Downers Grove owner asked to clarify measurements for shed setback variance; decision set for June 4

DuPage County Zoning Hearing Officer Bob Carthal closed the public hearing March 21 on petition 2518, filed by property owner Michael Tessel of Downers Grove, seeking a variance that would reduce the required 10-foot interior side setback for a shed to roughly 3 feet, 10 inches. Carthal said he is "sympathetic to your case, because you have a concrete slab," but asked the petitioner to provide precise measurements on the site plan before he issues a recommendation on June 4.

Tessel testified he and his family bought the property in 2021 and that the existing shed is on a concrete slab and in disrepair. He told the hearing the slab measures about "14 by 14 foot," and said he intends to remove the old structure and replace it with a new storage shed for household goods.

Carthal explained that the county may treat small accessory-structure cases differently depending on whether a conditional use or a permanent variance is appropriate, and warned that an approved variance would run with the land. He asked Tessel to mark the site plan with the shed's exact dimensions and the distances from the shed to the lot lines so the record is specific and enforceable. The hearing officer said staff would accept the marked-up plan by email and that he was "inclined to" recommend approval if the firm dimensions are provided.

The hearing officer closed the record for this petition after receiving the survey and site-plan exhibits and after the petitioner agreed to revise and resubmit the site plan. Carthal said he will issue a written recommendation June 4 and forward it to the county development committee and the county board.