Board reduces assessment for Glendale Road property after owner cites train-horn impacts; land portion cut

The Board of Review on Sept. 17 reduced the assessed value of a Glendale Road property after the owner, Mary Parlow (S53 W24747 Glendale Road), presented comparables and argued that proximity to active railroad tracks and frequent train horns reduce the lot's marketability. Parlow provided recent vacant-land comparables showing per-acre prices in the mid-$30,000 range and asked the board to apply a lower per-acre rate for her 3.06-acre parcel. The assessor, Sam Monroe, presented four sales he considered comparable and explained the village's condition-and-desirability adjustment (CDU) for properties adversely affected by location; the assessor's office had already noted a "fair" CDU rating for the subject parcel because it adjoins the railroad. Board members discussed whether available comparables captured the specific disamenity of a lot directly adjacent to active railroad tracks. The board concluded that the assessor's comparable set was generally usable for market data but that the owner had shown an additional location-based influence that the assessor's adjustment did not fully reflect. Using the assessor's figures as a baseline and applying a further reduction tied to location adjustments discussed in the hearing, the board set the new assessed value at $269,600 (land $121,465; improvements $148,200). The board recorded its findings on the Department of Revenue decision worksheet and noted the evidence relied on (comparable sales and on-site location factor). The owner was given a signed copy of the board's decision and advised of appeal rights listed on the decision form.