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Zoning hearing officer considers conditional use for Downers Grove shed after neighbor objections
Summary
At a Jan. 15 DuPage County hearing, a homeowner requested a conditional use to reduce the interior side setback for an existing shed from the permitted 3 feet to about 2 feet; neighbors opposed citing ongoing dog-barking complaints. The hearing officer will issue a recommendation Feb. 6; no final decision was made at the meeting.
Zoning Hearing Officer Robert Cartel heard a petition Jan. 15 requesting a conditional use to reduce the interior side setback for an existing shed at a Downers Grove Township property from the permitted 3 feet to approximately 2 feet.
The applicant, identified in the hearing as Mr. Blas, testified he has lived at the property since 2007 and that the shed depicted on a 2007 survey “stood there consistently since 2007.” Cartel confirmed the hearing record included a 2007 survey showing the shed and said the request is to approve the existing shed as a conditional use, not to approve any additions.
A neighbor, identified as Miss Przybylowski, spoke on behalf of multiple neighbors and said they would not agree to the conditional use because of unrelated ongoing problems with the home’s dogs. “We’re not going to agree to this because you have not agreed and done anything about the dog situation,” she said, adding neighbors had submitted group letters and sheriff reports about barking. Przybylowski said the neighbors did not object to the chickens or the coop but that persistent dog barking was keeping elderly residents and households with infants awake.
Cartel stressed the limited scope of the hearing. He said the petition is a "1 foot" request for conditional use, that any approval would be time-limited, and that animal-control or other county departments handle complaints outside his authority. Cartel told the parties he had “all I need to know for the sake of this hearing” and that his recommendation would be delivered on Feb. 6 (as stated on the record). He also noted the public may watch future proceedings by Zoom and receive updates by email. No formal vote or final ruling was issued at the Jan. 15 meeting.
Why it matters: A reduced setback would legalize a structure already in place near a property line and could affect adjacent homeowners’ yards and noise concerns while any enforcement of animal issues remains with other county departments.
The Zoning Hearing Officer will issue a written recommendation on Feb. 6; parties were advised how to obtain hearing updates.
