Shorewood board denies appeal of 8‑foot trellises at 4039 North Richland Court; variance request also fails

The Shorewood Board of Appeals denied an appeal on Jan. 9, 2024 by the homeowner at 4039 North Richland Court challenging a village correction that classified three 8‑foot trellis panels as fence panels and ordered the panels either reduced to 4 feet in height or moved 3 feet off the lot line. The board then considered and rejected a separate motion to grant a variance that would have allowed the panels to remain at their current height and location.

The ruling stems from a building permit the village issued in September 2023 for three 8‑foot trellis sections. After a neighbor complained, the village inspected the site and issued a notice of correction on Oct. 2, 2023 telling the owner to lower the panels to 4 feet or relocate them to meet accessory‑structure setbacks. Inspector Burris, the village building inspector, told the board that “no fence more than 4 feet in height may be erected between adjoining properties when the fence parallels an existing residence,” and that because the trellises sit close to a neighboring house the village interpreted them as fence panels subject to the lower height limit.

The applicant, Mr. Schwebbel, the homeowner at 4039 North Richland Court, disputed the village’s reclassification. He…