Zoning Board of Appeals

1 APPROVED 2 MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 3 VILLAGE OF NORTHBROOK 4 COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS 5 January 27, 2014 6 7 1. Call to Order 8 Chairman Decker called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. in the Board Room of Village Hall. Members 9 Pick, Geslicki, Lown & Schofield & Chairman Decker were present. Member Craig was absent. A quorum 10 was present. 11 12 Village Staff present included J. Maisch, Zoning Administrator & Code Enforcement Official; & 13 J. Weldon, Recorder. 14 15 3. Review of Minutes 16 Member Lown, seconded by Member Geslicki, motioned to approve the minutes of the November 25, 17 2013 meeting, as presented. On a voice vote, the minutes carried unanimously. 18 19 2. General Public Comments 20 There were no comments from the public. 21 22 4. Public Hearing & Consideration of the following Petitions: 23 Chairman Decker announced that the dockets would first be heard in the public hearing portion of the 24 meeting. ZBA deliberation and decision regarding the dockets would occur immediately following the 25 hearing, during the regular meeting. If members of the audience are not able to stay for the regular 26 meeting, they can contact the Zoning Administrator for results. Petitioners will be sworn in and should 27 address the Board. Neighbors within 250 ft. were notified of each petition. As required by state statute, 28 the hearing notice for all dockets was published 1/9/14. 29 30 1. DOCKET NO. 14-Z-1 – Petition by Donna Sabin for a variation to reduce the required interior 31 side yard setback from 9’ to 5’ on the R-4 Single Family Residential property commonly 32 known as 1233 Ridge Road (04-10-206-031). The purpose of the variation is to install a 33 standby generator. 34 35 Petitioner Donna Sabin and Red Rock Builder Matt Pollack were sworn in. Petitioner was 36 asked if notice to the neighbors was provided. Petitioner advised – yes. 37 38 Petitioner asked that the Board consider the following: 39 1. The property has a unique physical condition in that it is a corner lot that does not meet 40 the minimum lot area of 13,000 sq. ft. The property is 12,038.4 sq. ft. making this lot 41 smaller than a typical corner lot by 961 s.f., and the lot is short of the required lot width 42 by 10’. 43 2. The current substandard lot conditions were not created by the applicant. 44 3. The property lies at the low end of Ridge Road and the owners want to ensure that the 45 home stays dry and flood-free in the event of power outages. 46 4. The proposed plan meets all other Codes and Plan Purposes. 47 5. Granting approval would not alter the general character of the area.  Page 2 Minutes of the January 27, 2014 Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting 1 6. Petitioner agrees to install a fence or evergreen landscaping to the height of the 2 generator to shield view from neighbors if the ZBA would require that as part of the 3 approval. 4 5 Chairman Decker asked Jennifer Maisch, Zoning Administrator, how often flooding occurs in 6 the area. Ms. Maisch noted that flooding complaints and flooding issues are addressed by 7 the Village’s Engineering Department, but there is a visible slope to Ridge Road and you can 8 physically see that this property lies at the bottom of that significant slope. 9 10 Chairman Decker asked the Petitioner what type of feedback she received from the 11 neighbors when she asked them about flooding in the area. Ms. Sabin stated that she went 12 to all of the neighbors during her original petition for setback variations last summer asking 13 and many neighbors complained of habitual basement flooding. At that time she spoke to 14 the neighbors, the Village was replacing the drainage system on Ridge Road as it is a 45-year 15 old system and doesn’t drain properly. The problem was worked on but the neighbors 16 claimed that it was still a problem and their basements flooded even after the work had 17 been completed. 18 19 Chairman Decker asked if any of the neighbors had a generator installed. Ms. Sabin said not 20 at that time. 21 22 Member Pick asked the Builder if he was familiar with the area. The Builder said that he was 23 and commented that sump pump backup battery systems only last so long when they lose 24 power. He said that it is rare that they don’t install a backup generator during new 25 construction. He also noted that the power lines on the property are underground. 26 27 Member Schofield asked where the generator was going to go. The Builder said in order to 28 meet electrical codes they must stay a certain distance from the house and also a certain 29 distance away from operable windows. 30 31 Member Pick asked what is next to where the generator will be located. Ms. Sabin answered 32 a brick home. 33 34 Member Geslicki asked how loud the generator is. The Builder stated that the 17kW 35 Generac Guardian Series Unit is 66 decibels at 23 feet and that the location is 33 feet from 36 the closest neighbor. There was discussion as to whether the generator would meet noise 37 restrictions. Ms. Maisch advised this generator was smaller than the last unit approved by 38 the ZBA and added that the Municipal Code places restrictions on mechanical noise, so it 39 will be reviewed for noise at the time it is submitted for a permit. 40 41 Member Pick, seconded by Member Geslicki moved to close the public hearing. On a voice 42 vote, the motion carried unanimously. 43 44 Member Pick, seconded by Member Geslicki to accept the proposed variation by Donna 45 Sabin, for a variation to reduce the required interior side yard setback from 9’ to 5’ on the R- 46 4 Single Family Residential property commonly known as 1233 Ridge Road (04-10-206-031), 47 subject to the following conditions:  Page 3 Minutes of the January 27, 2014 Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting 1 1. That a generator be constructed in substantial compliance with the plans and materials 2 reviewed by the Zoning Board of Appeals 1/27/14; and 3 2. Install screening (solid fence or evergreen landscaping to the height of the unit) on 3 4 sides of the generator. 5 On a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously. 6 7 5. Old Business 8 There was no old business. 9 10 6. New Business 11 There was no new business. 12 13 7. Adjournment 14 There being no further business, Member Pick moved, seconded by Member Lown to adjourn the 15 meeting at 8:00 pm. On a voice vote, the motion unanimously carried. 16 17 Respectfully submitted, 18 19 20 Julie Weldon 21 Recorder