Village allows narrower 10.5-foot base driveway to access new accessory building; stone base required

The Planning Commission on Sept. 11 modified a previous condition that required a 12-foot-wide driveway to access a newly approved accessory building at S58 W23340 Glen Gary Road, allowing a 10.5-foot maintained stone base instead. The Village Board later accepted the Planning Commission’s recommendation.

Petitioner Kyle Birkey told commissioners that the contractor’s dozer blade is 10 feet 6 inches wide and the owner proposes a permanent 10.5-foot base with an 8-foot-wide asphalt wearing surface to be installed later. "Our dozer is 10 foot 6 inches wide," Birkey said, adding the intent was to have an 8-foot asphalt top over a 10.5-foot base.

Commissioners and staff discussed emergency access. A village official noted that a village engine is nearly 11 feet wide and that responders would likely not drive all the way to the rear building but that having a maintained surface would aid hose deployment. One commissioner said a narrower, well-constructed surfaced base would still allow responders to stage and drag hose to the building if necessary.

The Planning Commission moved and seconded a motion to accept the 10.5-foot base as the minimum required access; the motion included a specification that the base be a maintained stone base (with asphalt permitted later). The Village Board adopted the Planning Commission’s recommendation by unanimous vote. The meeting record shows no change requiring the village to accept liability for damage to privately provided access surfaces if responders use them.