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Trustees postpone rooftop‑deck ordinance after questions about inspections, grandfathering and enforcement
Summary
Discussion of a proposed ordinance to restrict rooftop use focused on safety inspections, likely engineering requirements, effects on existing permitted structures and parade‑day concerns; trustees voted to postpone the item to the first meeting in August 2025 to gather more information and consult affected property owners.
Trustees on May 19 debated a proposed ordinance that would require registration and basic safety compliance for rooftops used as decks or assembly spaces. The ordinance, as presented, would require inspections and adherence to applicable building and life‑safety codes for any rooftop used for gatherings; the village attorney and building official said the permit would be free but that property owners could face costs to bring existing structures into compliance.
Trustees and staff discussed the ordinance’s intent — to provide the police and fire departments with a registry of rooftops authorized for public use during special events such as parades and to ensure structural safety — and several trustees raised concerns about the ordinance’s effect on existing property owners. Trustees asked whether the ordinance would force owners who previously passed inspections to redo work or face loss of rooftop use; building and fire officials said permitted and inspected structures would be expected to demonstrate maintenance and continued compliance, but the meeting surfaced confusion over whether and how older approvals would be treated and how much additional engineering or structural documentation might be required.
The Board also examined the village’s ability to restrict rooftop use during parades and large public gatherings. Staff said municipal authority is limited — the village can regulate for safety but cannot impose content‑based restrictions on speech — and emphasized that knowing which rooftops are intended to be used helps public‑safety planning. Trustees expressed concern that the ordinance, as written, could impose significant retrofit costs on owners of older structures and could be perceived as targeting a small number of downtown properties that already host rooftop uses.
After extended discussion trustees voted to postpone the ordinance until the first meeting in August 2025 and requested more detailed information from the building official and fire department, including a clear list of what inspections or engineering documentation would be required, cost estimates for compliance, and outreach to affected property owners.
