Shorewood Board of Appeals denies front-yard disconnection exemption, grants backyard exemption at 4074 North Lake Drive

At a Shorewood Board of Appeals meeting called to order at 5:30 p.m., the board considered an appeal of the village’s enforcement of a downspout disconnection notice for the property at 4074 North Lake Drive and issued split rulings: it denied an exemption for the southwest (front-yard) downspout and granted an exemption for the southeast (backyard) downspout.

The issue matters because the village’s downspout disconnection program aims to reduce clear stormwater entering the village’s combined sewer system — a measure intended to reduce basement backups and sewage overflows — but homeowners and the board also raised concerns about bluff erosion and public-safety problems such as ice on adjacent walkways.

Phil, a licensed professional engineer with Strand Engineering, testified that the program is “driven by trying to minimize the amount of clear water that gets into the sewer system to minimize basement backups and sewage overflows throughout the village.” He said his…