Board recognizes two substandard Pike Lake lots, orders consolidation

The Cook County Board of Adjustment on April 9 approved a variance to recognize two substandard Pike Lake parcels as legal nonconforming lots, subject to staff conditions and a requirement that the two parcels be combined so they will be governed under Article 9 of the Cook County Zoning Ordinance (variance 2025-8V).

County planner Neva told the board the parcels were created between 1996 and February 2002 and therefore postdate the county’s 1984 zoning ordinance; that timing means the lots are not automatically eligible for nonconforming-lot protections. The parcels are located on the northwest side of Pike Lake off Willard Lane and include a 20-foot-wide strip of land accessing the lake; they do not meet the FAR-1 zone’s 20-acre minimum or the Lakeshore Residential Zone District’s minimum water frontage requirement of 50 feet.

Neva advised the board that the county has previously granted variances for older substandard lots in similar circumstances and that most prior approvals involved parcels in place for a long time with established recreational use. She said the requested relief would recognize the lots’ existing conditions and — because the parcels fail to meet the 66% dimensional standards — the owner would need to combine the two parcels if the variance is approved.

The current owner, George Stagg, was present and did not add to the staff narrative. In describing how the issue arose, staff said the problem surfaced during a prospective buyer’s property inquiry and that the current owner “got left holding the bag” for a prior administrative error in parcel creation.

Board discussion noted that forcing strict compliance with the ordinance now would place an unnecessary burden on the current owner; members said combining the parcels as a condition reduces that concern. One board member described the recommended approach as “pretty straightforward” given the long-standing status of the parcels. The board moved and seconded to approve the variance with staff conditions; the motion carried with no opposition.

If the variance stands as approved, the parcels will be subject to Article 9 (legal nonconformities) and the owner will be required to combine the two parcels to achieve a less nonconforming configuration. The staff packet included ordinance citations, a definition of “lot of record” and a table summarizing parcel dimensions relative to zoning standards. The board recorded the motion as approved and adjourned the meeting.