DuPage County hearing: petitioner seeks variance to keep one horse on sub‑acre Glen Ellyn lot

Bob Kartel, DuPage County Zoning Hearing Officer, heard testimony on a petition to allow one horse on a lot of about 19,999 square feet at a public hearing for the Chaudhry petition. The request seeks a variation from the 40,000‑square‑foot minimum and a reduction of the required 30‑foot rear yard setback for a horse stable to about 10.44 feet; the petitioner plans to use an existing shed as the stable.

The variance, if granted, would run with the land and become permanent. "A variation which runs with the land. So once it's granted, it lasts forever," Kartel said as he cautioned the petitioner about the request's permanence.

The petition drew formal objections from the DuPage County Building Department and from the Village of Glen Ellyn, and the case was published in the Daily Herald on 02/04/2025 as required for public notice. Neighbors who testified said they had not expected horses at the site and raised practical concerns about whether the parcel provides sufficient exercise area, manure management, summer odors and flies, and where trailers would be parked for transport.

The petitioner, identified in the record as Mr. Chaudhry, said he had registered with a 4‑H program and had previously kept a horse at a boarding stable but wanted the animal closer to home for training and care. "Everything is more important to me than keeping that horse," Mr. Chaudhry said, adding that he would move the animal back to a stable if it became a problem for neighbors. He described a proposed 60‑by‑60 fenced pen and said the existing shed would be modified as needed to serve as a stable.

Neighbor Robert Pearson, who lives across the street, said he was unsure how to feel about the request and described this as the first time in decades he had encountered such a petition in the neighborhood. "I'm objective to it," Pearson said. Sally Pearson, at the same address, said: "We're concerned... about the waste material from a horse, how that's going to be addressed. Is that going to create issues, like, in the summertime with odors or insects?"

Alexander Kucher, participating by telephone and identifying himself as a volunteer with a local horse rescue, said based on experience he did not support keeping a horse at the rental property. "It's not the place for the horses... we're not supporting this," Kucher said.

Kartel said he would take the record under advisement and issue a written recommendation at the March 5, 3:00 p.m. recommendation hearing. That recommendation will go to the DuPage County Development Committee, which will review the record and in turn forward a recommendation to the full DuPage County Board; Kartel said the final administrative steps and the county board's decision should conclude near the end of March. The zoning hearing officer noted that interested parties would be notified by email and could watch the March 5 meeting by Zoom but did not need to appear in person.

Because the record shows objections from county building officials and the Village of Glen Ellyn, Kartel emphasized the limited scope of his review to the lot in question rather than to surrounding parcels. He also recognized as exhibits the petitioner’s survey and site plan and indicated he would admit other documents submitted during the hearing as appropriate.

No final vote or administrative decision was made at the hearing; the Zoning Hearing Officer will file a recommendation on March 5, and subsequent action will be taken by the county development committee and county board based on the administrative record.