Plan Commission recommends Village Board update rules for accessory buildings and structures

The Village of Jackson Plan Commission on Jan. 16 recommended that the Village Board approve Ordinance 25-01, which would amend and recreate municipal code section 48-108 to regulate accessory buildings and accessory structures, including sheds, pergolas, private sidewalks and retaining walls.

Planning staff described the ordinance as an effort to permit larger accessory buildings in subdivisions annexed from the former town of Jackson while putting clearer limits and definitions in place. Collin, village planning staff, said the change aims to move some decisions out of the variance process and provide consistent rules for types of structures that were previously allowed by policy but not explicitly regulated. “We were kind of allowing these by policy without any type of real applicable regulations,” Collin said.

The proposed ordinance distinguishes between older, smaller lots in “Old Village” (R1–R9) and attached subdivisions (RT10 and RT11) that came into the village in 2021. Under the draft language discussed, Old Village lots would retain a 3-foot setback for sheds and similar accessory structures; attached subdivision lots would have a 10-foot minimum setback. Commission members asked staff to confirm current and proposed size limits: Collin said the existing village maximum for sheds is 150 square feet; under the new language attached subdivisions would allow sheds up to 200 square feet. The draft also consolidates detached accessory buildings so that multiple detached structures on a lot are measured in the aggregate and capped at 880 square feet total, mirroring previous amendments that allowed larger garages.

Commissioners pressed staff on a few practical points. One member asked whether fences placed on property lines could conflict with the stated 3-foot setback; Collin said fences are treated the same (3-foot setback) unless neighbors provide written sign-off allowing placement at the property line, and staff reviews those sign-offs as part of plan review before a permit is issued. Collin noted the ordinance also clarifies that “sidewalks” in the code means private sidewalks in this context and adds the phrase “and similar structures” to reduce ambiguity about future building types (for example, small pool equipment buildings with wet bars and adjacent covered seating areas, which staff said may be proposed in spring).

Commissioner Heckendorf moved to recommend approval of Ordinance 25-01 (amending and recreating §48-108), Molchanstein seconded, and the motion carried on a voice vote. Commissioners did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the commission’s action is a recommendation to the Village Board and does not by itself change the code.

The final ordinance draft and any additional edits will appear before the Village Board for consideration and final adoption.