Board amends zoning to add beekeeping registration and neighbor notification

The Village Board approved a zoning ordinance amendment on June 2 requiring backyard beekeepers to notify adjacent property owners and to submit a village registration form agreeing to comply with the ordinance.

Plan Commission had recommended adding neighbor notification and a registration requirement to the existing beekeeping regulations; trustees approved the commission’s changes with a motion and second and without recorded opposition. The new rules add two items to the ordinance: a requirement to notify adjoining property owners before placement of new hives and a requirement that beekeepers sign a village form certifying compliance with the beekeeping regulations.

Planning staff and the village attorney told trustees that the new requirements create a simple administrative record and a first step for neighbor communication. The board and staff discussed enforcement and noted that moving a hive that is out of compliance creates practical challenges; the commission suggested delaying active enforcement until the following year to avoid forcing urgent hive relocations during an active season.

The amendment does not create a conditional‑use process; a conditional‑use permit (which the commission noted could be used for site‑specific scrutiny at higher cost) was not adopted. Trustees said the registration and notification requirements aim to increase neighbor awareness and provide the village a record of hive locations for public‑safety or planning inquiries.