Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Setbacks Chicken Coop topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DuPage hearing considers setback variances for Naperville homeowner’s chicken coop
Summary
At a June zoning hearing, a Naperville homeowner asked DuPage County to reduce required 25-foot interior and rear setbacks to about 3 feet for an existing chicken coop; the building department logged an objection and a written decision is scheduled after a July 2 recommendation meeting.
Robert Carthell, the DuPage County zoning hearing officer, opened petition 25O23 from Musa Sleeman of 571 Tuthill Road in Naperville seeking two setback variances to leave an existing chicken coop roughly 3 feet from both the interior side and rear property lines instead of the required 25 feet.
The request was published in the Daily Herald on May 6, 2025; Carthell said the county building department filed an objection and that the petition package included a survey, a site plan and manufacturer plans for the coop. Carthell closed the oral record and said he would issue a written recommendation at the recommendation meeting scheduled for July 2 at 3 p.m.
Why this matters: setback variances change how property owners may use their land and can affect neighboring parcels. Sleeman told the hearing the coop replaced a smaller, preexisting structure he believed had been permitted and that he replaced and enlarged it after purchasing the property in March 2024.
Sleeman said he had discussed the coop with neighbors before constructing it and described efforts to minimize impacts. He told the hearing the coop is "away from septic and well" and that he engineered the structure to avoid odor and noise impacts. He said the parcel directly east of his property is currently vacant, and that he is negotiating with an adjacent owner for additional footage, but said those negotiations were not finalized.
Carthell noted the building department objection but took no final action at the hearing. "I'll treat the record as closed," he said. Carthell said his recommendation on the petition will be made at the July 2 recommendation meeting and that the recommendation will go to the county development committee and ultimately the full county board for final action.
Discussion vs. decision: the hearing was evidence-taking only; Carthell closed the record and reserved a formal recommendation for the July meeting. No vote or final approval was issued at today's hearing.
Exhibits and next steps: the applicant submitted a survey (Exhibit 1), a site plan (Exhibit 2) and coop building plans/brochure (Exhibit 3). Carthell said Sleeman need not attend the recommendation meeting; the county will send a written decision by email after the recommendation is issued.
Ending: The record is closed and County staff will issue a written recommendation on July 2. Any final change to setbacks would require subsequent committee and full county board action.
