ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 2011/05/23 Minutes
The City of Lake Forest
Zoning Board of Appeals
Proceedings of the May 23, 2011 Meeting
A regular meeting of the Lake Forest Zoning Board of Appeals was held on
Monday, May 23, 2011, at 6:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 220 E.
Deerpath, Lake Forest, Illinois.
Zoning Board of Appeals members present: Chairman Rosemary Kehr and
Board members Richard Christoff, Stewart Dixon, Robert Franksen and Sam
Ciccarelli.
Zoning Board of Appeals member absent: None (two positions vacant)
Staff present: MeLena Hessel, Planning Intern, Megan O’Neill, Planner,
Catherine Czerniak, Director of Community Development
1. Introduction of Board members and staff, overview of meeting procedures –
Chairman Kehr
Chairman Kehr introduced the members of the Board and provided an
overview of the meeting procedures.
2. Approval of the minutes of the March 23, 2011 regular meeting.
The minutes of the March 23, 2011 meeting were approved as submitted.
3. Recognition of past Chairman Cardy Davis and past
Board members Daniel Jasica, Angela DeDolph and Michael Adelman.
Board members Ciccarelli and Dixon expressed their appreciation and gratitude
to past Chairman Davis for his leadership on the Zoning Board of Appeals and to
past Board members Jasica, DeDolph and Adelman for their contributions to the
Board. They thanked all past members for their service to the community.
Chairman Kehr echoed the comments of the Board members and thanked
each of the past members and presented them with a plaque recognizing their
years of service.
Past Chairman Davis and past Board members Jasica and DeDolph each
expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to serve on the Board and
thanked their fellow Board members and staff.
Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes
May 23, 2011
Page 2
NEW PETITIONS
4. A request for approval of a variance from the corner side yard and rear yard
zoning setback requirements to allow an addition to the garage at 156
Winston Road.
Owners: Mark and Jessica Robbins
Representative: Larry Robbins
Chairman Kehr swore in those intending to speak on this petition and asked the
Board members for any conflicts of interest or Ex Parte contacts. Hearing none,
she noted that she met the petitioner during her site visit but stated that no
substantive discussion occurred and that she would be able to consider the
request impartially.
Mr. Robbins introduced the petition describing the intent to convert the existing
one-car garage into a two-car garage. He stated that early in the process,
several options to address the need for additional garage space were studied.
He noted that the option now presented was selected because it is functional.
He stated that the proposed plan allows two cars to be parked on the property.
He described the property layout noting that the property is a corner lot and
that there is adequate space in the rear yard and adequate between his house
and the neighboring houses. He stated that the expanded garage will extend a
little over 9 feet to the north and will match the existing line of the house to the
east. He stated that the existing brick will be reused and stated that other
exterior materials will be chosen to match the existing structure. He showed a
three dimensional drawing of the proposed project and an overlay of the
proposed roofline on the existing roofline. He stated that the increased height of
the garage is mitigated by the proposed hip roof form. He stated that the
request is small in scale and reasonable. He requested Board approval.
Ms. Hessel presented staff comments. She noted that a revised staff report was
provided to address a typo in the initial staff report regarding the proposed
distance from the property line setback. S he noted that this property is located
in the Northmoor neighborhood which is characterized by narrow lots and
modest housing. She stated that the area was subdivided in 1923 and that it
appears that the subdivision plat was the guiding document used during the
construction of homes in the neighborhood in the 1950’s. She stated that if the
current setback requirements are applied to this lot, a house would not be able
to be built. She confirmed that based on the City’s approval of the subdivision
in 1923, the property is a buildable lot. She discussed the proposed project to
expand the existing garage and driveway. She stated that the petitioner is
asking for variances from the rear and corner side yard setbacks and stated that
the garage will be no closer than 20 feet to the north property line and no closer
than 10 feet to the east property line. She noted that the addition will not be
Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes
May 23, 2011
Page 3
closer to the street than the existing structure. She pointed out that the
petitioner is requesting the minimum expansion necessary to accommodate a
two-car garage. She noted that two-car garages are not uncommon in the
area and that the project conforms to building scale and lot coverage
limitations. She stated that standard public notice was provided and that staff
did not receive any correspondence regarding this request. She recommended
approval of the project.
In response to a question from Board member Christoff, Mr. Robbins noted that
there would be an approximate two-foot increase in height between the
existing and proposed construction.
In response to a question from Board member Ciccarelli, Mr. Robbins confirmed
that a Cedar tree will be removed noting that replacement plantings will be
added to the property. He stated that he will work with staff on the landscape
plan.
In response to a question from Board member Frankson, Ms. Hessel noted that
the red hatched area on the site plan represents the buildable area on the
property based on today’s zoning setback requirements. She stated that the
front yard, as defined by the Code, is the narrowest street frontage, which may
or may not be the front of the house.
In response to a question from Chairman Kehr, Ms. Hessel reviewed the existing
site conditions and the conditions that will result from the proposed project.
Ms. O’Neill clarified the variances that are requested.
Chairman Kehr invited public comment. Hearing none, she invited final
comments from the Board.
Board member Dixon stated that the request is straightforward and stated
support for the variance.
Board member Ciccarelli made a motion to recommend approval of the
petition as submitted to the City Council. He noted that the motion in support of
the variance is subject to the following condition of approval.
1. The width of the new driveway shall be expanded no more than the
minimum amount needed to access the two-car garage.
The motion was seconded by Board member Dixon and it was unanimously
approved by the Board.
Zoning Board of Appeals Minutes
May 23, 2011
Page 4
OTHER ITEMS
5. Opportunity for the public to address the Zoning Board of Appeals on matters
not on the agenda.
There were no comments from the public on non-agenda items.
6. Additional information from staff.
No additional information was presented by staff.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Catherine J. Czerniak
Director of Community Development