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Zoning hearing officer to recommend 2‑year conditional use for shed that sits 2.6 feet from rear lot line
Summary
DuPage County zoning hearing officer Robert Carthell said he will recommend granting a conditional use allowing an existing shed to remain about 2.6 feet from the rear property line, with a two‑year time limit and a requirement to return to validate use.
DuPage County Zoning Hearing Officer Robert Carthell said April 30 he will recommend a two‑year conditional use to allow an existing shed to remain approximately 2.6 feet from the rear property line on a Bloomingdale Township parcel.
The recommendation, which Carthell called a short-term remedy, is intended to allow the owner or a future tenant to establish the shed’s use before the county considers longer-term relief. “I’m inclined to grant this, but I’m gonna put a short time limit on it so that we can have a tenant come in and tell us what the use of the shed is,” Carthell said during the public hearing.
The parcel is managed by Hudson Homes and listed in county records as owned by U.S. Bank; Aspen General Contractors represented the property before the hearing. Petitioner representative Andy Wachowski said the shed has been in place “at least probably close to 15 years, if anything,” and that the property is currently vacant and being prepared for sale.
Carthell described the request as a zoning—rather than building—matter: the shed sits closer than the required three feet, at about 2.6 feet, and has reportedly been on the site for more than five years. Carthell said that if he issues a favorable recommendation the county building department has indicated it will issue a permit without plans for structures under 150 square feet once zoning relief is in place.
Carthell said he will issue a written recommendation on May 7; that recommendation will be transmitted to the DuPage County Development Committee for review, and the committee’s recommendation will go to the full DuPage County Board for final action later in May. He cautioned that the two‑year relief period will be recorded against the property and that the county may not actively follow up when the period expires.
No formal vote was taken at the hearing; the zoning hearing officer’s role is to make a recommendation to the county development committee and county board. The hearing record shows no departmental objections to the petition and public notice was published on April 15, 2025.
Next steps: Carthell will issue his written recommendation May 7; if the county development committee and county board approve the relief, the property owner or future buyer would be able to obtain the building permit referenced by the building department.
