Shorewood board agrees to add 1601 East Menlo right-of-way to village maintenance contract, exempting owner

The Village of Shorewood approved a process to add the public right-of-way adjacent to 1601 East Menlo Boulevard to the village’s natural-turf maintenance contract and exempt the property owner from the usual code requirement that adjacent owners maintain right-of-way. The motion passed after staff described the parcel’s unusual geometry and the owner said he has maintained the slope for decades.

Public Works Director Lianne Butchlich explained that 1601 East Menlo has right-of-way on three sides and that “the property line actually, like, skims a planter on the west side of the home,” making a clear delineation between private property and right-of-way difficult. She told trustees the village’s packet included GIS images and background on the lawn-maintenance contract and noted that staff could not find a comparable parcel in Shorewood.

Property owner Mister Rebholz told the board he moved to the house in 1968 and has mowed the steep hill for decades, sometimes allowing neighbors or family to assist when it was unsafe for him to do alone. “I moved to that property in 1968… I’ve been living in that place for 56 years,” he said, and he emphasized that the corner area had received many positive comments from passersby.

Trustees said they were reluctant to enforce the code in a way that would require the owner to resume full maintenance, given the slope’s safety risk and the quality of the homeowner’s care. Several trustees said they preferred option 2 from staff — converting portions to a native-planting regime rather than maintaining turf up to the house. Staff noted contractors will not mow very steep slopes and that maintenance under the village contract would likely look different than the owner’s current turf.

The board approved the following motion: exempt the property from the current code requirement and add the area to the village’s natural turf maintenance contract, maintaining areas determined by DPW staff and the contractor (likely native rather than turf grass). The motion passed by voice vote; trustees said staff will work with Mister Rebholz on the exact limits and planting plan.

Public works staff told the board they could ask their contractor to leave a single pass at the curb or a half pass so the native area looks intentional, and they committed to involving the owner in any decisions. Staff also noted the village will take responsibility for maintenance under the new arrangement, and final design and plant choices will be set by DPW and the contractor.