Lee County zoning board recommends approval of special-use permit for home auto repair with limits and conditions

The Lee County Zoning Board of Appeals voted to recommend approval of a special‑use permit for auto repair at a residence and sent the petition to the full county board for final action on March 20, 2025. The board attached eight conditions that limit customer vehicles, specify storage locations and handling of hazardous materials, and make the permit nontransferable except by explicit action of the county board.

The recommendation matters because it allows a homeowner to continue small‑scale vehicle maintenance while setting rules the board said are intended to protect neighbors and the environment. Board members repeatedly cited concrete floors with no drains, how hazardous fluids are stored and disposed of, and the need for an identifiable storage area to aid enforcement.

Petitioner testimony at the hearing described a mostly short‑turnover operation. The petitioner (referred to in the record as the resident requesting the permit) told the board, “Anything that gets spilled, I put oil dry on and then dispose of the oil dry.” Board members asked about onsite drains, septics and how many nonpersonal vehicles would be kept; the petitioner said the household has four personal vehicles and that they would not keep more than five customer vehicles at a time.

At a sequence of findings of fact, the board concluded there would be no change to traffic or public utility conditions, that the use would not negatively affect surrounding properties, and that automobile maintenance performed there would serve public safety by keeping vehicles roadworthy. On environmental concerns the board noted the work is on a concrete floor without a drain and moved that applicable environmental regulations appeared to be met.

The board’s conditions, read into the record and voted on before the recommendation, are: 1) petitioner limited to five customer vehicles at one time; 2) customer vehicles may remain on site no more than seven days; 3) no parking or storage in public rights‑of‑way; 4) storage and work limited to a designated location near the southwest corner of the property; 5) petitioner shall not operate a junkyard or scrap processing facility on the subject realty; 6) petitioner shall comply with the Illinois State Plumbing Code for auto repair shops (this requirement was noted to come from the health department); 7) petitioner shall comply with the hazardous‑materials provisions of the Lee County Code, Title 11, Chapter 15, Section 12; and 8) should the subject realty transfer ownership to anyone other than the petitioners, the special‑use permit shall become null and void upon transfer.

Board members clarified enforcement intent: locating vehicle storage near the southwest corner of the lot is meant as an enforcement aid so inspectors driving by can readily determine whether stored vehicles are customer vehicles covered by the permit. The board also discussed and rejected making the permit automatically transferable to the petitioners’ son; members said the son may petition for a special use in the future if ownership changes.

A motion to recommend approval was made, seconded and carried after members voted “aye.” The board set the petition for consideration by the Lee County Board at a March 20, 2025, 6 p.m. meeting.

The board record shows the hearing followed the standard special‑use review steps: findings of fact on neighborhood character, traffic, public utilities, public health/safety/welfare, effects on surrounding properties, and environmental concerns. Several board members said the property owner had made progress on cleanup while working with the planning office during the prior year.