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Zoning hearing officer to recommend interior‑setback variance for Naperville homeowner to replace aging deck
Summary
Robert Carthell said he will recommend reducing the interior side setback from 3 feet to about 2 feet to allow Edward and Cheryl Trauth to replace an existing deck in Naperville; Carthell cited the house angle and a French‑door egress as a practical difficulty.
DuPage County Zoning Hearing Officer Robert Carthell said April 30 he will recommend a favorable variance to reduce the required interior side setback from 3 feet to roughly 2 feet for a deck replacement at a Naperville property owned by Edward and Cheryl Trauth.
Carthell told the homeowner that the angle of the house and the location of a French door that functions as an egress point create a practical difficulty that supports the variance request. “You need to demonstrate a practical difficulty, hardship or unique circumstance… the angle of the house on the property and the location of the deck vis a vis the French door and elevation issue satisfies that requirement. In my opinion,” Carthell said.
Edward Trauth told the hearing he has lived at the property for just over 41 years and that the existing deck, which he said was already present when he bought the house, is about 21 years old and in poor condition. Trauth said replacing the deck in the exact location is needed to preserve access from the French doors and to avoid shrinking or degrading the structure; he also said he had met with the neighbor behind the property, who expressed no concerns.
The property is described in the hearing as roughly 0.27 acres in a Lyle Township (Naperville) petition. Carthell said he will issue a written recommendation on May 7; that recommendation will be transmitted to the DuPage County Development Committee and then to the full DuPage County Board for final action later in May. If the county board approves the variance, the owner can obtain the building permit and proceed with reconstruction.
No formal vote was taken at the hearing. Carthell indicated his recommendation in the hearing record and said the recommendation will be committed to writing and transmitted to county decisionmakers. He also noted that the relief, if granted, would follow the county’s standard review process and that the final determination rests with the county board.
Next steps: Zoning hearing officer recommendation May 7; county development committee review and full county board decision in late May. If approved, owner may apply for and receive building permits to replace the deck.
