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ZBA unanimously OKs 1‑foot side‑yard variance for detached garage at 71 Indian Tree Drive
Summary
The Highland Park Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a one‑foot variance to the nine‑foot side‑yard setback for a new detached garage at 71 Indian Tree Drive. The applicant said the lot’s irregular shape and the house footprint left few practical locations for a garage; the owner said neighbors have expressed positive feedback about the
The Highland Park Zoning Board of Appeals on Oct. 16 granted a one‑foot side‑yard variance allowing a detached garage to be sited 8 feet from the northern property line at 71 Indian Tree Drive, approving the request on a unanimous 7–0 vote.
City staff told the board the property is a corner lot in the R‑5 district and that the proposed detached garage meets the frontage allowance for corner lots (22 feet from the longer fronting property line) but that a small corner of the new garage would be 8 feet from the adjacent property line — one foot into the required nine‑foot side yard.
Applicant Andrew Venamore said the house footprint and the irregular lot geometry constrain available locations for a functioning detached garage and drive aisle. Venamore told the board the originally proposed design moved the garage closer to the house to preserve space nearer the neighbor and that reducing the garage width below 20 feet would make the structure impractical: “there's not a lot of options here,” he said. He described the current design as a compromise intended to minimize encroachment while preserving backyard space and protecting trees: the proposed garage is 20 feet by 22 feet with about a 3‑foot separation from the house on the site plan submitted to staff.
Owner Deborah Goldberg, who participated by telephone, told the board the neighbors on a community message board had responded positively to the renovations already completed at the house and that she had received no negative comments about the garage proposal: “Everybody has been very pleased with what we have done,” she said.
Staff noted that tree preservation issues will be addressed during permitting and that some portions of the building may need fire‑rating where the accessory structure is within five feet of the principal structure. Venamore said those details will be addressed with the building official and that the project team sought to limit disturbance to significant trees by siting the garage near an existing concrete pad rather than farther back on the lot.
Board members agreed the standards for a variance were met. Member Chase, Member Weisberg, Member Trishanski, Member Zaretsky, Vice Chair Yeblon, Member Aronoff and Chair Bey all voted aye when the board adopted the draft order; the motion to accept the draft order passed unanimously.
The approval allows the owner to proceed to building permit review; staff will verify setbacks and whether fire‑rating or other building‑code measures are required when the permit application is submitted. The board noted it had not received additional public comments on the application and that the applicant had notified neighbors in advance. The board also voiced support for creating a de minimis standard for trivial encroachments in future code updates, a point several members mentioned during deliberations.
Sources: Highland Park Zoning Board of Appeals meeting transcript (Oct. 16, 2025); staff presentation; statements on the record by applicant Andrew Venamore and owner Deborah Goldberg.
