La Grange Illinois 4/14/2022 Zoning Board of Appeals (Audio Only)

This video records the La Grange, Illinois Zoning Board of Appeals meeting held on April 14, 2022. The session focuses on a specific case (ZBA Case #635) regarding a property located at 441 South Blackstone Avenue (1:22 - 1:58). Case Overview: The Request: The applicants, David Wayneman and Ellie Sharif Elden, sought a zoning variation from the required interior side yard setback to construct a two-car garage addition (1:28 - 3:56). The Proposal: The plan involved a three-foot side yard setback instead of the code-required amount, which would facilitate a larger, modern two-car garage (4:20 - 4:31). Engineering Concerns: A significant portion of the hearing addressed stormwater management and drainage. Neighbors and the board questioned whether the construction would exacerbate existing local flooding issues (8:22 - 10:56). Applicant's Argument: The applicants argued that the project would actually improve drainage compared to the existing conditions by removing an old retaining wall, creating a proper drainage swale, and installing a subsurface stormwater storage system (23:01 - 28:44). Outcome: After extensive deliberation regarding the impact on the neighborhood's character and the precedent setting of granting such a variance, the Zoning Board of Appeals voted to deny the application (1:13:08 - 1:13:38). The board members noted that while the drainage plans were commendable, they were concerned about encroaching on the established side yard setbacks in an R2 zoning district (1:11:42 - 1:12:20). Following the vote, the board discussed potential new business, including a recommendation that the Village Board review current zoning codes regarding the high level of discretion granted for yard variation requests (1:14:33 - 1:16:16).