Westmont panel approves variance for 31 S. Grant patio; requires permeable pavers per engineer specs

The Village of Westmont Planning & Zoning Commission on Wednesday approved a zoning variance allowing homeowners Ellen Bomba and Eugene Hong to install a 330-square-foot backyard patio at 31 South Grant, a project that will raise lot coverage from 37.2% to about 40.8% (rounded to 41%) in the R-3 single-family detached residence district. The approval was conditioned on installation of permeable pavers constructed to the village engineer’s specifications (noted by staff as a 12-inch aggregate base in the engineering recommendation).

The variance matters because the R-3 district caps lot coverage at 35%. The applicants told the commission the patio is intended to reduce muddy conditions in their backyard, and they described a plan that includes a central collection basin, channel drains and a dry well that would route stormwater toward an east-side alley. Steph, a village planner who presented the staff report, said the property is in a known low-depression sub-basin near the South Grant–Richmond intersection and that the current lot coverage is 37.2%. “The current lot coverage for the property is 37.2%,” she said, adding that the proposal would raise coverage to about 40.8% and that the engineer recommended permeable pavers rather than a dry well for long-term maintenance reasons.

Commissioners discussed maintenance, neighborhood flood history and precedent for future variance requests. Commissioner Simpson said permeable pavers would help but recommended both pavers and a dry well in this area because of known flooding in nearby parks and streets. Commissioner Peterson said he preferred deferring to the engineer: “If the engineer thinks that's fine, then I think then I'm with the engineer.” Several other commissioners noted the village engineer’s professional judgment should guide technical conditions tied to permits.

The commission voted on a motion to approve the variance with the less-restrictive engineering-based condition (permeable pavers constructed per engineer specifications). Roll call recorded four votes in favor and two opposed; the motion passed. The commission packet included an email from a neighbor in support of the request; no public speakers appeared at the hearing. The commission’s approval will be forwarded to the Village Board, and the agenda indicates the item is tentatively scheduled for the October 30 Village Board meeting.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes, Aug. 13 regular meeting: Approved (Commissioner Simpson abstained; other commissioners voted yes). - PCC0182025 (31 S. Grant) — Variance to maximum lot coverage for a 330-sq-ft patio: Approved, condition that permeable pavers be installed to village engineer specifications (engineering memo referenced a 12-inch aggregate base); vote: 4–2 (yes: Lynn, Donahue, Thomas, Chair Carmichael; no: Simpson, Peterson). - PCC0172025 (applicant not present): Continued to the Nov. 12 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting by unanimous vote.

Why the commission acted: Staff and the village engineer concluded that permeable pavers constructed to engineering standards would mitigate runoff at this site in a way that balances homeowner improvement and neighborhood stormwater concerns, while commissioners debated whether additional measures (a dry well or reduced paved area) should be required in a known low-depression basin.

What the approval requires next: The approval conditions require the applicants to meet the village engineer’s specifications at permitting (the engineering recommendation attached to the packet calls for permeable pavers with a measured base depth). If the applicants proceed to permitting, the engineer will provide detailed sizing/specifications and any additional on-site requirements.

Context and background: The subject lot is 60 by 150 feet (9,000 sq. ft.), typical of the downtown residential subdivision (McIntosh Subdivision). Lot coverage calculations in Westmont include hardscape such as patios, buildings and decks; staff noted the property previously removed a deck and repaved a driveway in 2023 and moved a shed in 2024 but those prior permits did not provide enough credited reduction to avoid this variance request. The commission reviewed variance standards found in the village’s older code (staff noted the packet contained older-code references but that the 35% maximum remains the applicable limit). The village engineer’s recommendation letter was provided to the commission and the applicants.

The applicants and staff said the proposed patio will be pitched and drained away from the driveway into a central basin and out to a dry well on the east side of the lot; the engineer’s opinion in the packet favored permeable pavers because of maintenance concerns and site conditions. Commissioners recommended the applicants work with the engineer during permitting to finalize any additional mitigation or sizing if conditions warrant.