/3 vote is required. Every such variation, whether made by the board of appeals directly or by ordinance or resolution after a hearing before a board of appeals shall be accompanied by a finding of fact specifying the reason for making such variation.
     If a township located within a county with a population of less than 600,000 or more than 3,000,000 has a plan commission, and the plan commission objects to a zoning variation which affects unincorporated areas of the township, the township board of trustees within 15 days after the public hearing before the board of appeals on such zoning variation, may submit its written objections to the county board of the county where the unincorporated areas of the township are located. In such case, the county board shall not approve the zoning variation, except by the favorable vote of 3/4 of all members of the county board.
     Appeals from final zoning decisions of the County Board must be filed within one year unless a shorter filing period is required by another law.