New Winfield residents seek 6-foot opaque front-yard fence; county to recommend in July

Robert Carthell, the DuPage County zoning hearing officer, called case Z25O33 from the Dubner petition seeking a front-yard fence height variance from 4 feet 6 inches to up to 6 feet and an increase in opacity from 50% to essentially closed (100%). The petition concerns a 0.2-acre lot at 0 N 151 Stanley Street in Winfield and was published in the Daily Herald on June 3, 2025.

Applicants Thomas and Mia (last names not provided at hearing) appeared by Zoom and described themselves as the newest residents of the property with a one-year-old daughter and a German shepherd. They said their priorities are "safety, security, and the privacy of our family" and that they intend to use the side yard facing Stanley Street as their primary outdoor space. They submitted an exhibit package that included a plan of survey, a site plan and online slides provided to the record as Exhibit 3.

The applicants told the hearing they measured setbacks on site and reported a significant distance from the asphalt to their property line (they reported measurements of about 33 feet from a point on the property to the asphalt and later referenced about 23 feet from Stanley and approximately 53 feet from Prairie from other measurement points). They said the fence would be set back from the intersection and that they do not expect visibility issues. Carthell noted that the township highway department had asked questions about a possible line-of-sight problem; Carthell also said the county building department did not file a formal objection but requested precise language (for example, an explicit maximum height) to assist inspections. Carthell proposed — and the applicants accepted — a specific condition that the fence not exceed 6 feet in height.

No final decision was issued at the hearing. Carthell closed the record and said he will issue a written recommendation on July 2; that recommendation will be transmitted to the County Development Committee and then to the full county board for the final decision. Carthell said applicants need not attend and that they should email exhibit files to staff for inclusion in the record.

Discussion vs. decision: the hearing was procedural and evidentiary; questions focused on sightlines, precise measurement of the proposed fence height, and documentation for the record. The township highway department's line-of-sight concern remains an outstanding advisory question to be considered before final action.

Ending: The hearing record is closed; a written recommendation is due July 2 and further county-level review will follow.